Champ Car World Series: Grand Prix of Monterrey

Topics:  Telmex/Tecate Grand Prix of Monterrey

Bruno Junqueira
Andrew Ranger
Alex Tagliani
May 22, 2005

MONTERREY, MEXICO

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome our top three finishers from the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix presented by Roshfrans. The top three finishers today were Bruno Junqueira, driver of the #2 PacifiCare Ford/Lola/Bridgestone for Newman/Haas Racing, Bruno Junqueira, second was Andrew Ranger, in the Mi-Jack Conquest car, also Ford/Lola/Bridgestone, and third was Alex Tagliani, in the Aussie Vineyards Team Australia car. Gentlemen, it was hot out there today. Bruno, take us through your day. How did you keep your nose clean all day when everybody else ran into trouble?

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: Was a very good day for the Newman/Haas PacifiCare team. The car run really great. We have a problem with the turbo, have to completely the change after the problem yesterday, just change a part, but they realize everything have to change completely the turbo. The mechanics work really hard prepare the car for me. I had a really good race car. I start fifth. Was a really hard race, very hot, the track is very slippery. So I patient myself. I had a really good car. I stay behind Tag. When I have the opportunity, I pass him. Then the strategy play went back because all the guys did out of sequence. So then I had the opportunity to pass a couple of guys later. Then I took the lead of the race. Really hard. Keep mistakes free on the track today. But my car was really good and I'm really happy to get the first win of the year. Was great.

ANDREW RANGER: It was pretty good. The car was very good all weekend. Just yesterday a big problem with the car, the last setup. But I qualify 14th. Was a little bit (inaudible). The car was very, very good to drive. Was fantastic. I worked hard. Started 14th, finished second. My second race ever in Champ Car, first podium, I think it's fantastic for me, for the team Mi-Jack Conquest. I'm very, very happy because the team worked so hard on the car, and everything. You know, I talk a lot with my engineer. I'm very, very happy to be on the podium today.

ALEX TAGLIANI: For us it was pretty tough. It seems that I was always at the wrong place at the wrong time. Wish we would have had the chance to run longer on the green. On the first stop, I knew that our tire pressure was a little bit low. But, you know, the history of this track, there's a lot of yellows in the first 50% of the track, and after that it's pretty clean. You know, it was never really a long run. It was always start after restart and restart. I think we should have went for a good car for four or five laps and not like focus so much on a consistent car. It was difficult. I lost a couple spots on restart. AJ passed me going into turn one. I lost a couple of spots because of that. Then I was just trying to come back into the best position for the team. I think third, two races with this team, I think they're showing that they're really strong, they have good potential. It's their first year with the Lola. So there's definitely more to come for this team.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: Was hot. When they changed the date of this race, now middle of May is really hot here. So it was very physical. This is why it made the last two years -- last year and this year, have so many yellows, I think drivers make a lot of mistakes in the heat. I didn't have much time to work out because I was in (inaudible). I spent a couple of days in Miami and I went for three hours bike ride from 1:00 to 4:00 on the heat of the day. I knew that would help me. So I finish the race pretty strong. Also had a lot of yellows. Another way, got so much pickups on the yellows, the restarts were always really hard, first two laps. Almost all the restarts I was good. But a couple of them, I did really bad. It was really hard to keep concentrate on cold tires all the time on the restart.

