Q+A with Tonio Liuzzi
The Force India Formula One Team's 2009 challenger, the VJM02, will make its track debut today at the Circuit de Jerez, southern Spain, with Giancarlo Fisichella at the wheel. The Mercedes powered car is built to help the team move up the championship ranking in 2009. Test driver Tonio Liuzzi talks about the new car.
"It will be an interesting season. Unfortunately the rules this year do not favour test drivers very much, both pre-season and during the season, but I am still really looking forward to it. There have been many changes in the regulations, both on the technical and aerodynamic side, with new systems such as KERS and also slick tyres being used, so it will be a difficult year for everybody as it will change the field a lot. I am excited about this as, from a driver perspective, it's a new challenge with lots of new things to discover and develop."
Which of the new regulations are you most excited about?"The slick tyres will make the cars much harder to drive as you need to be more aggressive. I think you will see a bigger gap between the drivers as how drivers use the tyres will make a real difference in time. KERS will also be a completely new thing to learn and it could make a difference at the end of the race if you use it cleverly."
With so little testing mid-season, what are you planning to do to keep your eyes sharp?"Of course I will try to have a look round to try and keep racing without taking my focus away from F1, as this is for sure my main thing. I want to keep my racing experience going and that's why I am looking at projects such as the Le Mans 24 hours. The plan is still fluid for now, but for sure I will try many categories that can keep me racing at a top level."
Force India has made many changes over the winter period. How do you view these changes?"I think we have made a really good step forward. Last year was the first season for Force India and we were still trying to build a strong structure. Now we have made the right structure and are building a team that can be successful in the future. The first year is difficult for any new team and you always see results after two, maybe even three, years but I think we are going in the right direction and I am sure this will already give results this year. The link with McLaren and Mercedes is a very good move."
Have you felt a change in the team in this small amount of time?"I have seen a change in such a small timeframe - there's already a different attitude in the team. It's only four months from the close of last season but there seems to be a very positive vibe. It feels good."
When will you first get your hands on the VJM02?"I will test the second car at a shakedown just before Melbourne at Silverstone. It's not going to be a long test, but it will be important work to get it right for the first race. I'm really excited about it. After that we have some aero tests planned and I hope I can help with these."
