We see you driving on track on Thursday afternoons. What’s that for?
First of all, it’s checking all the systems, both radio systems. Doing a camera check for FOM. They’re checking if everything works in the right way, the GPS system, all the light panels (the panels that replicate the flag signals). We’re checking everything that’s going on during an F1 weekend technical-wise.
Also, we have to check the cars we use to ensure there’s been no damage during transportation for example. There’s not much we can change on the cars apart from the tyre pressures. It’s always good to have a practice and that applies also for Alan (van der Merwe), the medical car driver, to find our personal limits. If it’s a new track like Azerbaijan, it’s important to get on your limit. If you have new tyres on, you push hard for two or three laps then you find your personal level and say “Ok, that’s the speed you can go in the race.”
Your job is a very important and serious one but 300 grands prix, there must be some funny moments.
It’s not funny exactly, but normally, you don’t have people running on the track. But we did, in Hockenheim, Silverstone and here in Singapore last year. That was something that you didn’t really realise at the first moment when we couldn’t see the pictures.
Normally you get feedback from Race Control “Bernd, now you can speed up a little bit” but if you hear “Bernd, slow down, you are too quick” in rainy conditions like Malaysia a couple of years ago, that helps your ego!
In 2001, I picked up Michael (Schumacher) in Hockenheim when he stopped in the first chicane. At that time, he was driving for Ferrari. I picked him up in the new SL55. He said “I haven’t seen this car,” and I told him it was new on the market. It was nice to have Michael next to me on the passenger side. Normally it’s the other way around. It was good fun to have a lot of Hollywood stars next to me too. We did that a few times. Bernie said “Bernd, can you drive Catherine Zeta Jones around the track?” she was maybe the most beautiful passenger I’ve had sitting next to me.
Better than Pete!
Hmm… not during the race. I’m not sure I would want to have her with me for the whole grand prix distance, but for a couple of hot laps it was great. You have good moments. You have difficult moments, such as Robert Kubica’s accident, Ralf Schumacher’s crash in Indianapolis, but when that happens you are simply concentrating on your job. Also with Jules (Bianchi, in Suzuka) it was not easy to drive after that, but you have to be really focused on your job and what you are doing.
You can have really good moments in the Safety Car. But the best thing is always if you have nothing to do; you stay in your parking position and try to keep quiet. But Singapore has a high Safety Car record so I think you can expect to see me on track for a couple of laps today! If you look at the statistics, there’s a 100% chance of seeing me on the track. Singapore, it’s one of the really nice grand prix. I like it. I like to drive under the lights.
Final question, what else do you do in your life when you’re not doing this?
For me, Formula 1 means 170 travel days per year and I’m still working with Mercedes Benz as a brand ambassador. I’m at all the DTM events for Mercedes, doing the taxi rides, doing the interviews, being a presenter. Then I have a really nice partnership with Allianz globally which all means I travel a lot and so, for the rest of the time there is some work in the office and staying at home with the family.
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