Toro Rosso: Jaime Alguersuari
“I have been to Suzuka before, back in 2005 for a karting race, the Asia-Pacific WorldCup, although of course we weren’t racing on the F1 track! I was leading the race on thefinal lap, but I crashed with Kazuki Nakajima at the last corner and ended second. Beingin Japan for the first time was an amazing experience and it felt like another world to me.It’s a dream to now be able to drive on the real circuit, after having seen it while I wasthere. I’ve driven it on the simulator and also on a computer game. I hope we can have asuccessful weekend.”
Toro Rosso: Sebastien Buemi“I’ve been to Japan, as I drove the Medical Car last year in Fuji, but I’ve never been toSuzuka. I’ve been on the simulator to practice the track, which looks great, so I’m verymuch looking forward to driving it for real. I’ve heard that they have resurfaced the trackand got brand new facilities in the paddock with new pits. I think it is one of the bestcircuits in the world, so I can’t wait to get there. Japan is very strange and completelydifferent to what we are used to in Europe. I’ve been to Tokyo, which is fantasticallymodern, although the people wear some rather funny clothes! I got a good impressionwhile I was there, in that the people treat one another with a lot of respect and everythingis very clean. As for the race, I think we can do well, as we will have a new update on thecar. In Singapore, we were a bit more competitive than in past races and I think we couldbe even better in Japan.”
Red Bull Racing: Sebastian Vettel“Suzuka is the best track in the world. I drove the two hours of Friday free practice here atthe 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. The first hour was wet, which was pretty scary as I didn’tknow where the track went. I’m looking forward to racing there as it’s one of the mostchallenging circuits with a lot of high speed corners. It’s enjoyable and I think it should suitour car. I like the culture and the people in Japan. Last year, I climbed Mount Fuji and I’vealso spent time in Tokyo. The food is great, although maybe not all of it! Everything aboutthe place is very disciplined and ordered, which I like.”
Red Bull Racing: Mark Webber“Fourth is my best result here, for Williams in 2005, the penultimate time we raced atSuzuka. It was a bit of a classic with Raikkonen and Alonso coming through from theback. Kimi took the lead on the last lap and I had a good battle with Fernando in themiddle of the race. It’s a sensational circuit and I’ve even got good memories of watchingthe 8 Hours motorcycle race on TV, as a lot of Australians ride in that race. The crowd arepretty close to the Italians in terms of how knowledgeable and passionate they are,although they’re also very reserved. When I walk into the track, going through theamusement park, you can really feel that Suzuka has got something about it that makes itspecial.”
