LYNN, BERNSTORFF & ERIKSSON DISCUSS THEIR RACE
Welcome to the GP3 Press Conference here in Spielberg after Race 1. First we have race winner and Series leader Alex Lynn from Carlin, in second Emil Bernstorff also from Carlin and Jimmy Eriksson from Koiranen GP.
GP3 Series: Starting with you Alex, let’s talk about your race. It was pretty much the perfect start, perfect re-start, the perfect race, fastest lap – what more can you say?
Alex Lynn: “Yes I’m in a really nice flow at the moment with a good car. Every weekend has been so good and it’s been a really nice transition into the GP3 car – I’m really enjoying driving it. I’m really just enjoying my driving at the minute and the team is flowing. At the moment I’m just in a dream scenario and now we just have to make sure we keep working hard to make sure it stays like this for the rest of the year. But yes it has been a great start and I’m just loving every minute.”
GP3 Series: You’re much happier than you were this morning which was weird as you had pole position but it felt as though you were frustrated because you hadn’t dominated the session. Now you’re smiling, what’s the difference?
Alex: “I think I’m old enough and wise enough to know it’s not done until you score the 25 points in the afternoon. So now I’ve done that it’s a completely different scenario. I had pole position which was fantastic and it just makes the job a little bit easier. When you get a good start, every lap which ticks by you start to believe more and more, that you’re getting the 25 points. That’s what I came here to do today.”
GP3 Series: It’s not 25 points you got, its 31 points – the maximum you can get. At the completion of only two rounds (almost) you’re definitely the man to beat?
Alex: “Yeh…like I said I’m just really enjoying it and when I enjoy my driving I think it just comes quite naturally. It feels really nice and I’m quite happy person at the moment.”
GP3 Series: What can we expect from you tomorrow starting from P8?
Alex: I hope to score some good points and that’s the plan. I think it’s a little bit difficult but I think a lot of people have proved, like Jimmy today – where he came from on the grid it was a fantastic performance. Overtaking is possible and Jimmy did a great performance, as did Emil so it was a great day for the team. Hopefully I can do a good job tomorrow.”
GP3 Series: Thank you Alex, good job. Emil – your first podium in GP3 – well done – how was your race. You challenged Alex for the lead of the race at the start, then what happened?
Emil Bernstorff: “I couldn’t get quite a good enough run from Turn 1 to get close to Alex. But yeh it was good to score my first points – well my first decent points and its good get on the podium as well.”
GP3 Series: How was the tyre degradation for you in the race as this morning Alex was saying during Free Practice he had been struggling with tyre deg but in the race it didn’t look like there were the same issues?
Emil: “No most of the quickest lap times were set at the end so the tyres felt pretty good all the way through. Not like Barcelona where you really only had one good lap in qualifying. It’s quite nice to be able to push all the way during the race so you don’t have to back off. The tyres were quite consistent.”
GP3 Series: Carlin are on it this weekend, a win in GP2, a 1-2 in GP3, what can we expect from you tomorrow?
Emil: “Hopefully the same. Obviously I’m starting from P7 on the reverse grid so I hope to score some good points. We have to see where we can but the guys have done a great job in GP2 and GP3 to get the cars as quick as they are. Hopefully me and Alex can work our way up near the front and get some good points.”
GP3 Series: Congratulations Emil, good job. Jimmy, P3 today and second in the Series right now – but a little bit further back from Alex but still second which is a really good accomplishment. How was the race for you today?
Jimmy Eriksson: “The race was really good. My start was not the best one so I dropped two positions, but I stayed out of trouble in turn one and I was P4 after the start out of turn one. Then there was the safety car and I was able to overtake Stanaway. The gap to Alex and Emil was quite big and I tried to push a bit to close the gap up a bit but I didn’t really have the pace to do it. So from then on I just tried to control the pace and keep my third place quite safe.”
GP3 Series: The pace this afternoon was ok, but you seemed to be lacking a bit during qualifying?Jimmy: “Yeh our strategy didn’t work out in qualifying; we did a completely different one to almost everyone else. It didn’t work for us and we screwed up a little bit actually. But given the circumstances I was quite happy to qualify P6. For sure we had been hoping for more, but I have done a good race and another podium in the end. I’m very happy about the podium but for sure the aim is higher.”
GP3 Series: Yes you need those points to catch up to Alex and keep ahead of those behind you?Jimmy: “Yes for sure, Alex is leading by quite a lot of points now but it’s only the second race weekend so he will score zero points at some point and then there is a lot of points to gain. I think the key is to keep scoring points and stay somewhere at the front and that will be fine.”
GP3 Series: Tomorrow you will start from P6, I guess you will be aiming for a better start this time?
Jimmy: “I think a good start and maybe take a few places at the beginning. A good run up to turn 2 and I think a podium is surely possible again, we will see.”
GP3 Series: Thank you Jimmy.
