Formula One / Editor / 14 March 2008 /

Betfair talks exclusively to German F1 driver Adrian Sutil about Force India Team's debut season and Lewis Hamilton's chances

Formula One is back with the first Grand Prix in Melbourne on the grid in the early hours of Sunday morning. Betfair talked exclusively to up and coming driver Adrian Sutil who will be behind the wheel for the new Force India team backed by the multi billion dollar UB group in Asia.

Adrian, you had your debut season in F1 last year for Spyker which was taken over by the Force India project, so how does it feel at the start this campaign? Are you nervous, excited or do you just stay calm and professional?

I feel very excited about the start of the new season. You can see that the team is better structured this year, and everything seems to be going in the right direction, there is more budget, and we can develop the parts we wanted to last year, but couldn't because of resources. I feel quite calm though - I have a year's experience now, I know the team and I know we can do a good job together.

What's the atmosphere like among all the drivers at the start of a new campaign? Do you mix much or keep a professional distance?

There are some drivers I know well from lower formulas, but others I don't know as well. In general though you do not get much time to mix with other drivers at the race meetings as the schedule is always very busy. So you just say hello and goodbye and sometimes it is not much more.

You got one point last year in your debut season, how much more competitive can you be in the new Force India team?

As we are using the same chassis as last year, we are familiar with how it behaves and we also have a lot of new developments in the pipeline, which we know will move us forward. I am confident that we will be much closer to the rest of the midfield, and we know this group is very competitive so we could really be in for a chance of picking up points whenever possible. This year we also have a very good driver line-up, with a lot of experience. Having Tonio as the test driver too means we can make some good progress between races. For me it's a positive challenge to have Giancarlo in the team as he will push me, which is important for the future. It will be difficult, but this is what I need, as if you are pushed, you have to put in your maximum effort.

How big a fan base has the team got from India. Is it raising interest in the sport there?

We went to Mumbai twice over the winter, which was my first time to India. I was surprised by the following we already have as India does not have a lot of motorsport culture, but the people are very enthusiastic about the project. A lot of people have really got behind us and want us to do well.

How's your practice been going? Do you do a sort of 'pre-season' training campaign and if so when did it start and where?

The winter period was quite busy with two trips to India and then some busy tests with full programmes. As we are using the same chassis as last year and are familiar with how it behaves, the focus has been on getting the new electronics to work with the car, understanding how the car works without traction control and trying to find the stability on entry and exit into the corners. I've also been working hard to get myself mentally and physically ready. Then next week between Australia and Malaysia I will do a training camp in Langkawi to get used to the hot weather and humidity we will have in the next race.

It's a couple of years since you finished second to Lewis Hamilton in the F3 Euroseries, can you explain how big the difference is when you step into Formula One?

I thought it would be difficult as the difference is quite big, but once you've got the feeling and you know how to drive the car, it's a case of looking to build up the miles as a driver and get more experience. The biggest change is also getting used to a tight schedule and not having as much time, but you soon get used to it.

Given the differences, how do you assess what Hamilton achieved last season?

It was obviously very impressive - he did a very good job to get good results and win so soon into his career. He had tested a lot though and knew his team very well, but this is not to take away from his achievements. He deserved to have the success he did as he worked hard.

Can he go on and win the drivers' title this year or are there other factors that could come in to play?

Perhaps - he has a year's experience now and knows all the tracks. But Ferrari will be very strong too - I think we need to have the first race and see how it goes from there. At the moment all we have is the winter testing times to look at.

And will the constructors' championship be between McLaren and Ferrari again, or is there a 'dark horse' team we should watch for?

I think it will be very close again between McLaren and Ferrari. Kimi looks good and he has the advantage of knowing he did it last year, but McLaren will want to have a good season too. BMW also look good, but I think you should watch out for Force India too - we are getting better all the time, and with new developments coming throughout the season we really could be fighting for points regularly.

What are you hoping for from the season overall both for the sport and for yourself?

My goals are to do everything possible to be better this year; to make fewer mistakes and get a few points. I want to help the team move forward.

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