Kart Grand Prix of Italy: Final Press Conference KZ

CIK-FIA – LONATO – SUNDAY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

KZ :

1. Fabian Federer (SRP Racing Team)

After what was a difficult day yesterday in the Heats, it must feel great to have regained those places back in the Final.

It was indeed a very difficult day yesterday. I arrived P6 in the first Qualifying Heat then I had a 10-second penalty to finish P20. In the second Heat, I was again P6 then P5 in the last race. The Final was not easy. I had a good start and finished P1 after De Conto’s penalty. So, at the end, I am very happy for the team. It was a good day for us.

Although your were second on track, it must have felt like a win anyway considering how many places you made up. Tell us about how it felt to cross the line after a race like that?

To arrive p2 after starting p8 was very good driving for the win. I did not expect the results to be changed like that but I did my best to be at the front. About the penalty, the same happened to me on Saturday. I don’t like it when it happens but it is what it is.

How were you able to keep up that pace and intensity within you driving for 25 laps in this heat?

The first three laps were difficult with a lot of troubles and traffic but I managed to avoid it and gain positions. Then I was at the front with Celenta in front of me. I was going to catch him before he retired. Being second, I pushed very hard during the next fifteen laps to recover the gap from the leader. In last five laps, things were cooling down. At the end, it was ok because the material was good all weekend.

2. Marijn Kremers (Birel ART Racing Team)

Moving to Marijn Kremers in second place. It has been a fantastic weekend for you, hasn’t it ?

Yes, we have been fast all week. I think on Wednesday and Thursday we were pulling lap times like no one else was doing. Then we got a bit more into trouble staying at the front on Friday and Saturday. Obviously, we won a Heat so we were still very fast. In the last Heat this Sunday Morning, I was second but unfortunately I made a big mistake and ran off the track by myself to finish P6. It was not enough to prevent me from starting on the front row. Francesco got a better jump than me and then it was difficult to keep the pace through the whole race. I think Fabian and Paolo were definitely faster than us. But I am happy to get second at the end.

Towards the end of the race were you concerned at all about Ben Hanley who was closing in?

Yes, I was for sure. When Fabian passed me, I looked back to see that I had a small gap to the driver behind me, I think it was Bas Lammers at the time. That relaxed a bit so I could easily keep the place.

Overall this has been a fantastic turn around from the results at Salbris?

Yes, especially for Fabian and me because obviously as we got together in Salbris. Otherwise we would have had a good result in the championship as well, I think. So it was difficult, we had the speed but not the luck. But to come here and finish second is good. I am confident to do well in Genk for the World Championship.

3. Benjamin Hanley (Mad-Croc)

Now over to Ben Hanley. Good to see you back and on the podium as well. Did you expect this?

Not, not really. We were struggling a little bit in qualifying and throughout the Heats. In Qualifying, especially, it was not easy to get the tires working properly, as well as in the first part of the races. But in the Final, obviously, with a much longer race, we knew we could be quite strong from middle to the end. And that’s how it was from the middle of the race onwards. But I was not quite able to keep that momentum going. As a team we worked very hard all weekend and we accepted the fact that we had been struggling a lot in the beginning. So to get on the podium is a fantastic result, even though I don’t have much track time. So, I’m really pleased.

Do you think with more testing you could have been higher up the grid for the final ?

No, not really. Back then, I had already done the two days of testing on Wednesday and Thursday. You can come and do testing before the race but it changes a lot from one weekend to another, so there’s not better testing than being in the race itself. That was the main aim of coming here for this race and get better prepared for the World Championship.

Talking about the World Championship, you must feel pretty confident after today’s result.

Yes, we know where we can improve. The other teams know where they can improve as well, so I’ll go for it and try to close the gap.

Видео Kart Grand Prix of Italy: Final Press Conference KZ канала FIA Karting Championship