Have you been to Abu Dhabi before? What’s your impression of the city and the track here?
I’ve been to Abu Dhabi several times and I really enjoy it there. The city is very nice with lots to do and the race track is second to none in terms of infrastructure for F1. The end of day to evening race is also very cool!
When did you first start training for F1 and who were your heroes at the time?
I started go karting when I was 5 years old at my family’s farm in Brazil and up until 10 years old, I pretty much spent every weekend and school holidays karting. Of course, my hero was Ayrton as I was trying to follow his footsteps into F1.
Did you have a Plan B in case F1 didn’t work out?
Not really… I’m sure that if it had been the case of not making it into F1, I’d have found another series to compete in, though.
What does your typical exercise regime involve in the lead up to race season?
Drivers have to be fit to endure the two-hour Grand Prix, so I do lots of cycling and gym work, focusing on core strength, neck strength and also balancing the muscles to give the body overall good conditioning.
How do you prepare on race day and what goes through your mind?
Normally during race weekends I’m very focused on the task, so the most important part is to make sure that all the engineering work is done properly before getting into the car. Also, I watch previous years GPs to try and learn as much as possible about the race start on that specific circuit and also possible strategic decisions.
Do you have a lucky charm that you can’t go without?
I’m not a superstitious person.
If you were a car, you’d be a…
I’d be a Lotus Evora GTE
How do you get on with your teammate both on and off the track?
Me and Vitaly [Petrov] get along very well, as we’ve know each other since early GP2 days. It’s very useful to have a good relationship with your team mate, as it makes the work at the track more productive.
What’s your ideal non-race Sunday morning?
Stay in bed until late and have a nice breakfast listening to music and then go for a nice bike ride under the sun.
How would your closest friends and family describe you?
The general consensus seems to be that I’m slightly geeky, fairly easy-going, crazy about cars and motor racing (of course) and very hard on myself with things that are important to me.
Visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com for full details on 2011’s F1.