ANDREW RANGER: I'm sure, you know, the team work very hard for my second time in Champ Car. It was a tough race. The temperature was very hot. Humidity was hot, too. I worked hard. I talk a lot with my engineer on the microphone. You know, I never stop to push. It was a big fighting. Sometime I fight a lot with Jimmy Vasser. Was pretty tough. But, you know, it's racing. You know, I'm very proud about the team. The first podium ever for Mi-Jack Conquest, and it's me. I think I'm very happy for the team, very proud about the team. You know, it's a long time the team don't finish well. You know, I'm very happy for that.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: Was really hard, even before Wirdheim, when I was behind Oriol, I know that both guys had to pit. Just one point, so many yellows, the teams thought maybe they don't have to pit. So I was saving fuel, as well, because I had to save a little bit of fuel, then I could go full fuel in the end. I had a couple of opportunities to pass Oriol, but I remember Mid-Ohio 2003 when he crashed, so he has nothing to lose, not going to play easy for me. So I try to wait the right moment, and he wouldn't made a mistake. Wirdheim, I made some pressure. Maybe he was making mistakes. When I had the opportunity, I pass him. Was really hard. Especially when I saw that Tracy was out of the race and Sebastien was in the back of the race, like P7 or 8 at that time, so you cannot take as many risks, especially on a very slippery track out of the race line here. So I was kind of get the pass, but really precise. Like early in the race, I pass Tag, I pass Cristiano, but I had to do it. Later in the race, when I was in front of my main opponents on the championship, so I have to think very careful to not make a mistake. The end, I took the upper-hand and everything was great. About this loose thing, I don't remember. I have to say in a race, you always make two or three mistakes throughout the race, like you lose two or three tenths. Sometimes (inaudible) in the race, sometimes big mistakes, like to keep the position. But this race I have to say that I make no mistakes. Maybe one of the restarts I wasn't very good. I was (inaudible), a little bit dirty on the last turn. But apart of that, I had a really good race. I was very concentrate to make no mistakes. I knew that that was very possible on this track. For sure the cars go sideways a lot here because there is not much grip, so it was exciting for the fans. Maybe for sure I had some sideways, but I think was everything under control.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: I have to say this is one of the most difficult races, first because the track is very slippery. It was slick throughout the weekend. How many red flags we have on the practice session? Second, because the curb here is not forgiving. If you make a mistake, you brake the tube or the engine or whatever. And, third, is very hot. This race, we had so many yellow flags that, again, the restarts were really, really hard as well. So putting everything together was really hard. It was side-by-side racing. We have a lot of action, a lot of passing, so that made it really, really hard. In my opinion, I think I had -- I made no mistakes and I had a really good race car because I could run fast, and incredible fuel mileage. If we had like one full green race length, I am sure I could go a lap further than everybody because my car was so good on fuel mileage today. I could drive low 16s just easy doing a great mileage.

ANDREW RANGER: For me was the same thing. Had to be very smooth with the brake, with the gas, because it's very, very slippery. It's tough because the temperature was so hot, I put my mind down. But it's very, very tough to watch the curbs because the curb is very big here. If you touch, and sometimes the car goes sideways, and you need to be very careful for that. But I think today, you know, I work hard, I put my head down, and was fantastic for me. You know, I start 14th, finished second. It's unbelievable for me, crazy. You know, the team work hard. You know, the track, it's very, very slippery. You need to be very smooth with the throttle, too, with the brake. But was very fun for me and we're very happy.

ALEX TAGLIANI: Training in Vegas is the way to go. I have no problems physically. It was fine. The biggest problem we had during the race is that we decided to go with the strategy where we thought it was going to run for many, many laps. And on the first stop I was talking with Rob Edwards, he said, "Okay, should we go more tire pressure?" I said, "Well, I think it's going to be green most of the race after 50%." It was basically restart after restart. That's where, you know, the race was played. And on top of that, you know, it's a fuel-saving race so you're not pushing like you're pushing in qualifying, you know, every lap. So I was okay. It's a slippery track, so you don't have as much grip, so you're not working as much. But it's easy to make mistakes. Like if you touch a curb, you destroy the car. But that's the challenge of the racetrack. But today was basically a fight on every restart of the race. The guys that decided to go, you know, high tire pressure was a good gamble. I can see some lap times run in the first 10 laps of the race, and they never been able to match that lap. So that means those guys were aiming for a quick car in the first five, six laps of every restart.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: Tag's biggest thing is train behind (inaudible). It's harder for him to follow than do the race here.

ALEX TAGLIANI: I'm still waiting for him to come down to Vegas and train with me.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: I did, man.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: When Sebastien went to pass PT on turn five, I was already inside of Cristiano. I pass Cristiano there. So I couldn't see much on both guys. I was concentrating pass Cristiano. So is really hard to say. And then was really hard because Sebastien had a flat tire. He did a line flat, he did really slow, and Cristiano had a run on me. I said, "Where Cristiano is going?" He brake really deep. Oh, was really close. He beat me, but I was able to keep the car on the track. I think the race was pretty much decided there. I mean, on that lap I was able to pass Cristiano, then Tracy and Sebastien. One lap I pass all the top three strong guys on the race. Other one I pass Tagliani. I think that was crucial moment of the race.

ANDREW RANGER: Last night I watch Meet the Fockers on TV. That was my mental preparation. I think that was ranger.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: I'll tell a funny story. The people in the team were really concerned how hot, hot, hot. But I like cycling. I know yesterday and today in the Giro D'Italia, the guy that won, 231 kilometers stage, the same guy. He won yesterday in 6 hours, 32 minutes. Today 6 hours, 48 minutes. I bet in Italy is very hot as well. So I think this guy did 6 hours, 40 minutes, I can do a two-hours race full speed.

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you very much. We'll see you in Milwaukee.