Q: Will the importance of the pit crew’s work increase?
Key: “We will see more complicated and detailed strategies now. There will be more pit stops and the pit crew will be under more pressure, not just to ensure every pit stop is as quick as it can be, but also to react very quickly should the need or opportunity to change tires comes up in a race as a much more critical part than it was before. Also for the engineers on the pit wall strategic decisions are far less predictable than before. I’m sure we will learn a lot more about how to handle it in the first few races.”
Q: What is your impression of the team’s rookie driver Sergio Pérez?
Key: “Sergio has developed very well over the past four tests. Looking at where he started at the Valencia test in early February and where we are now after only six weeks, he has made enormous progress. He has learned an awful lot, his feedback has improved on a test by test basis, and his confidence in the car has also improved a great deal. He made a good effort when we did our race and qualifying runs with him at the last Barcelona test. He drove the car for the first time on low fuel and new tires, and he really made good use of it by going quicker and quicker. However, it will be a very different kind of pressure at the start of the season, but so far it has worked well and now he is looking forward to the race.”
Q: How is Kamui Kobayashi dealing with his new role in the team?
Key: “He is dealing with it very well and very professionally. He is playing a very proactive role in helping in the direction the car is developing and giving a very good driver’s perspective of where we are. He’s got a bit of work to do in adapting to the tires, because he is used to the tires of the previous supplier, while Sergio isn’t, so it is a little bit more difficult to adapt for a driver who was in F1 last year. But Kamui is doing a good job on that and, as we know from last year, we can rely on him in both testing and racing and it is a pleasure to work with him.”
Key: “We will see more complicated and detailed strategies now. There will be more pit stops and the pit crew will be under more pressure, not just to ensure every pit stop is as quick as it can be, but also to react very quickly should the need or opportunity to change tires comes up in a race as a much more critical part than it was before. Also for the engineers on the pit wall strategic decisions are far less predictable than before. I’m sure we will learn a lot more about how to handle it in the first few races.”
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| Mexican Sergio Pérez (Photo: WRI2) |
Q: What is your impression of the team’s rookie driver Sergio Pérez?
Key: “Sergio has developed very well over the past four tests. Looking at where he started at the Valencia test in early February and where we are now after only six weeks, he has made enormous progress. He has learned an awful lot, his feedback has improved on a test by test basis, and his confidence in the car has also improved a great deal. He made a good effort when we did our race and qualifying runs with him at the last Barcelona test. He drove the car for the first time on low fuel and new tires, and he really made good use of it by going quicker and quicker. However, it will be a very different kind of pressure at the start of the season, but so far it has worked well and now he is looking forward to the race.”
Q: How is Kamui Kobayashi dealing with his new role in the team?
Key: “He is dealing with it very well and very professionally. He is playing a very proactive role in helping in the direction the car is developing and giving a very good driver’s perspective of where we are. He’s got a bit of work to do in adapting to the tires, because he is used to the tires of the previous supplier, while Sergio isn’t, so it is a little bit more difficult to adapt for a driver who was in F1 last year. But Kamui is doing a good job on that and, as we know from last year, we can rely on him in both testing and racing and it is a pleasure to work with him.”