BMW World Final winner talks

UpdateSport recently had the pleasure of talking to the reigning Formula BMW World Final winner, Alexander Rossi. Below is a copy of that interview.



Here is interview from Alexander Rossi as requested. Thank you for your patience and apologize for the delay as Alexander has been traveling for 3 weeks. We look forward to staying in touch and will add you to Alexander's PR updates.

Paul Crossling: What are your thoughts on the announcement of an All-American F1 team joining the grid in 2010?

Alexander Rossi: Absolutely amazing. With the new regulation changes, their timing could not be any more perfect as shown by Brawn GP this weekend at the Australian GP. Since the budgets have been dramatically reduced, independent teams have now had the opportunity to compete up front; I fully believe that USF1 will be one of these teams and race wins are certainly not out of the question.


PC: Do you see yourself as a future driver for USF1?

AR: Yes, absolutely. I feel very fortunate that an American team has been able to announce that they will be entering the world of Formula One, and to be considered as a potential driver for such an impressive group of people is truly an honor. For now, I am really focusing on securing a drive for 2010 and performing to my absolute fullest. When this is accomplished and after I have my first test in a Formula One car, I will be able to start thinking more and more about the opportunity to be a part of the pinnacle of Motorsport.


PC: Which series would you prefer to race in given the opportunity – Formula One or Indycar, and why?

AR: My goal has been Formula One ever since I started out in go-karts at ten years old. This has not changed and I do not ever seeing it changing. Formula One is something that I strive for each and every day and I am confident that I will be able to reach this goal, regardless of how high or difficult it may seem.


PC: Can you give any information regarding when/where your BMW test drive will take place?

AR: No, at this time the date and location of the test will not be announced. I do know, however, that it will be during the days leading up to the 2009 Formula BMW World Final.


PC: You are yet to formally announce your racing plans for 2009. Can you give us any details regarding this?

AR: With the current financial situation that has impacted the world economy, finding the budgets and the necessary support to continue in Motorsport has been a very difficult task for me. Since winning the Formula BMW World Finals in December, I have had dozens of opportunities and offers both in Europe and America; however, I need to find the perfect situation in order to keep my career slope heading in the upward direction. At this point I am still in discussions with a select few teams and I feel that we are close to finalizing a plan for 2009. I can tell you that at this current time I am looking very highly at the European series of Formula Master and will be participating in the third collective test at Spa-Francorchamps with HiTech
Racing.


PC: Did you have any special training to get prepared for this season?

AR: Aside from my normal training regimen of cardiovascular, strength, and reaction training, I have been working very hard on my mental training. With each year of moving up in the world of motorsport, the pressure gets more and more intense. Because of our limited budget at this point, I have to take each day in the race car as if it were my last and I am not willing to make any avoidable mistakes as this is a very crucial point in my career. On top of this, I have my Formula One test at the end of the year with BMW-Sauber and I have spoken with quite a few people including Robert Kubica, Philipp Eng, and Dr. Theissen and each have told me that the lower body strength to properly drive a Formula One car at the limit is very intense. The amount of braking pressure that is needed to maximize the car and downforce is massive and I need to be prepared for this.


PC: When and why did you decide to become a racing driver?

AR: From the time that I was in a stroller my father would take me to the Champ Car (formerly CART) races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterrey, California. When I was about ten years old I told him that I wanted to drive a go-kart, so a couple months later I had my first experience in Motorsport at a small karting school in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the end of the two days I was more than hooked and new that it was something that I wanted to do with my life. Now we are almost seven years down the road and I feel that is the best decision I ever could have made.


PC: Who are your motor racing heroes?

AR: There are quite a few drivers that I really admire including, Sebastian Vettel, Lucas di Grassi, and obviously the great Michael Schumacher. I would have to say that Vettel has inspired me the most as he has done what every modern-day junior driver dreams of doing. It has been truly incredible to watch his hard work pay off and gives me confidence that making it to Formula One and winning is something that can be accomplished.


PC: How do you see your career progressing over the next three years?

AR: Imagining that I will be competing in Formula Master this year (2009) my absolute goal for the year is to win the championship as a rookie. Sure, it will be tough as there are a lot of returning drivers, but I feel that it is possible and I am quite looking forward to the challenge. Formula Master has become a major stepping stone in European single-seater racing as the car is design is based very much on that of the GP2 car. With that being said, I would like to see myself in GP2 in 2010 with the expectation that I need to win the championship by 2011. With that being said, I have some opportunities with USF1 in the future, so it is really unknown as to what could come of that at this point but I am hoping to be testing one of their cars by the end of the year.


PC: Do you have a special message for your fans on UpdateSport?

AR: Thank you all for your support and patience as we have been taking the past three months since the Formula BMW World Finals to evaluate all of my options and choosing the best possible fit so that my career can continue on the upward slope. Please stay tuned for my information and updates through my website at www.AlexanderRossi.com


A big thank you goes to Pieter Rossi for making this interview possible


Written by 6 on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:08:41