Q: As an Austrian driver, what is special about racing at the Red Bull Ring?
“As a driver a race is special if it is your home race. For me the Red Bull Ring is more than just my home race as I live just 25 kilometres from the circuit and I was born 10 kilometres away, so this track is very special. For events like the MotoGP the tickets sold out within one week, so the people like to go to the Red Bull Ring and I hope we get a big crowd for the ELMS Weekend.”
Q: How is your season in the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup going so far?
“We have really good speed and a very good package in the Mentos Racing Porsche, the team and the drivers. In Imola we didn’t get any points, which wasn’t the best start for the season. We try our best for the championship but it was quite tough to start with a DNF; it is part of the game also. Le Mans was really great, we were extremely fast. Egidio knew the track as he dove there in 2014 with Porsche Carrera Cup France and I’ve driven there in the 24 hours for two years, so we had an advantage from track knowledge. Our speed was very good and we could’ve won the race but for the small mistake that cost us victory. We still gained a podium and the championship is still open.”
Q: How important was finishing on the podium at Le Mans for you as a driver?
“It is one of the best experiences you can have as a race driver. For me Le Mans is a special place; it’s the greatest race and to be there on the podium, even in a support race, it means a lot.”
Q: Apart from the Red Bull Ring, which of the remaining circuits are you looking forward to visiting the most and why?
“Spa is also one of my favourite race tracks. It’s not an easy one, it’s quite tough and I like tracks where drivers can make a big difference. This is the same with Estoril, which is also quite a tricky track. Maybe not as tricky as Spa, but almost. These are the two tracks I really enjoy and I am looking forward to the most this season.”
