ON HIS MOVE TO HAAS
Talking about the new challenge, what was the main attraction of Haas that got you really excited about the opportunity?
“Their approach to Formula One. The way they came in, they took their time when they could have gone for a pay driver early on but they didn’t, they wanted to wait as long as they could to explain their project and then to get an experienced driver. They’ve got two. The way that they work with the partnership with Ferrari is a very clever way of doing it, they have had a full year in the wind tunnel with no restrictions. There are a lot of sexy, appealing things in the project. I met Guenther [Steiner] and Gene [Haas] - I like them both - and everything was done in a week and a half.”
There are some high hopes within the team, Gene Haas says he believes the team can build a better chassis than Ferrari because it is taking a different approach. Have you seen that?
“I’ve seen a little bit before signing and then much more after signing. I think it’s a nice approach. Ferrari is Ferrari, I don’t think we’re going to beat them, don’t be crazy! But I think it could be surprisingly good.”
You mentioned Ferrari, is that part of the appeal of Haas; to get closer to Ferrari?
“Yeah it’s certainly the team that makes everyone dream. It’s the biggest team in Formula One, I think everyone who works in the sport - drivers, engineers, mechanics - would like to race for Ferrari. It’s certainly a step closer than I am right now. It’s more about the partnership, the fact that we use their windtunnel and simulator, the fact that we get their suspension, steering wheel, engine, gearbox - all the things that are complicated to produce - they are all fixed cost and we know what price we are going to get. The whole project seduced me and Gene has been successful in his life, very successful. He came to NASCAR and has been successful as well, he took his time but he knows it takes time and I just like all of that. I would like to be the French driver who puts the American team on top.”
What’s the biggest fear for you going there?
“It can collapse, it can go down like a few teams have done. I don’t believe it will, if I did I would not have signed. Risks are part of our lives and you always calculate them. Every time you change something it can go wrong but deep down I believe that it’s the right choice, the right goal and it’s going to be a great experience.”
When you look back to when Kimi Raikkonen was alongside you at Lotus and left to join Ferrari, you were actually beating him at the end of that year…
“I started my season too late that year!”
I was going to say! Do you feel the timing has never quite worked out for you and you needed this move to Haas to kickstart your career again?
“Maybe. If I never go to Ferrari probably in my life I will think ‘Holy cow, if we hadn’t had that KERS issue early in the season then things would have come my way much earlier and maybe I would have had the chance’. Right now I think it did allow me to get a good year in 2013, a very bad year in 2014, bring the team back up in 2015 and then have the chance to go to Haas to bring a new team as far forward as we can. Then, who knows? Certainly Kimi won’t stay forever in Formula One, there is going to be a seat one day, there are a lot of drivers keeping an eye on it but the best you can do is do your job and if I do a good job with Haas it will certainly make myself more attractive.”
You’ve previously put yourself, Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas in the same bracket as younger guys who deserve a shot in a front-running car; did you know about Nico’s talks with Haas? Were you talking at the same time?
“I think he talked earlier than I did and then he didn't go for the offer. Then I had the call and it went very quickly. I think everyone was so sure I would stay with Renault and the team and so on that I wasn’t the first name that was coming to mind. It’s something good as well about changing teams, I have been having a good time here but now I am after a new experience and I can move on. For me as well, being at a team that is not the one where I grew up and a different team can be something positive.”
