Vietoris: "Well prepared for this season"

With just a month to the start of the 2011 GP2 Series Christian Vietoris talks about his off-season preparation and his expectations for this, his second season in GP2 with Racing Engineering.

Christian, the first test for the GP2 Main Series is also your first contact with the new GP2 car. What is it you expect from these two test days at Silverstone?

Well, I hope to be quick and at the top of the time sheets right from the beginning. But I know I will need time to become familiar with the new car and tyres. I have been quick at adapting in the past and it worked out well. So I hope to be working at a high level of performance right from the beginning. I have heard that the tyres have their peculiarities so it will be an important point to work on. But in the end it all comes down to the feeling I have when driving the car.

Your winter break was quite long. Tell us a bit what you have done during the last few months. What did your preparation consist of?

It actually looks like I haven’t been doing anything, but to be honest, I think I have never been as well prepared for a season. I did quite a lot during the last months and several things needed to be taken care of during winter. It’s a pity I wasn’t in a race car, but I used the time well. I worked hard on my physical preparation.

Do you think it is a disadvantage to not have competed in the GP2 Asia Series?

No. I will use the upcoming four test days to make up for the track time lost, but in regards to performance, I think it is not really a disadvantage. We have a good base set-up from the Asia Series, and I will now adapt it for the European races. Having a well balanced car means I can now work on fine-tuning it to my needs.

We assume that after your good rookie season in 2010 you have specific goals for 2011. Tell us about them?

Clearly I want to win the championship. After a 2010 season with ups and downs, but always with very good speed, I want to win the title. It’s always been like this in my second years in championships, when I fought for the title. No matter, if this was in Formula BMW or F3 EuroSeries. And I am similarly prepared this year.

Have you followed the Asia races? Who would you consider as the main title contenders this season?

They are pretty much the same as last year. There is ART with Bianchi, who are strong. Grosjean is strong and has an advantage when it comes to the tyres given his many F1 tests. I am not sure about Addax, but I am convinced they will still make a step forward. And then there is us. I think with Dani we are a very strong driver pairing as well. So, in the end, it always comes down to the same 3 or 4 teams.