2009 Questions and Answers

With a season at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes already under your belt, do you feel better prepared than you did a year ago?

“For sure. It’s easy to forget, but I only joined Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in December 2007 so my preparations for the ’08 season happened very quickly. Of course, I felt comfortable straight away but it still takes time to understand exactly how each member of the team is able to help you. For this year, I feel much more integrated into the whole operation and know we can really hit the ground running when we start testing next week.”

When did you start your preparations for 2009?

“After Brazil, I took a short break but was soon back at the McLaren Technology Centre preparing with my engineers for the new season. I tested a hybrid car before Christmas and it gave me a good idea of what to expect. I think the new breed of cars will suit me very well. I’ve also been training in the snow of northern Finland – it’s the best place in the world for me to relax and prepare for the year ahead.”

What are your targets for the season ahead?

“I feel much better prepared ahead of the new season. I think you can extract a lot of performance simply from good mental preparation, and I really want to look at the positives ahead of me this year rather than becoming too focused on any difficulties. Racing alongside Lewis is the ultimate benchmark and I’d like to think we’ll both be challenging for the drivers’ championship and helping the team to win the constructors’ championship.”

General Questions and Answers

Favourite film?
I am a fan of John Travolta and Sean Connery and one really good film from Sean Connery is ‘The Rock’, so that is one of my favourites.

Favourite song?
I love a Finnish band called NightWish. It is like metal music but it is not very heavy and I think that the singer is good. They have a new album out and there is song called ‘Bye Bye Beautiful’ which is really nice.

Favourite actor?
John Travolta and Sean Connery

The best dish you can cook?
I can make a Chinese Chicken dish with rice, it is the only more complicated food I can cook, the rest is just tomatoes with pasta.

What would you never eat?
I am not a fan of Japanese food, frog’s legs and things like that. In fact I am quite fussy and I don’t really like any slippery food, or raw fish, I just stick to Italian food.

Most embarrassing moment ever?
I haven’t had a really bad one but when I went to test a GP2 car one winter at Paul Ricard, I crashed into the pitwall coming out of the garage – straight into the wall. It was the first run in the morning and the mechanics had been working on the car most of the night; I took a corner off and the front wing. They had asked me to do the test as an experienced Formula 1 test driver at this stage, so it was pretty embarrassing.

The day you will never forget?
Beating Michael Schumacher at the Race of Champions in 2004. Even though it didn’t make a difference to my career, it was just an amazing moment. The Stade de France was full and the atmosphere was amazing. Also it was a surprise victory as no one really knew who I was and no one normally beats Michael, so everyone was really cheering me when I was jumping on top of the car. That is a really good memory.

Luxury you could not live without?
My Vodafone mobile phone or laptop. I am a gadget freak and have to have all the new toys.

Favourite corner?
It would be Pouhon at Spa which is a fast left-hander. It is a really good corner as it is not easy flat but if you get everything perfect with a good line and car set up then it might be just flat out. But generally all the high speed corners are good in Formula 1.