May 07, 2013

 

In the days leading up to Round 6 of the 2013 season, Doug Hilliard sat down with Vod:Bul figureheads Michael Pitman and Juha Tanskanen to talk Monaco, race starts and the season so far...
Monaco next, and i's going to be wet. What sort of expectations do you both have heading into the round, and what are the team's aims?

Michael Pitman: Monaco is not a place to set expectations.... It's more of a calculated gamble at the best of times. Through some rain in there and anything can happen. We have hot dome great drivers who are prepared and ready for the race & as long as they give it their all I know we won't be disappointed.

Juha Tanskanen: Expectations... Hmmm... [laughs a little] Well, to be honest; like all of you probably already know, Monaco is a unique race, there's no other like it. In other words that means it is already challenging enough already. When you add wet weather and field with quite lot of variation, anything can happen. It can become either heaven or hell; which one it'll be for us remains to be seen.

The track may not have that special bit of magic to match its real-life counterpart, but would a good result at Monaco be that extra bit special?

MP: I think from a driver perspective Monaco is always special. The skill it requires is intense. From a team point of view it gives a chance at a lot of exposure. You never have an average race here it can make heroes but also cause much embarrassment... That always keeps you on edge and makes it special.

JT: Of course it would be special! There's no question about it. Virtual or real life, Monaco is always Monaco with its magic.

A lot has been said about the quality of starts in Formula Challenge. Many are predicting a catastrophe, given the narrowness of the track and the weather conditions. That said, Monaco will see a restricted grid for the first time. Do you think that will make any difference, and will it be a fair reflector?

MP: We often see the starts an issue at Monaco in all series but i imaging formula challenge will indeed be an issue because the skill level of the drivers varies so much compared to other series. Limiting the grid will help definitely as the people who can't get a good lap in qualifying will not be there in race for the most part. Race 2 will be the biggest issue and will throw up an interesting grid.

JT: To be honest, no. I don't think that it'll make any difference. Something more or less unexpected tends to happen in these FC races and I don't see why Monaco would be any different, restricted grid or not, it won't matter.

James Johnson performed brilliantly on his debut in WorldGT, and he races in the SC on Wednesday as a reserve for Dan; what are your thoughts about his potential and the impact he already has had on the team?

MP: James has been great with the team; he's been with us a month now even though his first race was last week. Obviously the result gave the team a great boost; he has the potential to go on to win the gt series. Driving Supercup this week at Monaco is like throwing him in at the deep end up i know you has the skill and determination to do well.

JT: Well, I haven't seen him in action enough to give you an in-depth analysis yet, but I can say that he's obviously very talented and has a great deal of potential to develop even further as a driver. He's having a great future ahead of him and I firmly believe that he's able to achieve anything he wants to, if he makes the right choices regarding his present and future career.

Monaco will mark one third distance gone in the season. What are both your thoughts about the season so far; has it matched our expectations?

JT: Well, we didn't actually have any kind of expectations from this season whatsoever. So results have been quite encouraging to say the least. I'm not entirely happy however. There are many things that need to be improved inside the team, I won't go in to specifics, but I can promise to you that once we get everything going like we want to, we'll become a lot better, you'll see! [winks]

It could be said that neither Vod:Bul nor Tanskanen are presently front-running teams. Is this a fair reflection on our progress so far? Where do you see both teams by the end of the season?

MP: My expectations this season was to return with the team, have some fun and build for following seasons. In that respect we have done that. We have exceeded my expectations in that we have a Supercup team that is currently seventh in the standings, which considering we didn't even have an entry until two days before the season start is a great return. I think we carry on in the same vein and keep building up our back of house team we can aim to score points in each round.

JT: I don't agree entirely with that. I'd say that in FC currently we aren't a consistent front running team, that is true, but we're capable of making an upset once in a while, I think we proved it at the latest race. I hope that we would have managed to solve our slight problems with qualifying by the end of the season. This way our results should improve even further when our grid positions get better. It's a natural continuum.

Ghovand Keanie may have notoriously lost his right to take part in races, but he is still a highly valuable member of the team. What impact do you see his undoubted speed and skill having on developing the team?s other drivers?

MP: He came into the team and added more drive to succeed and bring results, his skill is unquestionable but he has a lot to learn in other areas. With the right guidance outside of the spotlight of races he can mature and eventually come back. He's taking on a development role to help our Formula Challenge drivers.

There is still a long way to go, but where do you see VB Motorsports in a year's time

MP: The aim now is to keep moving forward with the aim of getting back up with the big boys in Superleague. The drivers want it and I've missed it.... Hopefully we can make it happen.

JT: Much higher than what we are now, if everything goes like we've planned. Will it pan out? Only heaven knows...