José María López, Citroën Total WTCC, first positionHugo Valente, Campos Racing, second position and fastest Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy driverSébastien Loeb, Citroën Total WTCC, third positionSabine Schmitz, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, top national driver
Q:That was an unbelievably impressive lap securing pole position right at the end of the session. How was it from inside the car?
JML:It was really tough but very nice. Every lap here at the Nordschleife is very nice but difficult to explain in words. I was really enjoying everything here. On that lap I knew there was a possibility to improve. In the second round I improved by more than four seconds or something like that because the track was getting better and better. We did some changes, I went for it and it felt like I was right on the limit. In the end you see the lap time and to know I was on pole is something unique. It was the pole position I really personally wanted. It’s a different race, there are a lot of people here, the ambience and the atmosphere is really nice.
Q:Could you have gone faster or was that your limit and was this your best performance in the World Touring Car Championship so far?
JML:For me it was a very good lap. If you ask any driver on a normal circuit, including myself and you always say it could have been better. On a 26-kilometre lap there is always a place where maybe you miss or were not as good as before. But I improved all the sectors I did before and I was very happy with my lap.
Q:You’re on pole but there’s still the matter of tomorrow’s first race to come. How easy will it be to convert pole position into your fourth victory of the season?
JML:I haven’t really thought about it, maybe in a few hours. As always I try to do a good start and try to arrive if possible in first. It’s quite difficult to pass on this circuit but I need to increase my gap on the main straight before the Grand Prix Circuit to try not to give the opportunity for the others to take the slipstream. But you never know how the situation will be and in the race it’s always changing. We will try to do a good race, try to be careful because there are places where you really need to take care and you will not be forgiven if you do a mistake.
Q:Your 10th pole position in the WTCC – what does that mean to you to have achieved such a milestone so quickly in your WTCC career?
JML:Everything has happened so quickly. I’m very happy for the moment but thanks to the team because they gave me the opportunity to do my best and I’m very happy to be part of this amazing team. They are responsible for my success because they give me a fantastic car that allows me to win races. But everything goes so quickly because it’s only been one year and a half since I did my first race although, since then, there have been many good moments.
Q:Turning to you Hugo, you said to José before we started that you will beat him one day but you must still be very pleased with second place after a very impressive performance?
HV:I am very pleased with second. It was a very tough qualifying and congratulations to José, Sébastien and Sabine as well. I would like to thank Campos and RML for the work they have done since Argentina. We have come a long way after the difficult brake issues we had over there and to be second for the second time in a row is a great achievement. I am a bit disappointed not to get pole because you always want more as a racing driver. But Pechito was just too fast today, which he is most of the time I guess but one day, one year I will get there. Concerning my lap I made some mistakes and I had some oversteer in some of the fast corners and I was hoping the car would come back straight. But I am very happy to be on the front row, especially here. José said he wanted to get the pole here because it’s special and it means a lot. It’s like Monaco maybe so I’m really happy to be P2 here.
Q:There was an element of surprise when you were P2 in Hungary but following a repeat performance is this the real Hugo coming forward and is this what we’re going to see for the rest of the season?
HV:I really hope so. Tough days will come also like in Argentina and in the test when we had the crash. Here also I was surprised because the layout of the track was maybe not so good for our car but here the driver can make a difference. Of course you need a good car but it’s about how confident you feel on the track and I’m happy I did a good job today.
Q:Third place, happy or disappointed and what’s your overall impression after qualifying?
SL:For sure you prefer to be first or second but, okay, Pechito and Hugo were really very fast. I tried really hard and pushed but I made some mistakes so my time was finally not as good. I went two times on the grass. I really wanted to do my best but sometimes you lose a little bit the car and touch the gravel. I was really on the limit of the track but third is not bad, I had a quite a good rhythm and the car was okay.
Q:Did the 60-minute qualifying session format make a difference compared to the usual knockout format we have in the WTCC?
SL:Not really. The track was getting better each lap and each time we went out we improved so I had to push. You have to do your best everywhere and this is what I tried.
Q:Your first experience of the WTCC but at a circuit I guess you know quite well as you were born just up the road. How would you summarise your performance in qualifying today?
SS:The car worked very well. I had a little problem with my set-up all the time so we tried something out, which didn’t work. But this session was really good. The last session I was struggling and I had some problems with understeer but this session everything was perfect with the car.
Q:How difficult have you found switching from four- to two-wheel drive?
SS:Yes, that’s been the biggest challenge! And the rally driver there covered the track in dust all the time, of course not on purpose but there was a lot of dust.
SL:In the last lap you mean? That’s what I said, I was two-times on the grass.
Q:So learning the car has been the biggest problem?
SS:I need some more laps because it’s a big step from a GT car but I like it very much. When you have an idea of how it works it’s more and more fun.
Q:You’re doing the 24 hours as well this weekend. How are your energy levels?
SS:I’m tired from going between the two paddocks that are far away all the time. But in the car it’s no problem.
Q:You’re promoting the FIA Women in Motorsport initiative this weekend. Can you explain how important your appearance here is in encouraging women to take up the sport?
SS:Well the organisation started in 2009 to support women in motorsport and obviously the younger girls coming through. I’m obviously not too young because I turned 46 yesterday! But I want to see the young girls coming in and competing against the guys.
Q:The WTCC has never been to the Nürburgring before. What will the fans experience and see on track during the races tomorrow?
SS:I am so happy that this series is starting here at the Nürburgring for this event, it’s really, really great. Then when the question came if I wanted to compete with the guys it was like ‘yeah, sure’. But it’s really good for the region and the publicity
