JMR: Arno, what a week-end for you and White Racing! 1st and 2nd place, Pole for Ventis and best race lap for you, 47 points out of 47 possible... Considering the fierce competition that you were facing in the likes of Peter Duivelaar, David Guehennec and the venue of new racers from the Presto League, and without questioning your driving ability which everyone who has raced with you recognizes, did you expect such a stunning result?
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AH: Definitely not. Both Ventis and David seemed to be a bit quicker by looking at the time tables. In the warm-up I saw David's stint pace was not as impressive as his qualifying pace but with a race driver like Ventis you always know he's on top of his game. So to win this race was quite a nice surprise. In terms of the team performance... what can you wish more! In the end it's obviously all about the cash prize :tongue:
JMR: Race winners are not necessarily among the fastest in qualifications, especially when the race is long and intense like here in Interlagos where consistency is key. Here, with the exception of David who squeezed in between you and Ventis on the grid, you had both top pace in quali and race, and yet managed to be the most consistent guys as well. Does this ability to be consistently fast come from a long experience in sim racing or is it the way you prepare for each race that makes the difference?
AH: I picked up on simracing a little over a year ago now. Ventis has been around a bit longer I think. Anyway, I dont think simracing experience is the key. A good preparation on the other hand is. You don't need to spend hours and hours on the server -doesn't hurt though- but if you spend your testing time efficiently looking for a setup, and do a few long runs to test different tyre compounds you should know what to expect in the race.
JMR: Racers had a lot of time to prepare for Interlagos, and most already knew the track which gives even more credit to your performance. In Abu Dhabi, only 3 weeks from now, it will be a completely different story. Most of the field has never raced there and will discover the track for the first time. Will your preparation be any different for this new track than it is for the tracks you are already familiar with?
AH: As I just jumped of the Presto F3000 train I do actually carry a bit of Abu Dhabi experience with me in my suitcase. It helps... but the F1 cars are a completely different story. My preparation won't be any different. Just hit the servers, have a bit of fun with the guys while working on a setup and start doing some longer stints in the final days prior to the race.
JMR: You've already built up a gap with Burning Rubber Motorsport, your immediate followers in the team rankings, despite Duivelaar's and McIver's solid 4th and 5th place finish. In Abu Dhabi, will your main priority be to keep this lead, possibly increase it even further, or will you be more concerned with your individual battle on top of the driver rankings with your teammate Ventis Didrihson?
AH: The team c'ship is nice. It provides a nice opportunity to work together with a group of drivers to share setup tips, tyre info and have a laugh. But -as in real life Formula 1- obviously in the end you'll always look first at the driver standings and after that at the team standings. Of course going to Abu Dhabi I can only have one goal, and that is to win that race... But knowing Ventis a little bit... I'm afraid I just pushed a button I should not have pushed.
JMR: Thank you very much for your time and your most thoughtful answers, Arno! Best of luck for next race and the rest of the championship!
