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March 19, 2011
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In the first of a new series, each race we're asking a different GPVWC Superleague driver to take a spin around the next track and share their thoughts. First up is former Superleague champion and reigning Masters champion Joe Consiglio, driving for Nordsjoen Racing.
Commentary by Tom Parker:
strong>Q) First of all, how did your lap of Albert Park feel in the new car?
A) The car feels good actually, it’s really giving me the confidence to push it to the limit. We’ve used pre-season testing to focus on setup work and we’re now reasonably positive we can get the car nicely hooked up on all types of circuit.
Q) What are the most challenging aspects of the track?
A) Albert Park has a street circuit feel to it, kinda similar to Montreal. The surface is very bumpy in places and the walls are never too far away. Turns 11 and 12 stand out as the most challenging corners on the circuit. Turn 11, the high speed left hander, is a corner you’ve got to get spot on. If you turn in too early there, you’re corner cutting and running the risk of being penalised. Conversely, if you turn in too late, you end up badly compromising your line into turn 12. There’s a nasty kerb on the inside of 12 that tends to destabilise the car if you clip it, this can lead to a massive accident if you don’t catch it in time. You’ve also got to be careful not to run too wide on the exit as you can easily lose speed by bottoming out on the outside kerb.
Q) How would you describe your driving style?
A) I try to keep my steering and throttle inputs as smooth as possible. I’m more aggressive on gear change and braking though. I trail brake quite a lot which is why you’ll sometimes see me locking up here and there, I don’t find it’s a massive problem as long I’m getting the nose into the corners ok. I like the car to be quite neutral in terms of balance, I can cope with oversteer but understeer is something I try to avoid at all costs. I’ve noticed my steering input is pretty minimum compared to a lot of guys in the league. In fact quite a few of my teammates find my setups too oversteery because their style is to turn the steering wheel more aggressively than myself.
Q) What do you expect to see once we get racing here at Melbourne?
A) I’m hoping for an exciting race with a good amount of overtaking and some interesting strategies being played out. With the new qualifying format we could see some surprises and some big names being eliminated early. I think tyres will play a significant role with the strategies and because it’s the first race of the season no one will be quite sure what everyone else is going to do.
Commentary by Tom Parker:
strong>Q) First of all, how did your lap of Albert Park feel in the new car?
A) The car feels good actually, it’s really giving me the confidence to push it to the limit. We’ve used pre-season testing to focus on setup work and we’re now reasonably positive we can get the car nicely hooked up on all types of circuit.
Q) What are the most challenging aspects of the track?
A) Albert Park has a street circuit feel to it, kinda similar to Montreal. The surface is very bumpy in places and the walls are never too far away. Turns 11 and 12 stand out as the most challenging corners on the circuit. Turn 11, the high speed left hander, is a corner you’ve got to get spot on. If you turn in too early there, you’re corner cutting and running the risk of being penalised. Conversely, if you turn in too late, you end up badly compromising your line into turn 12. There’s a nasty kerb on the inside of 12 that tends to destabilise the car if you clip it, this can lead to a massive accident if you don’t catch it in time. You’ve also got to be careful not to run too wide on the exit as you can easily lose speed by bottoming out on the outside kerb.
Q) How would you describe your driving style?
A) I try to keep my steering and throttle inputs as smooth as possible. I’m more aggressive on gear change and braking though. I trail brake quite a lot which is why you’ll sometimes see me locking up here and there, I don’t find it’s a massive problem as long I’m getting the nose into the corners ok. I like the car to be quite neutral in terms of balance, I can cope with oversteer but understeer is something I try to avoid at all costs. I’ve noticed my steering input is pretty minimum compared to a lot of guys in the league. In fact quite a few of my teammates find my setups too oversteery because their style is to turn the steering wheel more aggressively than myself.
Q) What do you expect to see once we get racing here at Melbourne?
A) I’m hoping for an exciting race with a good amount of overtaking and some interesting strategies being played out. With the new qualifying format we could see some surprises and some big names being eliminated early. I think tyres will play a significant role with the strategies and because it’s the first race of the season no one will be quite sure what everyone else is going to do.
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