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September 25, 2009
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The Press Conference for the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix is about to start. Together with us, today, are race winner Adam Rouse (ENG, Nordsjoen), 2nd placed Mark Wicks (ENG, Woods) and 3rd place James Linton (ENG, Fusion).
Q. Congratulations to you all - a very hard race but you got here on the podium, and that's what matters.
Adam - you had a good race, pushed Joe until he was in contention, and eventually brought home your first win since Australia. How was it?
AR. Well, in terms of pace and feel its probably the best the car has felt since Charade [in the French GP]. Joe was obviously quick here, so to have made him work hard for most of the race until he lost connection was at least progress. I was a bit under the weather today and the race got pretty hard in the middle, my mind started wandering abit. I am happy to win, but obviously it was lucky, a bit like Australia.
Q. And to you, Mark. Another great show of consistency.
MW. It was a tough chase this race, that's for sure. For the last half of it I was kind of in the zone, just knocking in mid-1m12s to close the gap on the guys ahead of me. I gained about 10 seconds over Linton and Kinsman in about 15 laps. The start was interesting, I just coasted into Turn 1 after seeing 3 guys blitz past me and I thought I just didn't want to get involved with that. I could see Linton in front of me thought the same as Allen hit Perkins and Mullins was too close to have time to avoid them. I just picked my way through it all and found myself a few seconds behind Ryan who I began to chase, with James behind me. Ryan then had a spin and I saw he tried to roll back out of the way off the racing line but I was too close to see that happen and had to stop beside him on track to save hitting him. That allowed Linton past.
Next lap I spun off at the same corner as Ryan, giving him the place back and putting me 10 seconds adrift in 6th, now with Ponissi et al on my backside. I pulled away with great difficulty but it wasnt until after my first pitstop I started to claw back some of the gap to Kinsman, Ryan and Linton. Out of the pits on the next lap I passed Ponissi on the start-straight, he made a late re-pass but ran wide enough for me to keep the place. Then I closed on Wright and had a few looks before he ran off track - enough for me to nip through at the hairpin. Kinsman had a big spin in Turn 3 and with a jittering screen I ploughed through his massive smoke cloud and luckily came through it. I was just pushing on and on, with Iden keeping close enough to add some pressure. A long middle-stint gave me a 10 lap sprint at the end on fresh tyres and with that (following Ryan's exit) I was 3rd and closing down Linton quickly. I'd lowered the gap from 6 to 2.5 seconds when he finally started equalling my times. I thought I'd seen the best of my tyres and my chance of 2nd was over but then I came round the last corner to find him pointing the wrong direction with 6 laps to go. Held 2nd to the finish but decided to just keep things steady those last few laps for a happy return to the podium.
Q. James - what a debut! Fighting with Wicksy and coming home with a podium.
JL. Yeah, someone please pinch me, because I feel like I'm dreaming! Had Wicksy pushing me hard in the last phase of the race. Unfortunately, I had a lapse in concentration and spun at the last turn. I really couldn't have managed the podium without Phil Perkins and Mark Fuller's help over this past week: we've put in hours of development on the setup and we got the car working perfectly. So thats one for the guys at Fusion Motorsport. We may not have the best car on the field, but we have shown what driver skill and team work can really do.
Q. Back to you Adam - points today. 0 for Joe. What does that imply in the fight for the championship?
AR. Not a whole lot, it's still Joe's to win and when he does he will deserve it the most out of anyone on the grid. This is actually the first event this season where he hasn't given me a setup to work on, and I think it actually did us some good because it was a decent race between us. That guy has incredible speed with a one pit stop strategy and he is the class of the field.
I'd also like to say 'well done' to Mark Wicks again, the guy is like a rash and clings to podiums like a limpet, Fusion too have stepped forward, James and Phil will be well up for the final rounds so my main aim is still at least 3rd in the championship.
Q. Championship talk will interest you as well, Mark. How do these 8 points shape the fight for the championship?
MW. They shape it up rather nicely, and tighten up the top again, especially the battle for 2nd! If you'd told me after the first race that by Round 13 I'd be sitting 2nd in the Drivers Championship I'd have laughed at you. My season has gone from strength to strength but my main weapon has been my consistency. That's the reason I'm higher then expected in the points standings. And with a total that still leaves me as a championship challenger despite not having scored a win among my 6 podiums this year so far.
Personally I don't see myself as a challenger, I just want to do my best and keep picking up points to keep myself as high up the table as possible, my aim is more to defend my position from Rouse and Tanskanen, then it is to attack Consiglio, but since the Spring I've just wanted to be in the Top-4 by the end of the year. The points also help Woods out a lot and further extend our gap over Evans Blue in our aim to hold 2nd in that championship as well.
Q. And finally to you, James. You showed today, with just little practice on the car, that you can be in contention for podiums. Are you looking for something a bit more prestigious than that before the end of the season?
JL. I would of like to! However, after seeing how fast Joe and Adam ran today, I need to up my game in order to get to that level. I feel maybe next season is the time for Fusion Motorsport to shine and show what true potential we really have, but I haven't given up on this season. I will work as hard as I can with Phil and Mark to get Fusion constantly onto the podium and get its debut win.
Q. Adam, have you got some last comments?
AR. Well, this win has been very important...
JL - a la Kayne West. "I would like to thank Phil, Mark, and Fusion Motorsport for giving me the opportunity to run the SuperLeague car and the for the help and support they've given me over the past week. Roll on Monza, and watch out, Fusion Motorsport mean business!
As Security intervenes to remove Linton from the Press Conference stage while he utters nonsense on Beyonce' and Taylor Swift, the Press Conference for the Brazilian Grand Prix comes to a close.
