INTERVIEW WITH KAZUKI NAKAJIMA
So, congratulations are in order Kazuki! You must
be very excited about driving in Brazil?
I’m really excited, and I have to say many thanks to
the team for giving me this opportunity. Now, I’m just
really looking forward to getting to Brazil and making the
most of it. I’m quite relaxed at the moment, but there’s
still plenty of time to get nervous!
How did you feel when you took the call?
I had mixed feelings, I suppose. In one respect, I was really
happy and excited because it’s a dream come true, but
the sport has also lost a great driver in Alex Wurz and I
know the team were all very fond of him. Patrick told me the
news; I haven’t spoken to Frank yet but I’m looking
forward to a conversation with him this week before the race.
They aren’t putting any pressure on me, they’ve
said it’s not a test for a seat next year, it’s
just this race.
Interlagos is quite a challenge, how are you preparing
for it?
I’m spending a day at the factory this week on the
simulator, and with the engineers talking everything through.
It’ll be my first time racing on the track and many
people have told me it’s very bumpy. It’s also
ant-clockwise, so I’ve just been clocking the miles
on the sim in preparation. Fortunately, I have quite a lot
of time before the race so I can be well prepared.
As you mentioned, Brazil is an anti-clockwise circuit
and therefore something of a greater challenge. Are you making
more trips to the gym than usual?
Definitely. I’m putting the hours in and training a
lot harder than usual to give myself the best possible chance.
I’m really working on the left hand-side of my neck
as well. I’m not sure quite how tough it’s going
to be, but I imagine it’s going to be a real challenge
so I’m really pushing as hard as I can on my preparation
work.
Xevi Pujolar will be your race engineer, have you
worked together in the past?
Xevi was my engineer when I drove in the US and in Malaysia
for Friday’s free practice. We’ve also done a
couple of tests together so we know each other well and have
a good working relationship which will stand us in good stead
straight away.
What expectations are you placing on yourself for
the race?
At the moment, I’m not laying any goals out for myself.
If I can get points it would be great but I know it’s
not that easy. I will just do my best. The most difficult
aspect will be qualifying. When I watched it in China, it
was just so competitive. I’ll be concentrating hard
to get through to Q2, but even that is a challenge. I’ll
just take one step at a time.
Are you flying out early to acclimatise?
I’m flying out on Friday night and arrive on Saturday
morning. On Sunday, I’m involved in a PR event in Rio
for Petrobras which will give me a good chance to spend some
time adapting to the time difference. It’s my first
trip to Brazil and I’ll get to experience two of its
best cities while I’m there which I’m really excited
about.
Your father raced in Formula One for five seasons,
what was his reaction to the news?
He sounded like he was quite happy! Strangely enough, he
made his debut in Formula One in Brazil as well, not on the
same track, but it was 20 years ago this year. He also finished
seventh. If I could do that it would be two points and a great
result for me and for the team in their fight for fourth in
the Constructors’. He won’t be coming to the race
because he has commitments with his racing team in Japan,
but I’m sure he’ll be watching.
You had a good season in GP2 this year and you’ve just
been named Rookie of the Year. Do you feel it’s given
you a solid grounding for F1? It was a really good season
for me, but it wasn’t perfect. I missed out on a lot
of points, particularly in Monza and at Spa, but before that
I had been on the podium quite a few times. One of the highlights
was the last race in Valencia when I was in pole position.
I didn’t win the race, unfortunately, but it was great
to be on pole for the final round. Finishing the season as
Rookie of the Year was also a great way to end. I’ve
definitely learnt a lot from GP2, above all it’s allowed
me to improve my race craft and I’ll be drawing from
that in Brazil.
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