Cecotto, Ericsson and van der Garde discuss the race

GP2 Series: Johnny Cecotto, Monaco winner: how does that sound?Johnny Cecotto: I can't describe it! It's just amazing: to win here is a thing that only the top of the top have won, so to win here in Monaco is just amazing! To win in these streets, you have no time, not even a tenth of a second, to think of anything else: almost not even the time to press the button and take a drink, because if you let the steering wheel go it's almost a sure crash! [laughs] So it's just an amazing feeling.GP2 Series: You didn't have it easy either, as Marcus was right on your tail for the whole race...Johnny: Oh yeah, Marcus didn't make it easy, for sure! And on top of that, with the lapped cars it was really difficult, especially before the pitstop but also after: they always got blue flags for laps and laps, but they didn't let me by. I couldn't push harder to get really close because I didn't want to ruin the tyres, and where I was the quickest compared to Marcus was in the quick corners, so following a lapped car in the quick corners I couldn't make a difference, so when I opened a gap and then hit a lapped car, Marcus would get close again. Several times I managed to open a gap, but every time Marcus came back close, so it was quite difficult! The last ten laps felt really long [laughs]GP2 Series: From the outside it looked like you were driving conservative, like it was almost easy, but what was it like inside your helmet for those laps?Johnny: I felt the car was good, and about 15 laps to the end I said okay, I'm going to go for the quickest lap now and open a gap, and that's what I did. But then 3 or 4 laps after that when I had a 2 second gap or something I hit some lapped cars and a yellow flag, and so I lost time there and Marcus got back close again: on the radio they told me that the quickest lap was done by somebody else, two tenths quicker than I had done, so if I could beat that ... I thought already I am at the limit, I can't do more, so I just brought it home like that, and it was a good feeling.GP2 Series: Pastor obviously has a very famous history in this place, and of course he won last time out in F1 at Barcelona, and now you've got another win for Venezuela: what does this mean for you and everyone involved with you?Johnny: The feeling is amazing, and everyone in Venezuela is supporting me so much, all the people, I have to thank them so much. I have to thank the government, the ministries, which are always supportive and help me in every way they can, and thanks to all of this we've managed to get this result. It's such an amazing feeling, and I have to thank so many people: I can't even think of all of them! The team did an amazing job, the car was fantastic, the pitstop was excellent, and everything was just perfect: nothing could have gone better than it did today!---GP2 Series: Marcus, P2 after a race spent looking at Cecotto's rear wing: I'm sure you were looking for a little more, but are you happy with your day's work today?Marcus Ericsson: Yeah, I think we did everything we could: I did a good start, the car was really good again today and the team has done a good job, I think we were quicker than Johnny but he did a really good race and didn't make a mistake, and as you say I was just looking at his gearbox the whole way and just trying to stress him into a mistake, but he didn't do one. We have to be happy with the performance of course: when you're so close to winning it's a little disappointing, of course, but for us after the tough start to the season it was an important result that brings up the confidence in the whole team.GP2 Series: It looked like Johnny didn't put a wheel wrong so there's not a lot you can do, but how do you go about trying to get past somebody at a place like this?Marcus: You almost need the guy in front to make a mistake so you can get a run on him, otherwise it's too big of a risk to try and do something. The only place really I was look was down the hill after turn 4 (Casino Square): I was quite a lot quicker than him there, but it was too big a risk and he didn't do a mistake, so fair play to him, he did a good job today.GP2 Series: Almost everyone ran on super softs all race today: how were the tyres?Marcus: They were good, I didn't have any real problems with the tyres going off today, just gradually you could feel the grip going down but they worked fine, you could have a good race and feel the tyres well.GP2 Series: After a lot of bad luck for you and the team in the start of the season, what does this result mean for you all?Marcus: We should think that this is a turnaround of the season, and hopefully after this we will be up where we are aiming to be and score some good points to catch up in the championship.---GP2 Series: Giedo, P3 and a podium in Monaco: I guess you can't be too disappointed about your result today?Giedo van der Garde: Yeah, especially after on the formation lap I had a problem with the throttle: I couldn't get off the grid, I couldn't select the first gear, I don't know what the problem was but finally it came in, and then I had to pass everybody! I was a little nervous, my heartbeat was quite up, but still I had a mega start: I was nearly second, but there was just too much risk with Marcus. In the beginning of the race I have to say that the pace was quite slow, I think it was just not good and were just a bit too far with the car, but after the pitstop we were really flying and caught up six seconds or something. I was really pleased with it, and we are still in the beginning of the season and we know we have to work hard, but we're catching up, and this is a good thing.GP2 Series: How were the tyres for you today?Giedo: Quite good, quite good: I was not having any big problems with degradation or whatever, so I believe it was all fine.GP2 Series: Another podium, more strong points for you and the team...Giedo: Yes, three in a row now, and good points: let's try to do another one tomorrow. It will be hard, but who knows?