We will be back together in Monza in two weeks' time.
Q. Congratulations to you all - a very hard race but you got here on the podium, and that's what matters.
Adam - you had a good race, pushed Joe until he was in contention, and eventually brought home your first win since Australia. How was it?
AR. Well, in terms of pace and feel its probably the best the car has felt since Charade [in the French GP]. Joe was obviously quick here, so to have made him work hard for most of the race until he lost connection was at least progress. I was a bit under the weather today and the race got pretty hard in the middle, my mind started wandering abit. I am happy to win, but obviously it was lucky, a bit like Australia.
Q. And to you, Mark. Another great show of consistency.
MW. It was a tough chase this race, that's for sure. For the last half of it I was kind of in the zone, just knocking in mid-1m12s to close the gap on the guys ahead of me. I gained about 10 seconds over Linton and Kinsman in about 15 laps. The start was interesting, I just coasted into Turn 1 after seeing 3 guys blitz past me and I thought I just didn't want to get involved with that. I could see Linton in front of me thought the same as Allen hit Perkins and Mullins was too close to have time to avoid them. I just picked my way through it all and found myself a few seconds behind Ryan who I began to chase, with James behind me. Ryan then had a spin and I saw he tried to roll back out of the way off the racing line but I was too close to see that happen and had to stop beside him on track to save hitting him. That allowed Linton past.
Next lap I spun off at the same corner as Ryan, giving him the place back and putting me 10 seconds adrift in 6th, now with Ponissi et al on my backside. I pulled away with great difficulty but it wasnt until after my first pitstop I started to claw back some of the gap to Kinsman, Ryan and Linton. Out of the pits on the next lap I passed Ponissi on the start-straight, he made a late re-pass but ran wide enough for me to keep the place. Then I closed on Wright and had a few looks before he ran off track - enough for me to nip through at the hairpin. Kinsman had a big spin in Turn 3 and with a jittering screen I ploughed through his massive smoke cloud and luckily came through it. I was just pushing on and on, with Iden keeping close enough to add some pressure. A long middle-stint gave me a 10 lap sprint at the end on fresh tyres and with that (following Ryan's exit) I was 3rd and closing down Linton quickly. I'd lowered the gap from 6 to 2.5 seconds when he finally started equalling my times. I thought I'd seen the best of my tyres and my chance of 2nd was over but then I came round the last corner to find him pointing the wrong direction with 6 laps to go. Held 2nd to the finish but decided to just keep things steady those last few laps for a happy return to the podium.
Q. James - what a debut! Fighting with Wicksy and coming home with a podium.
JL. Yeah, someone please pinch me, because I feel like I'm dreaming! Had Wicksy pushing me hard in the last phase of the race. Unfortunately, I had a lapse in concentration and spun at the last turn. I really couldn't have managed the podium without Phil Perkins and Mark Fuller's help over this past week: we've put in hours of development on the setup and we got the car working perfectly. So thats one for the guys at Fusion Motorsport. We may not have the best car on the field, but we have shown what driver skill and team work can really do.
Q. Back to you Adam - points today. 0 for Joe. What does that imply in the fight for the championship?
AR. Not a whole lot, it's still Joe's to win and when he does he will deserve it the most out of anyone on the grid. This is actually the first event this season where he hasn't given me a setup to work on, and I think it actually did us some good because it was a decent race between us. That guy has incredible speed with a one pit stop strategy and he is the class of the field.
I'd also like to say 'well done' to Mark Wicks again, the guy is like a rash and clings to podiums like a limpet, Fusion too have stepped forward, James and Phil will be well up for the final rounds so my main aim is still at least 3rd in the championship.
Q. Championship talk will interest you as well, Mark. How do these 8 points shape the fight for the championship?
MW. They shape it up rather nicely, and tighten up the top again, especially the battle for 2nd! If you'd told me after the first race that by Round 13 I'd be sitting 2nd in the Drivers Championship I'd have laughed at you. My season has gone from strength to strength but my main weapon has been my consistency. That's the reason I'm higher then expected in the points standings. And with a total that still leaves me as a championship challenger despite not having scored a win among my 6 podiums this year so far.
Personally I don't see myself as a challenger, I just want to do my best and keep picking up points to keep myself as high up the table as possible, my aim is more to defend my position from Rouse and Tanskanen, then it is to attack Consiglio, but since the Spring I've just wanted to be in the Top-4 by the end of the year. The points also help Woods out a lot and further extend our gap over Evans Blue in our aim to hold 2nd in that championship as well.
Q. And finally to you, James. You showed today, with just little practice on the car, that you can be in contention for podiums. Are you looking for something a bit more prestigious than that before the end of the season?
JL. I would of like to! However, after seeing how fast Joe and Adam ran today, I need to up my game in order to get to that level. I feel maybe next season is the time for Fusion Motorsport to shine and show what true potential we really have, but I haven't given up on this season. I will work as hard as I can with Phil and Mark to get Fusion constantly onto the podium and get its debut win.
Q. Adam, have you got some last comments?
AR. Well, this win has been very important...
JL - a la Kayne West. "I would like to thank Phil, Mark, and Fusion Motorsport for giving me the opportunity to run the SuperLeague car and the for the help and support they've given me over the past week. Roll on Monza, and watch out, Fusion Motorsport mean business!
As Security intervenes to remove Linton from the Press Conference stage while he utters nonsense on Beyonce' and Taylor Swift, the Press Conference for the Brazilian Grand Prix comes to a close.
We will be back together in Monza in two weeks' time.
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