This year two pilots who left the F1 championship some time ago, started in different racing series. Everyone made his own decision based on own reason but the main idea is common: First season in a new championship is like a warm up and it is difficult to reach high results even if you are a former F1 pilot.
Here you will find two interviews with two “newbies” Vitaliy Petrov and Mark Webber. Mark started as an LMP1 prototype driver in endurance races and Vitaliy started in his first DTM race. Both of them gave us their feedback after the new experience and explained what problem you can meet driving unexplored racing cars.
Mark Webber speaking about WEC — World Endurance Championship
Mark, you already have experience in Endurance racing in touring cars. In 1999 you had a serious accident in Le Mans 24-hours when you were driving one of those “flying” Mercedes CLK-GTRs then you participated in Formula 1 and now you are back to Endurance series. What are your reasons for it?
There is some kind of age limit in formula 1 and I planned to keep my racing and WEC — World Endurance Championship is the best way to keep and improve skills and the atmosphere is more familiar than in F1 and this makes you feel you’re more than a little screw in a big machine.
You’re upstanding person, what do you think — are present pilots still personalities or they became parts of motorsport technologies? Looks like now the main struggle happens on the technical side and not in psychological one.
Mostly you are right but for example look at Sebastien Vettel — he is competing even when the team is not on the top. Anyway, some time ago personalities were made with blood and fire and now motorsports provides maximum safety.
Did the reality in WEC meet your expectations?
Yes. Here we have less excitement, less trips and the atmosphere is friendlier but anyway it is racing with serious competitors and you have to do your best to keep in touch.
All boys want to drive Porsche 911, Had you the same dream in your childhood in Australia?
Definitely everyone wants to drive 911 and now the situation is the same! Now when I’m driving my 911 along the street I catch positive emotions of the people and it is not only because I’m Mark Webber but because it is 911. This car is an art object it is an outstanding sport car for a day-by-day use.
How big is the difference between LMP1 and Formula 1 cars?
Prototypes give you an opportunity to relax a bit but you have to pay attention to braking points — LMP1 requires 10–15 meters earlier braking than F1 car and if you forget it, be ready to find yourself out of track. F1 cars are faster thanks to design and technology. But there are no more serious differences.
How many laps did it take for you to adapt to new car in SPA?
About 5–6 laps. Actually it is not a problem for me, lots of things are going automatically thanks to the experience, but cars are different and this may cause difficulties for someone else. But for example yesterday I missed proper braking point because I’ve forgotten that I’m not driving F1 but the prototype) and I practically went off the track)
Were you afraid that you will not be able to compete other teams during your first season in Porsche team?
No. In spite of huge interruption gap (15 years) Porsche has great experience in such competitions. And this is one of most hi-tech brands, look at the details in their road cars, everything is well-done. So I understood that we cannot be winners this year but I’m sure we will challenge our competitors.
Is there any success secret in endurance racing?
Stability is the main one. The more stable you are on the track, lap after lap the more success you have. And definitely not only pilot’s experience is important but reliability of the car as well.
What is your main aim for 24 hour of Le Mans? Porsche announces that the win is the main aim for the team.
Nothing extraordinary is expected. We want to see both cars finished the race. All other achievements will be bonuses for us. Le Mans is very difficult. Many factors may bring you to success or leave you without it. Car, track, teammates, weather, technical team… It’s very difficult to make forecasts.
Do you manage to visit your home more often than before?
Yes, I planned to do it, but it is impossible)) We have plenty of work to do because our team is starting everything right now but this is exciting. Anyway I continue planning my life — I want to visit Wimbledon, USA — to complete everything I had no chance to do before. You know I’ve spent 11 months of a year in a cockpit and sometimes it becomes very annoying and I realized that I’m very tired of it.
Vitaly Petrov. After the 1st stage of DTM.
Vitaly is the first again. Now he is the first Russian in Mercedes team in DTM. Before he was the first Russian in Formula 1. We can’t imagine what surprises will he make in the future but we are sure that he never stops and moves forward.
We met him after the first stage of DTM and tried to get feedback after the race.
Vitaliy, the first question — was it difficult to adapt to the DTM car?
Quite difficult — I had practically no experience in touring car racing. All my life I was driving formulas and in touring cars everything is different. Also we had not so many tests — only 6 days before the season started in different tracks: Portimao, Valencia, Budapest & Hockenheim. For DTM 6 days is extremely low because you have to pass lots of kilometers.
You had your first race in DTM in Hockenheim. What aims did you have? What can you say about that race?
The main aim is to get more experience, to understand better the car, find its strengths and weaknesses and to study how to make everything correct. Every time you visit new circuit you try to find the limit: speed, braking, acceleration. And here you have well-known track but the car is unusual for me and I have to find that limits again and again.
How many races do you need this season to realize that you can compete other pilots?
Even today I got lots of impressions and information. You can make 50 testing sessions but there will be no result without racing experience. Now I understood a lot and I can answer what can be done better on track. During the race I was studying all driving features of this Mercedes, I was trying to go faster in every curve, experimenting with trajectories.
By the way, many rumors about your participation in Mercedes appeared after Moscow City Racing, when you were driving Mercedes DTM. Did it really happen there?
A bit later, I was not ready to make final decision. I had an offer from DTM, Le Mans, WTCC and even rally, but I chosen DTM as the most difficult and interesting series.
Le Mans… sound like a dream for every racer…
Actually I’m an individualist, I like to take all responsibility and Le Mans is a team competition, where the team is not only 1 pilot and technical support but there can participate 2 or 3 pilots shares that responsibility and the result depends on their experience. That’s not my way.
Lots of spectators are not very fond of DTM, they say it is boring, no competition, low number of overtakes — all this looks like demo sessions. Do you agree with them?
I think that people do not fully understand the idea of DTM. Even if you are one second faster that the car in front of you it is very difficult to overtake it and you have to use every chance. It is similar to mono-make racing — all cars have practically the same performance and all depends on the pilot, every mistake will affect the result, it is almost impossible to return lost positions. Everyone is driving on the limit and the results may differ in thousandth of a second.
Year after year Mercedes is losing in DTM to Audi and BMW. Does Mercedes have a chance this season?
Mercedes is still weaker than Audi or BMW, but everything can change on the next stage. Racing is a fortune and moreover, according to new regulations our cars will be 10kg lighter than BMW since the next stage and it’s about 0.2 second per every lap.
New regulations mention flexible handicap. Winning manufacturer’s cars can get up to 10kg handicap. BMW for example got +2.5 and +5 kilos. And for Mercedes the weight will be reduced a bit. So we will get a chance.
What plans do you have as a minimum and maximum for this season?
It’s early to make forecasts, I’m getting new experience and studying new car. We had no agreements with the team but after the first race managers told me I was faster than some of my teammates.
But there is a lot of things to do, the main aim is to finish every race and to get experience. All participants are very experienced and it is very difficult to compete them but there is nothing impossible really?
