Formula 1

McLaren interview with de la Rosa

McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa discusses the Bahrain Grand Prix Q: How are you feeling having had chance to reflect on the Bahrain race? Pedro de la Rosa. Photo by xpb.cc. Pedro de la Rosa: I feel very good, and am even more ...

Published: Apr 11, 2005, 6:44 AM

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McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa discusses the Bahrain Grand Prix

Q: How are you feeling having had chance to reflect on the Bahrain race?

Pedro de la Rosa.

Photo by xpb.cc.

Pedro de la Rosa: I feel very good, and am even more motivated for testing. It was a good race, I haven't yet watched it on video but I am going to spend this weekend looking at it and analysing what we as a team could have done better. The people in Spain have also been really supportive to me since the race weekend.

Q: Did you set yourself a target for the race?

PdlR: My target was to finish on the podium, but I didn't manage to do that. Fifth place is not a fantastic result but if you look at that position in the context of the amount of overtaking I did and setting the fastest lap time, it was a good race. I was aiming for the podium as I knew that it might be my last ever Formula 1 race and I wanted to score a podium finish and get my best ever grand prix result.

Q: What was it like to be back competing in a Grand Prix?

PdlR: I didn't feel rusty at all. At the start I felt a little bit lost and during the race I made a couple of mistakes braking into turn one, but I feel that was due to a lack of racing experience over the past couple of years. At the end of the race I was feeling more confident.

I was also happy about my qualifying position as it was the first time I have ever worked to the one lap qualifying format. It is a very easy circuit in which to lock your brakes, and I was happy that I did not make any mistakes during the qualifying sessions. It took a couple of laps to settle in during the Friday practice sessions, but it was quite an easy circuit to learn.

Q: What for you was your favourite moment of the race?

PdlR: My favourite moment was when I overtook Mark Webber two laps from the end of the Grand Prix. He (Webber) was making it extremely difficult -- fair but difficult - to overtake, but I found a gap to get through and that for me was a good moment.

Q: How did you feel as you crossed the chequered flag?

PdlR: I felt empty, I felt like I had really given 100 percent. I was mentally tired but feeling physically strong. In fact the race was the first time in any of my grands prix I have competed in, that I was able to get some water from the bottle in the car.

Q: You were testing again on the Wednesday after the race. Were you still feeling tired after the weekend?

PdlR: No, not at all. I had spent 24 hours at home and had time to relax. I was feeling very motivated.

-mclaren-

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