Champ Car World Series: Gran Premio Tecate Presented by Banamex

Topics:  Gran Premio Tecate Presented by Banamex

Sebastien Bourdais
Robert Doornbos
Will Power
November 10, 2007

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started first with Mr. Doornbos. Robert, didn't think we'd see you up here. Good day today compared to yesterday. What was the difference?
ROBERT DOORNBOS: Of course it's the first time for me here and it's not an easy circuit to find a good setup on, especially with the bumps in the back. You really have to be committed with the new tires. We found a problem with the dip yesterday which we fixed last night and this morning it already went a lot better.
Yeah, we pulled it through to qualifying through a couple of Bridgestones and back to back can really make a difference. So the car felt good. I'm happy to qualify up front for the team and for myself, obviously, and look forward to a nice race tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: You've been here in Mexico for about a week or so. Tell us what you've been doing and where you've been.
ROBERT DOORNBOS: I keep flying in from Europe. Always I come in a week before the rest to get used to the time difference. I went to visit some friends a two-hour drive from here. And I got used to the Mexican food and the Mexican people and it's quite a nice experience. I went riding on the ovals, made my debut there. So, yeah, just relaxing and preparing for the final race. Feels good.
THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.
Sebastian, in the front row again. Take us through the difference between today and yesterday.
SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS: Well, quite simply what a good day yesterday and a bad day today. So just was racing good, just wasn't really the way we wanted to have our last qualifying run. But like I said, it's racing. It can be quite interesting at times. And you've got to keep your chin up and go racing.
So that's what we're going to be doing tomorrow. And hope for the best. I think we've got a pretty good car. It just wasn't going to work for us today.
THE MODERATOR: So with your wings and poles on your car, it doesn't provide you with an aerodynamic advantage at all?
SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS: Seems like -- we seem to be very strong this week, my team, take them off tomorrow or something.
THE MODERATOR: Sebastian, you've got lots of friends and family here. Obviously is it a bigger crowd with you this week than in most of your normal races?
SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS: No, it's pretty common for the most part. It's friends that usually come to Mexico City because it's coming to the end of the season and it's more relaxed. So just very happy that my wife and my baby could make it and obviously my parents and quite a few friends. So it's pretty enjoyable for -- like I said, I have some things to get ready for tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Congratulations.
Again, Will, track record time of 123.558. Pretty fast. Tell us how you were able to push it today.
WILL POWER: You only get one lap on the red tires. I found a gap and did one lap. And that was the times. And it was tough in traffic. The red flag which threw everyone into a bit of in limbo and everybody was going out at the last minute. But we got a lap in and the car's good.
We just got about four or five poles this year, we gotta put it together in the race. We had some bad luck during the season, not really representative of our speed. So we'll be looking for a win tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: We don't see any ice on your wrist, so we assume your wrist is better. Or were you using it to psych out your opponents yesterday? What's the truth?
WILL POWER: It might seem like that. I found it harder to wear the brace. It actually hurts it more. The cracked bones are all right. It's just where the ligament damage is that it hurts. The warmer it gets, the easier it is on the hand. It's sore in the morning when it's cold.
SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS: Maybe the girls can take care of it, no?
WILL POWER: Yeah, after the race it's real sore.
THE MODERATOR: Questions from the press.

Q. (Question in Spanish for Will Power)
WILL POWER: I think it had to do with the red tires. Also this year the panel this year is quicker, in the fast section. That's where all the time is made up. And that's the difference. And our cars, we had a really good balance in that session.

Q. I think in the turn he went straight line through the chicane and parked it on the outside of the last turn. Did that have any impact on your qualifying or just how did that --
ROBERT DOORNBOS: I was saying to Will before we started the press conference that I was quite surprised there was no red flag coming out because we timed it three times lap, basically, and we were waiting for the last minute.
When you finish your second, then you see that the time is quicker and there might be a bit more or less in the tire. You come out of the chicane and the guys stuck across the track, you cannot go left, that's basically the first sector. I had to avoid the run and the team told me there was no red flag. So that was a bit of a strange situation and I think quite dangerous.
SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS: It was over for us. We didn't have enough fuel to make an attempt, anyway.

Q. Sebastian, what was the specific problem that you had today? Did the reds not give enough, or had you not adjusted the car for the race?
SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS: It had nothing to do with the car. We just never got a gap and got traffic. And here, if you want to go against a guy who is going to have two sets of interruptions and you only have one, you'll have to get everything your way and we played -- we tried to help Graham yesterday by putting one set and getting that point and kind of did it today. We never got a gap. And it was always too close to someone, something. So I just -- I tried to keep the tires and stuff with somewhat fresher set for tomorrow's race. I guess it might be a little curious from the outside.
But if you know you're not going to get pole anyways, no point in wasting them.

Q. Robert, could you talk about what the track conditions were like today? The times were really fast. Was that basically because of the new car setup or did the track have anything to do with it?
ROBERT DOORNBOS: I think it had to do with a lot of people ran red tires and also the track is gripped up. This track starts out dusty because there's not much running on it. The lap time really comes down towards the end of the weekend.