On Carlos Jr
Obviously, we know you’re at most of the races here with your son, and your son’s team-mate’s father is at all the races. Jos has got a much more obvious link in that he used to drive in Formula 1 and you were saying earlier that rallying is more sophisticated than people think, the driving and everything. Do you advise Carlos Jr at all?
I can give him some advice about attitude for example, and anything else. Gradually, he needs more and more space but if he needs my advice or my opinion about something, I’m here and he can be sure I will tell him what I think is the best thing to do.
The pressures on a driver in any sport now are much, much bigger than when you were driving. Everything is immediate with the social media and Twitter. Does he cope with that well or is that one area where you can help him to be realistic and just focus on what he has to do?
No, I think Carlos is a very normal boy who loves Formula 1. He doesn’t like to be in conflict. It’s true that in these days, you have to be very careful with what you say, what you don’t say because it immediately has a huge effect, but I don’t see him having those problems. I think he’s had a good first year with a few too many mechanical problems. I always tell him, “You learn from that. Keep learning, keep pushing. Never give up.” This is what I’m telling him at the moment.
Eventually, you’ll have to let him go a bit. He’s not a kid anymore.
Exactly.
Do you think that in the next year or two you might just come once a year only?
You know, I’m not sleeping in the same hotel. I’m not travelling with him. I saw him this morning for five seconds so far. So I think I’m here really spectating. I don’t see him a lot.
Now that you’ve spent more time at circuits, not just Formula 1, but when he was doing the other series, do you sometimes think, “I wish I’d done circuit racing”?
No, I love rallying. I much prefer rallying. When you are involved in rallying, I can tell you, there’s much more entertainment. It’s really, from the point of view of the driver, it’s amazing to drive in such different conditions.
Do you remember a driver called the Marquis de Portago? He was one of these guys who was good at everything, every sport. A bit like you. You had a trial for Real Madrid, didn’t you?
Yeah.
And you were squash champion.
I was a squash champion, yes.
What made you think motorsport...?
Because I love it. It’s my passion. I was playing squash or I was playing football but my head was, “When I get my driving licence, I need to do a rally” and that was exactly what happened. I was following rallying from the age of 12 or so. I was following my brother and my brother-in-law, as they were competing in rallying. I was servicing on the rallies for them, going the whole night without sleeping. I was very passionate about it.
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