As promised, UpdateSport can now bring you the second of two interviews with 2009 Stars of Tommorow drivers. This time it is McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year, Alexander Sims, who is making hte jump up into the Formula Three Euroseries in 2009 with Mucke Motorsport.
Paul Crossling - What moment did you enjoy the most in 2008?
Alexander Sims – In 2008 there were many great moments. The two wins we had were very pleasing; working with the team last year was fantastic. They put a huge effort in and I am truly graetful for that. I am good friends with all of the mechanics and engineers; they had a fantastic work ethic and great fun to be around. We went to Macau to race in BMW near the end of the season which was equally enjoyable. It was an incredible experience and one that will hopefully put me in a good position if we return to race in F3 this year.
Lastly I was fortunate to take part in the Autosport Mclaren BRDC award. To be selected was great, only five drivers were picked this year and to be one of them was an honour. On the night when my name was read out as the winner it was an incredible feeling. Having worked so hard for so many years it was a great feeling to have such a prsetigious award to my name. I can not honestly say there was one moment that beat the rest as I enjoy all of my successes for many different reasons. One thing is for sure though, 2008 was a great year.
PC - What was the biggest disappointment?
AS - There were a few points during the year where we simply were not as fast as we should have been. We pursued an incorrect route with the car setup. We had found a lot of time over the winter and it took us too long to realize that it was the wrong setup for the warmer conditions. That was probably the hardest pill to swallow, it was ultimately good that it happened though as now I have a better understanding of car setup.
PC - Do you have a favorite track you will drive on in 2009?
AS - Not really, all of the tracks I will drive this year are very demanding in their own ways. They all have their own characteristics and they will all pose different challenges. I look forward to all of my races equally.
PC - Did you have any special training to get prepared for this season?
AS - This winter I have been working very hard on my physical training as many people are aware F3 is a lot more demanding physically. Outside of that I have been working tremendously hard with my father and a couple of other people to find sponsorship for this year. Having had the last few months go the way they have, the economic climate is somewhat more difficult now. It has affected everyone and sponsorship is as hard as ever now. For this reason I have been putting more and more focus into it.
PC - Can you give any information regarding when/where your McLaren test drive will take place?
AS - Unfortunately I have not heard much about my McLaren test and so have not got too much to say. Formula 1 is in difficult times at the moment and with the ban on testing during the season, they are even more stressed when it comes to winter testing. All I can say is that I am confident it will happen at some point and look forward to it enormously.
PC - What are your realistic expectations for 2009?
AS - I believe we should be in a good position for 2009. Mucke are a top team, I think everyone knows that. Having an experienced team mate in Sam Bird is also very helpful. Testing has gone well so there is no reason to not be confident going into this year. My aim is to first be consistently strong and challenge for podiums.
If that happens, then naturally my expectations will change accordingly. I will then strive for race wins. I realize there are some very good drivers with good experience in the championship so there is no doubt that it will be a great challenge. I am ready for it though and look forward to having another strong year.
PC - When and why did you decide to become a racing driver?
AS - I have to be honest; it was more of a coincidence than anything planned. One day my father bought my brother a kart to have some fun, after a year I had a go an enjoyed it but wasn't particularly good to start with! As I had enjoyed it though we did some more and I started to pick up pace really well.
After winning various British titles I realized that it could become a career and that was when it really started to become very serious. It was when I was about 13 that we started racing in Europe and I started to relish the challenges we faced.
PC - Who are your motor racing heroes?
AS - I have many people I look up to in the sport. The very successful people are naturally who you look up to. Early in my career Michael Schumacher was sensational and I still believe he is very special. I believe that every successful driver has given up a huge amount to get where they do and so have tremendous respect for all of them.
PC - How do you see your career progressing over the next three years?
AS - I believe that in three years time we can be looking to go into Formula 1. It is very dependant on whether we can get funding to continue competing. If we can secure a budget for a good drive with a top team then I see no reason why we cannot be successful and be very appealing to Formula 1 teams.
PC - Do you have a special message for your fans on UpdateSport?
AS - To any fans that I may have at this early stage in my career I thank you for all your support. I find it very touching that people take time out of their busy lives to watch and support sportsmen and women. I must also thank UpdateSport for your support to motorsport. You do a great job and I wish you all the success for the future.
PC - Are you a superstitious driver?
AS - I don't believe I am particularly superstitious. I believe that if you prepare as best you possibly can then that is all you can do. I don't see how putting your left sock on before your right can have any affect to how you drive around a racing track. I feel that having belief is very important and people have different beliefs in how to achieve things. That is great as otherwise the world would be very boring! Ultimately though I feel that I determine how I arrive at a race or test and that always corresponds to how I personally perform.
Written by 6 on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:14:29
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