Champ Car World Series: Molson Indy Montreal

Topics:  Molson Indy Montreal

Patrick Carpentier
Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Oriol Servia
August 24, 2003

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

ERIC MAUK: We'll go ahead and get started, our top three finishers press conference from today's Molson Indy Montreal. This is the same podium we had from Milwaukee earlier in the year. Third place today, Patrick Carpentier, driver of the #32 Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone. Pat takes his first podium finish in his native Canada since finishing second in Vancouver in 1999. He also earns his fourth podium of the season, 17th of his career and moves up to fourth place in the standings with the finish. Pat, one of those days where you were just consistent and pretty much in there all day and things seemed to fall your way.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: Yeah, after the weekend we had, we (inaudible) open Friday, then we had a problem, made a mistake, crashed the wall, lost part of the practice. We had a problem this morning again. So that was good because we got them all out of the way. For the race, I had a great car. The car was fast. I had gearbox issues during the race, it would skip gears sometimes. Every time I would stop for a pit stop, I had brake problems for about six, seven laps, and I had to be patient. I was hoping Paul was not going to get by me because I knew once the car would get (inaudible), we were a little bit faster. But I had to save the brakes for a few laps and just coast through the corners. At the end, after the last pit, we had (inaudible) and I just really saved the brakes and saved the brakes. They were perfect for the end. So I think here braking makes all the difference. The car was excellent, and I could brake pretty deep. So I was hoping Oriol was going to make a mistake. I wanted to get better than third place there. I could see the crowd were cheering and cheering and cheering. But he did a good job. Never got off line, made a mistake. A little bit sad for Tag. I think he had one of the fast cars and was right ahead up there. So really sad for him. But I'm pretty happy. Third place is pretty good. Move up to fourth, like you said, in the championship. So to be in Montreal, to get some points, after the weekend we had, it's fantastic.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: Yeah, I'm hoping to carry that the last three races. Been great for us. Seem we have a good race car. Always seems to come to us towards the end of the race. Seems to be good. (Inaudible) qualifying a little bit.

ORIOL SERVIA: In a way, yes. I'm sure the people that are here (inaudible). You know, today I had really expectations. We were out here. Visteon car was really quick from day one, from session one. Obviously, you want to win when you have a car like that. But obviously during the race Tag was a little bit quicker than even Michel and me, I don't know how much. He was pulling away every lap, every lap. The first stint, I was okay because I was in a way trying to save a little bit of fuel just to make sure that I was going farther than him in the first stint, because I knew it was going to be tight. And it work out because he had to pit actually one or two laps sooner than us. That was perfect for us. But later I said, "Okay, now I'm going to go quick." And he was still pulling away a little. He definitely had a quick car out there. And then, you know, with Michel, it's a little bit, you know, I don't really know what to say, he obviously did a good job. But with the new rule that you cannot move, I saw him behind, we were running through the chicane, he just did a (bonsai?) braking. I had to go straight or we're not going to make the corner. I went straight, he was able to make the corner. Under the rule, he's fine, and he got to stay up front. But was a little bit frustrating. I don't know what really could I have done apart from going quicker so he was not closer, as close to me, as before. But, you know, it's just that it's frustrating. Only one can win, and he did, and we didn't. That's why I'm like this. But I'm happy for Visteon people. I mean, we had a very good seven top-six finishes, the last three were a disaster. I crash in three of them. Some of them maybe my fault, some of them didn't. So I'm just happy to finish second here and give them a good result again, especially there was a lot of people from Visteon here today, and I think it's important. I like Montreal from last year, and I'm happy to finish here in the podium, just give us a little bit of push for this last races this hopefully I'm going to get one win.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: Well, thank you. I'm going to speak a little bit English and then Patrick is going to do the translation, okay (laughter)?

