1. Nicolas, how would you sum up your experience as nominated driver in A1GP with A1 Team France?
NP: “As is often the case, there are both positive and negative conclusions to be drawn from this season. From a positive point of view, I showed that I was able to fight at the front in Chengdu (China), Kyalami (South Africa) and Brands Hatch (Great Britain). We were able to match the pace of the quickest, which is encouraging for my first year. Negatively speaking, we didn’t score many telling results, sometimes because of errors on my part, and other times because of mechanical problems for which the team wasn’t responsible. I don’t like talking too much about luck, but I have to say that we didn’t have a lot at certain moments!”
2. Is the car designed by Ferrari quicker in relation to the old one?
NP: “Honestly, Ferrari’s done a fantastic job with this car. The Italian manufacturer discovered a completely new role by supplying a monotype car and the result is excellent. Even if it ran into a few reliability problems, which is normal at that level of racing, Ferrari was able to solve them very quickly. In addition, the car’s level of competitiveness is excellent. I’m sure it’ll progress a lot during the break.”
3. In season 4 the team seemed to be standing still in relation to previous years. Why?
NP: “I think that several factors explain this situation. First of all, with the arrival of the new car the overall level of the championship made a big step forward, and A1GP attracted quicker and quicker drivers. Then changing drivers in the middle of the season isn’t ideal. I also suffered because of a lack of experience. But don’t confuse lack of results with lack of competitiveness: with a little bit more luck we could have scored at least two rostrum finishes.”
4. So, overall, the performance is encouraging for next season...
NP: “Brands Hatch was very encouraging as we had the speed to win. We worked well in the final races and we learned from our mistakes. We’ve now got a good base for the future. At the moment nothing’s been decided for next year, but the team and I get on like a house on fire at every level. The quality of the championship is very high and you have to work really hard to be at the front. The teams that won showed that stability is crucial if you want to win the championship.”