December 27, 2012
Published on tags: General
First-Take is a series in which GPVWC members take part in a live interview, with the transcript then made available for all to read. With First-Take, I hope to try and get the answers that are honest, raw, and not pre-planned. I hope this will be as fun for everyone to read as it will be for me to conduct.

Our fourth participant is 17 year old Finnish sim racer Tuomas Koriala. Coming over from a brief stint in FSR, Tuomas is hoping to make a big impact in the GPVWC, and talks his past, present, and future hopes in the GPVWC.

-How long have you been sim racing for, and where did you originally begin?

TK: I started sim racing when I was 4. I liked to play Gran Turismo on PlayStation for example. I started to race internationally in the beginning of 2012, where I competed in FSR. Otherwise before 2012 it has just been Finnish races or offline racing.

- What was your first impression of the GPVWC league as a whole when joining for the first time?

TK:Hmm...I would describe it as a respected international league. Happy to join one of the most known leagues in the world.The atmosphere is very nice too, as you have a wiki and forum available.

-Although you only took part in the final round of the Formula Challenge series, did you enjoy the racing, and your brief time with Tiger Express Motorsports?

TK:Yeah it was a nice experience. TEM also had a nice atmosphere, and Janne was happy to assist in theprocedures.

-As you're not well known in the GPVWC yet, what would you say your style of driving is like?

TK: Well basically I'm trying to obey the racing rules to be a driver to enjoy driving with. And the driving style itself is much self-explanatory: Smooth but fast.Beware though, I might be a hard opponent in the race!

-You had a short stint of competing in the Formula Sim Racing league. Was that a difficult experience for you? Or did you learn a lot about yourself as a driver in that time?

TK: It was definitely a hard time for me. I didn't know my pace that time, as I didn't know how high the level of competition was. But I did learn a lot there about setting up cars and some useful tips. I was a very decent driver there, always in the midfield.

-What are your short term plans? Have you found a drive somewhere for next season? If so, what level are you hoping to race in?

TK:I recruited myself in my own team, Sisu Grand Prix. It's the same team I ran in FSR and will do next year as well, as a manager. And I'm hoping to race constantly in the top 5. I'm pretty sure I'm even able to fight for victories as well. So what I really am hoping for: the title of Formula Challenge.

-What about your long term goals? Do you hope to one day race in the Superleague?

TK:Possibly, but my imagination can't reach that far yet. It resembles a return to FSR. When and if I finish in top 3 in the championship, I will stay in FC or switch to Supercup to improve step by step.

-Are you planning to focus solely on open wheeler racing? Or will you also compete in future tin top races organised by the GPVWC if the chance arises?

TK:Currently the first suggestion is correct. I focus mainly in open-wheelers, but might do some short appearances in tin top races as well. We'll see how things go on, but I feel I'm faster with open-wheelers than other cars.

I'd like to thank Tuomas for taking the time to answer these questions. I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you would like to be considered for a First-Take interview, please feel free to PM me (Ben Warren) and we'll take things from there. Drivers/team bosses/former members/casual fans are all welcome! Until next time....