PATRICK CARPENTIER: Je suis tres content.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: No, I'm very happy today. I mean, I think we were very fast. Everything went just perfect for me today. You know, (inaudible) when we came out of the first or second pit stop. Some guys had run a different strategy. I think Adrian or somebody pass him very late, so that's why he had to slow down and make (inaudible) he go slow or something. He had to stay in one chicane on the outside or something. I think that's why I could pass him. Like he said, I mean, in the past, he would have (inaudible) and it would have been impossible for me to got him. With Alex, I mean, we save a lot of fuel at the beginning - not a lot, a little, so we were able to make it to Lap 20. And then I think, I mean, he was able to make the 20 laps at the end, but he still have to pit two laps first. I mean, as long as we stayed close to him, we were able to stay in front of him. But still, I mean, as everybody well know from the past, you don't win until the checkered flag comes out. We still have a pit stop to go, like 15 laps to go. Oriol was very fast, and Patrick, too. So we just needed to make no mistakes. I think that was the important thing today.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: Yeah, the pit stops were fantastic. Like I said, everything just went very, very good for me. The car was, especially the (tank?), I think it was very, very good. We were very fast. That was important, too, because sometimes -- I mean, I think at the beginning of the (inaudible), Oriol was faster than me. We would come out of the pits and he would catch me. Maybe in the last laps, maybe I think I could open a lead up. It's when I was trying the most to make sure I could (inaudible).

ORIOL SERVIA: (Inaudible).

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: I mean, everybody was very fast. But Alex, I feel very bad for him because I know -- especially because it's here, you know. I know from Long Beach, how bad it hurts to not win a race that you dominate. But I'm sure he'll win many, many races in his career because he started driving fantastic, and also his team is doing a great job.

ERIC MAUK: Nice birthday present for your father tomorrow.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: It's his birthday tomorrow. You're making me stay here tonight and tomorrow, so I won't be able to see him now. It's your fault. It's going to cost a lot of money.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: Yeah, for some reason once in a while between second and third gear, it would skip to neutral, then it would go into third gear. I was afraid I was going to break the locks, then I was going to lose the gearbox. It didn't happen. The gearbox stayed together again. But once in a while, every five, ten laps, coming out of corner two or three, the right-hander, it would skip a gear, either go to third or come back to second gear. Then I would lose some time, try to catch back up. I don't know, maybe I was not pulling off hard enough. But once it just skipped by itself.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: I think I have many keys. You know, when Bruno (inaudible), traffic on Oriol, Alex having to pit earlier. Yeah, also the yellows. I don't know if it was Lap 51 or whatever. I think he had improved seven-second lead on me. I managed to stay all the time in seven seconds. But he would have been able to come in front of -- out in front of us. So it was really tough to beat him. So everything had to go right from Lap 1. Everything put me in a position to take advantage of that yellow.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: I have no idea. I guess Ray.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: Explain, explain (laughter).

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: I mean between Ray and (inaudible). I guess they just put -- I mean, we put fuel the first two stops, so (inaudible). I guess they put a little fuel, enough fuel so we could finish the race. You cannot short fuel. I mean, there's no reason to go out in front if you're not going to finish the race. You need enough fuel to finish the race.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: No, I never really thought about it. I think (inaudible) quite a bit before the race started. We tried to do that. After that, we had no problems with fuel. But with the brake problems I was having actually I ended up saving quite a bit of fuel. Instead of braking, I was lifting earlier. I guess it worked out pretty well for us.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: It's pretty good. Even the memories we have of this weekend, starting Friday without running in the afternoon. It's good. I'm very happy. The car was good, and everything lasted all the way to the end. With the gearbox at one point, I was not sure what was going to happen. I was trying to be smooth with it so it doesn't break. But, no, it's great. Last year was a little bit tough, like Michel says, you know, at Long Beach when it's in your hometown, it's always pretty tough. So I can feel what Tag feels today a little bit. It was fun. I enjoyed it. For me, winning is a good thing, but having some good battles is the best thing. I think we had good battles today and I really enjoyed that.

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR.: I think we were fast. The first part we were second behind Oriol. Pretty much the fastest all weekend was Oriol. I think in pace, Oriol made everybody look bad. Obviously, Alex did a fantastic job in qualifying. In TV and the newspapers, this guy made the rest of us look terrible. So, yes, but, I mean, I felt confident, you know. I don't know what else. I mean, at the end, I think we were able to take the opportunities. When Bruno (inaudible), passing. But when Oriol had the problem, I was fast. The same with Alex, you know.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: I think teamwork becomes very important because at any point during the race, one point Tag was by far the fastest, then one point Oriol was fast, then one point Michel was fast, one point I was fast. I think the team strategy, what also plays out in the pit, plays a big part of it, too.

ERIC MAUK: That will wrap it up. Thank you all for attending. Congratulations, gentlemen.