Among the small group of up and coming German racing drivers currently in and on the fringes of Formula One it is perhaps Adrian Sutil, 24 year old Spyker driver, who shows the most promise.
Sutil first came to prominence with some eye-opening lap times on his occasional outings as Friday test driver for the Midland/Spyker team last year, and this season was rewarded with a race drive in the Dutch outfit, alongside stalwart Christijan Albers.
Adrian again opened eyes with a stunniing fastest time for the little team in the wet Saturday practise session at the recent Monaco Grand Prix, and UpdateF1 managed to talk to him during a rare break in schedule between that race and the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. Here is what future star Adrian Sutil had to say:
Steve Turnbull: Adrian, thank you for talking to UpdateF1; the wet practice session at Monaco – a great moment for both you and Spyker. How much fuel was in the car? How has it helped your standing in the F1 community?
Adrian Sutil: We had quiet a lot of fuel in the car, and I had the same tyres as all the others.So the terms were equal for all of of us. I had a nearly perfect lap and I got a lot of congratulations, even from other drivers.
ST: Spyker may be the ‘smallest’ team on the grid but you have access to some pretty handy people there – how much of a help is working with a man as highly regarded as Mike Gascoyne?
AS: Mike is very important for the team. He is pushing us very hard and tries to put us on the next level.
ST: An inevitable question – your career has, of late especially, run a similar path to Lewis Hamilton’s. He’s at the front of the grid, you’re at the back – are there any regrets on your part?
AS: Not at all. Lewis is a good friend of mine and I grant him his success 100%. He is doing a great job and is able to go at the same speed as. Alonso. I can wait until I do have an equal car, which allows me to fight for a win. If I work hard I will get my chance.
ST: Germany is looking for a new ‘star’ with the retirement of Michael, and somehow Nico Rosberg does not seem ‘German’ enough!! A scan of the media indicates that weight may fall on your shoulders – does it appear that way to you?
AS: I do not care what other people say or want me to do. There is only my manager Manfred Zimmermann, my family and my closest friends I mark to. I want to be successful in F1, that’s why I’m here. Let’s see what I’m able to.
ST: I am often asked to find out what the reaction of the ‘old guard’ of drivers is to a new youngster like yourself – have you had much support from others, or do they tend to keep themselves to themselves?
AS: I do not have much contact with the “old guard”. I do have a very good contact to Lewis Hamilton and a good one to Nico Rosberg. In F1 it looks if there is not much space for friendships.
ST: I’ve followed F1 for many years, and it is clear to me that there is very much a ‘new wave’ of drivers on the way into F1 – yourself, Rosberg, Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen are already in, and young Piquet looks to be on the way; who else do you see graduating from the lower series?
AS: There are many young talented drivers who are looking for a chance, but it is very difficult as there are only 22 or 24 seats in F1. From Germany Timo Glock could be one, or maybe Sebastian Vettel.
ST: How much of a disadvantage is it for a driver such as yourself when approaching a circuit that you have never driven?
AS: To know a circuit makes it much easier, but I’m able to learn a circuit very fast. So if I can drive on Friday it should be ok to learn the track and to be prepared for the weekend.
ST: Spyker have, for one reason and another, run fewer testing miles than the rest; has this compromised your competitiveness?
AS: Every testday helps and gives confidence to a driver. So I would have loved to have some more tests before the season had started. But you have to take it as it is.
ST: You have a Ferrari engine in the back of your car – will that bring any benefit in the form of a test drive with the Scuderia?
AS: That would be nice, let’s see what happens.
ST: What do you make of Kimi Raikkonens relative lack of performance – is there much truth in his explanation of not getting the tyres working right, and how does that seem to affect the likes of you, Hamilton and others less than it has Raikkonen and Alonso?
AS: It is always very difficult to estimate the performance of a driver from the outside. For sure Kimi is a very good and very fast driver. Maybe he needs a bit more time. But I’m sure he will come back and he will be successful.
ST: The media in the UK have been very heavy on Hamilton stories – do you find the same in Germany regards yourself?
AS: Not in a way like they do with Lewis. He has been 5 times on the podium in 5 races and he is leading the world championship together with Alonso. That’s for sure a different story. But I’m very happy how things are going for me.
ST: Only one GP in Germany this year – is that a disappointment to you at all?
AS: Yes it is, for I like the Hockenheimring very much. It’s not that there is only one race in Germany, it’s that we do not drive at the Hockenheimring.
ST: What do you think of the night racing idea?
AS: I would like to try it. We do need new ideas in F1. This could be great for the fans and for the drivers.
ST: Was motor racing in your family, or was it just something that you wanted to do?
AS: All my family has been professional musicans. They wanted me to become a piano player, but at the age of 14 I deceided to become a racing driver. Since then it has been my dream. Now I live my dream as an F1 driver.
ST: And finally – do Spyker give you a company car? One of those lovely C12 Zagatos would be nice……
AS: Yes I’ve been working on that for months! But until now I do not have one. If I score a point this season, I will ask again!
Adrian Sutil, thank you once again for taking the time to talk to Updatef1, and we wish you, and Spyker, every success in Canada and the coming season.
With thanks to Manfred Zimmermann for his help in organising this interview.
Written by Steve Turnbull on Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:03:33
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