F1 Fanatic spoke exclusively to Virgin driver Timo Glock ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix.
Here’s what he had to say about his team’s closely-fought battle with Lotus, racing with Fernando Alonso in Monaco, and those pesky blue flags.
F1 Fanatic: What’s your expectation for this weekend? Any new parts on the car?
Timo Glock: The car is slightly updated for this race. I think we will go better here, the track should suit our car. We seem to do better in the high-speed corners at the moment.
The new car is a little step forward, it’s not massive. We need to take bigger steps to close the gap to the others.
F1F: Lotus brought a big step to their car at Barcelona but you seem to have stayed in touch with them.
TG: Yes, I think so. In Monaco we looked quite good, we were close in practice.
F1F: Since the last race we’ve seen what Toyota’s F1 car for this year looked like. Should Virgin have tried to acquire that car for their programme this year?
We wouldn’t have been able to buy it. By the time Toyota pulled out we had already homologated our chassis. So there was not even a chance to buy it.
Because they pulled out so late, for us it was not possible to use their car.
F1F: A lot of people talk about turn eight here, it sounds like you think your car should take it well?
TG: At low fuel it’s nothing special, we should be able to go through it flat out. But it won’t be at full fuel at the start of the race.
Depending on where we are with the set-up, at some point during the race we’ll start to take it flat out.
F1F: Tony Fernandes has said he thinks the blue flag rule should be changed so the new teams don’t lose so much time letting the leaders past. Do you agree?
TG: It’s definitely not easy in the races to let the leaders by. At Barcelona it was quite difficult and cost us a lot of time.
But I think we have to keep the blue flags. With the speed we’ve got we’d just hold them up otherwise.
F1F: Unusually, you had a Ferrari racing you for position at Monaco. Did you let Alonso by?
TG: I was more focussed on my race with Heikki [Kovalainen]. If I’d spent time fighting Fernando it would have affected my race too much. Lotus are the only team we can really fight at the moment.
I could have blocked him and moved across but it would have spoiled my race too much.
F1F: With none of the other new cars finishing in Monaco was that race a missed opportunity?
TG: Yes but things are like they are at the moment. We have to focus on improving our reliability.
There’s a lot of little problems to get on top of. But we are making progress.
F1F: And how are you finding life with your new team mate?
TG: Me and Lucas get on quite well. We already know each other from GP2.
We don’t see much of each other outside of race weekends except at the team’s simulator sometimes.
Read more: Lucas di Grassi says Virgin can catch the midfield teams (Interview)
Image (C) Virgin Racing
newnhamlea1
27th May 2010, 18:11
‘Yes but thinks are like they are at the mo’
should be things
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
27th May 2010, 23:06
Indeed. Fixed.
sumedh
27th May 2010, 18:45
These exclusive interviews are great!!
BTW, Keith are you at Istanbul for this year’s race? I mean, for an interview, you would obviously have to be there in person. Right?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
27th May 2010, 23:05
Sadly not – this was done via telephone.
Mike
28th May 2010, 2:23
Interview’s Via telephone is pretty good, I mean, this puts you above many other F1 sites… I doubt pitpass gets many exclusives…
Alex White
28th May 2010, 0:05
Yeah, would love to see more of them. This blog just gets better and better =)
themark
28th May 2010, 2:10
I agree, I have stopped going to a number of other sites because I get better coverage here. Good on you Keith.
Zibit
28th May 2010, 6:40
Same.
I bow to you Keith!
Best F1 site on the net!
Scribe
27th May 2010, 18:49
Well, there’s always one. Sure in a modern F1 car, turn 8 isn’t the most difficult to get right in the world.
But Kershmeh by that rating Eau-Rouge, 130R, Copse, Paribolica, and the climb up the hill at inter arn’t that special.
Hare
27th May 2010, 21:11
Nothing special at the speed that Virgin takes it. Bit of a stroll. :)
Electrolite
27th May 2010, 22:26
Took the words right out of my mouth…nothing special in a Virgin ;)
Matt
27th May 2010, 21:13
Nice on Keith. An ITV F1 gig and an exclusive with a driver in one week? Your on the up!
Electrolite
27th May 2010, 22:29
Nice questions Keith, interesting his opinions on Blue Flags, racing the Ferrari, and of course the turn 8 comment.
kyle Benji
27th May 2010, 23:21
turn eight really isnt that special
themark
28th May 2010, 2:06
What speed do you take it at? And I don’t mean on your TV. I mean really… how would you know?
kyle Benji
28th May 2010, 2:28
That one corner cant fix how un-interesting that whole circuit and gp is.
IMOLA4LIFE
David
28th May 2010, 5:10
clueless, as usual
Turkey is all-round one of the best tracks on the calender, behind the classics. Most drivers agree. I remember Michael, in either 05 or 06, saying ‘yes, turn 8 is great, but i love turns 3, 4, 5 even more’. Paraphrasing, obviously.
Alex White
28th May 2010, 6:41
Chicandom? Nah – I prefer Sepang. Especially the high speed Left – right.
DanThorn
28th May 2010, 10:39
I prefer Sepang to Turkey as well. Apart from Turn 8, I don’t feel there’s anything else unique or interesting about it.
joe
28th May 2010, 21:16
If turn 8’s not special, why did so many car’s spin on it today