Conquest 2nd driver

[Ronan62]

According to this week Auto Hebdo, it will be Simon Pagenaud. Remember what I posted last week about Perera.

[BobGarage]

in an interview with an italian website yesterday Franck confirmed that both he and simon signed for the season with conquest before sebring.

http://www.racegarage.it/usa/notizia.php?id_news=5967



"I signed a deal with Conquest before the test, so it was not a test to evaluate my performance. I signed the deal a couple of weeks ago, but it will be announced this evening. My team-mate will be Simon Pagenaud."

and a full translation of the iterview:-



On the situation with Team Conquest:
"I signed a deal with Conquest before the test, so it was not a test to evaluate my performance. I signed the deal a couple of weeks ago, but it will be announced this evening. My team-mate will be Simon Pagenaud."

On the Sebring test:
"I worked well with the team, which is completely new comparing to last year. They will race with two cars, so they have bought a new truck and they hired new mechanics and engineers from other teams. I will work with the mechanic who used to work with Wilson last year and with a former Forsythe engineer. The situation inside the team has improved a lot comparing to last year, that's why I chose to sign with them instead of Forsythe or Team Australia. It's an interesting challenge and I think with Pagenaud we will form a great team and we will be able to fight with Newman/Haas/Lanigan, as we have already shown. We think we can have a good season. Even if Simon didn't have a great test…"

On Pagenaud:
"He has more experience than me in America, he did a season against a strong team-mate as Power and last year he did very well. But this time he couldn't go fast, I don't know why. We had the same car but he didn't go fast."

On French drivers in Champ Car:
"On the second day there was the battle between me and Montagny and the people around was saying: 'These French again… They also have the same name!' They are a little bit pissed off! The problem is in France nobody helps us. We aren't here to dream about Formula 1, which finally never comes."

On a Champ Car race in France:
"They were thinking about racing at Le Mans or on another track, maybe next year. But there is still a race missing: this year we will race in Jerez, then in Assen I think in September and then they want to do another race in Europe but they still don't know where. They were speaking about Donington."

On his goals for the debut season in Champ Car:
"I don't have particular goals. The goal is just to do well and to show I'm able to fight at the top, but I'm not thinking about any particolar position. It's good to begin the season like that, even if it's still a test. I have a little bit of experience and it's not the first time I dominate the winter testing and then the season begins in a bad way. I don't have any goal, I just want to do well and to begin a new carreer in America. I don't want to be the next Bourdais, I just want to be myself and to show somebody was wrong in firing me. Toyota? Also…"

On choosing America after GP2:
"I haven't exactly chosen America. After being sacked by Toyota, I had neither manager nor money nor sponsors. It was a difficult period. Then I had the chance to meet a manager who brought me to America to race in Atlantic series, given that we didn't have enough money to race in Champ Car. In the end I couldn't win, but people in America believe in me anyway and I had new possibilities. I could stay in Europe, but really I didn't like it anymore. In America I found again the wish to race and I enjoy myself very much."

On the American racing environment:
"The environment is very different and I find myself much better. Drivers have more respect between them and for the fans. It's completely different."

On the current crisis in Champ Car:
"I don't follow these problems so much. For sure it would be better if Champ Cr would merge with IndyCar, but they decided in a different way. Anyway, Champ Car from a professional point of view it's a serious championship, where if you do well you also have the possibility to be called from Formula 1, as they did with Sebastien. It's also my goal: even if I don't think I can go to Formula 1 anymore, I know if I do well in Champ Car I could still have a chance. But there are problems in Champ Car."

On his favourite teams for 2008:
"For sure Newman/Haas/Lanigan is the favourite, because Rahal is young and very fast and Wilson is experienced and fast, too. Montagny hasn't still signed but I think he will go to Forsythe. He is another tough driver, even if, despite his experience, a whole season in a category like that, which has tracks very different to the European ones, it's not like doing a single test. We will see. Then, there are Doornbos and Power. There are five or six tough drivers, the level is high, even if there are few cars."

On the young newcomers from GP2:
"Negrao wasn't testing this time, but when I tested with Forsythe in November I was testing with him and I can say he isn't that fast. I remember that Viso some years ago was fast with iSport, but i the latest test he didn't to very well. Even because Sebring it's not a difficult track: if you are half a second off at Sebring you will be one second off in Laguna Seca. I have some doubts with these GP2 drivers. But according to me the level of GP2 is lower than it was at its debut."

On Paul Tracy:
"Paul Tracy is a name and it's important he is staying in this category. For sure he will do well in some races, because he is experienced, but I don't want to speak a lot about him. I let others speaking about him. He is a tough one."

On his problems with Forsythe:
"There wasn't a real problem, but they took too much time to decide. It's a pity because when I tested I did very well and all the team wanted to work with me. After Sebring they went to see me and I was a little bit disappointed. But then I took this decision together with my manager. I know Eric Bachelart well and sometimes there are more interesting challenges than to go to a big team as Forsythe."

[FlatChatRacer]

Thanks for posting BobGarage.

Positive news about a new driver and Champ Car as well.

We want more news like this.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

That's the best motorsports related interview I read for a long time. Honest, straight, blunt answers. I think Franck is a very strong personality. And I also have the same opinion with him in a lot of issues.

[seppefan]

That's the best motorsports related interview I read for a long time. Honest, straight, blunt answers. I think Franck is a very strong personality. And I also have the same opinion with him in a lot of issues.

Yes Sir ! Love it. To the point, no BS,very ChampCar ( apart from the owners - sorry could not resist ! )

I hope that he drives in the series for many years to come and I for one will be routing for him...amongst others.

[champcarray]

That was a refreshingly informative interview. He certainly made a good first impression and I look forward to seeing how he performs on all these unfamiliar (to him) tracks. I'll be pullin' for him.