He's the only driver of the leading trio who already won two races this season, and with the 39 points he gathered in Oschersleben, the highest tally ever grabbed by an Auto GP driver, he got back in contention for the title. Sergei Afanasiev knows that in Valencia, in one week time, many eyes in the paddock will be looking at him. With just a 17 points gap from Series leader Ceccon, the top spot is in his reach, and he know that well.You're just 17 points adrift from the top and 92 points are still up for grabs, so the title is definitely a possibility...“I know that, and obviously the title is in my thoughts, but this won't change the way I race. Being behind there's no strategy to use apart from making the most of every single chance, and to do that there's no need to think about the title. The only thing to do is to work harder, taking as many points as possible in each race. That will make a difference when we'll be doing the maths at the end of the Championship. Furthermore, with so many points up for grabs even the drivers behind me will have their shot at the title. From my side I see a very open situation, and I'm sure that nothing will be decided in Valencia. Only after Race 2 in Mugello we will know who the 2012 Champion will be”.Surely the points system keeps the title doors open for many drivers, but nobody will arrive in Valencia with your momentum. With the first and second place you clinched in Germany you showed everybody that your feeling with the car is now perfect.“I must admit that the whole season until now has been a progression towards an ideal shape. At the start of the year I was a bit 'rusty' because I had no testing at all in the winter. That meant that it took me some time to get the right pace back, and even from a physical point of view I wasn't really ok and making the most of the car wasn't easy. Race after race, anyway, things got better and better and I have to say that now I feel really at ease with the car”.In which part of the driving did you improved the most?“I couldn't say that, there isn't a specifical area of improvement. It's more a feeling thing, what has improved is the way I feel the car, how I can believe in what it's doing extracting all the grip from it, even the last bit, the most difficult to feel. As a consequence I am pretty relaxed and confident when I drive it, the performance comes easy and I also have a lot of fun. I love the car, really, so much that I'd like to have one at home, to go around Moscow (he laughs)”.Looking at your championship it's impossible to overlook the fact that you missed a full round in Donington due to the visa issues. Do you ever think how different the classification could be without that double zero?“Obviously I do, and it's one of the reasons why I can't be content with this 3rd place in the standings. With that two more races I could be closer to Ceccon or even leading, so that has to be my aim. I could have done it, I know I have the potential to do it in this last two events, so I can't give up just because bureaucracy is making things complicated. Sometimes I just have some envy for my rivals who don't have to go through such big issues to travel to the races”.The summer break arrived maybe in the wrong moment for you. Would you have preferred to have other back to back races given your momentum?“Obviously when a driver gets to such a good feeling with the car and such a momentum, he would never stop racing. Anyway, I don't think that the break could take anything away from me in that perspective and I'm sure that in Valencia I will have the same great feeling I had in Oschersleben. Furthermore, I also needed a break to recharge my batteries, and I used August to get some holidays. First of all, after returning from Oschersleben I had a big party with my friends, such results deserved to be honoured in the right way. Then I went to Dubai, where I had some commitments but I also managed to relax. Obviously I never stopped my gym training, so in Valencia I will be in top shape and ready to fight”.