The new Abu Dhabi track looks amazing. What do you make of it?
I am impressed by the facilities and the circuit seems very well made, the surface and the curbs. But before we judge the layout we need to run on it.
Will racing at sunset be a problem?
The temperatures shouldn’t be a problem, but the one question mark we will find out about tomorrow is shadow. This could make visibility difficult. But, unlike Australia [which was run at sunset too] here we have floodlights.
In Brazil you crashed with Adrian Sutil and seemed pretty angry afterwards. You shouted and pushed Adrian beside the track, which earned you a $10,000 fine. Have you two kissed and made up yet?
No, and we’ll discuss it some more in the drivers’ briefing tomorrow. I was very disappointed to have my race ended on the first lap and had every reason to be extremely furious. I’ve got all the evidence [to prove it was Sutil’s fault].
What did you say to Sutil at the time?
I was furious and I said “You didn’t see me?” I mean, I was right alongside him on the outside and he squeezed me until I was over the curb.
Apart from Brazil, how has 2009 been for you?
It’s been nice to get back to the front again after a poor mid-season. It’s been pretty much like a rollercoaster, and we’ve had some bad luck. But we’ve had some very good results, starting on the front row and getting podiums. We’re so up and down it’s difficult to predict what we can do here [in Abu Dhabi] but the hot conditions should suit our car.
Jean Todt is now the FIA president. What would your advice be to him?
He probably knows better than me what Formula One needs, but probably stability and consistency of the rules, as this will also help with cost cutting. This year has been pretty difficult in general. On the drivers side we have a pretty good relationship with the FIA, so hopefully we can discuss these things together.
Will you be at Toyota next year, or are you talking to other teams?
I prefer not to make any speculation. There is a high chance of me leaving Toyota but it’s probably difficult for me to talk about it, it’s all up in the air.
You own a successful vineyard in your hometown of Pescara. Are you nearly ready to quit F1 and concentrate on winemaking?
Right now, Formula One is my job and wine is my passion. I’m not ready to give up F1 yet. They are both completely different, which is good. Both are competitive but when it comes to wine it is a very different kind of competition to F1; you have more time to reflect on what you are doing and to improve everything. In F1 you are just flat-out all the time, it is a big rush. I enjoy the chance to do things at a different pace.
Will you be able to adapt to the slower pace of life?
Life will be a lot slower than it is now, but I will still travel around the world – albeit a bit less – to promote my wine. I think my profile helps a lot promoting the wine but not selling it because that is down to a good product. When people buy wine they don’t pay for me – I can be the best in the world but if the wine is not good, they might buy one bottle but won’t buy any more.
Is it a family business?
Yes, my father is in business with me and my grandfather was also a winemaker – so you could say it’s in my DNA. I come from a region where wine is very big; we have a long culture and huge tradition about it. We bought some land and we started the business together with some other friends who are very important to us. At the beginning of the project we were producing around 18,000 bottles but now we are up to 600,000. The best wine comes from my own vineyard because that is where we have the oldest vines but we do buy in grapes from other vineyards as well.
Do you prefer red or white?
I like both but probably I prefer red.
You collect jukeboxes. What interests you about them?
They are absolutely fascinating to look at. My very first jukebox was a beautiful 1954 Rock-Ola with disco lights and more chrome than a Cadillac. It takes 200 discs, making it one of the top of the range of its day. I found it in Birmingham and got my mechanics to drag it up the stairs of my house. I have a great passion for vintage items and antiques, and jukeboxes are a terrific example of the style, design, music and romance of a certain era. Now I have three – the Rock-Ola, an AMI-Rowe and a Wurlitzer.
What records do you listen to?
Hits from the 50s right through to the 1980s. You can buy 45s quite easily and inexpensively on the internet. I bought the whole Elvis collection online. Much though it’s fun to go into old record stores, it’s just easier this way given how much I travel. The whole family crowds round to listen to oldies like Aretha Frankin and Elvis. The thing about jukeboxes is that it isn’t just about listening to the music you love – it’s about forcing everyone else in the place listen to it too.
I am impressed by the facilities and the circuit seems very well made, the surface and the curbs. But before we judge the layout we need to run on it.
Will racing at sunset be a problem?
The temperatures shouldn’t be a problem, but the one question mark we will find out about tomorrow is shadow. This could make visibility difficult. But, unlike Australia [which was run at sunset too] here we have floodlights.
In Brazil you crashed with Adrian Sutil and seemed pretty angry afterwards. You shouted and pushed Adrian beside the track, which earned you a $10,000 fine. Have you two kissed and made up yet?
No, and we’ll discuss it some more in the drivers’ briefing tomorrow. I was very disappointed to have my race ended on the first lap and had every reason to be extremely furious. I’ve got all the evidence [to prove it was Sutil’s fault].
What did you say to Sutil at the time?
I was furious and I said “You didn’t see me?” I mean, I was right alongside him on the outside and he squeezed me until I was over the curb.
Apart from Brazil, how has 2009 been for you?
It’s been nice to get back to the front again after a poor mid-season. It’s been pretty much like a rollercoaster, and we’ve had some bad luck. But we’ve had some very good results, starting on the front row and getting podiums. We’re so up and down it’s difficult to predict what we can do here [in Abu Dhabi] but the hot conditions should suit our car.
Jean Todt is now the FIA president. What would your advice be to him?
He probably knows better than me what Formula One needs, but probably stability and consistency of the rules, as this will also help with cost cutting. This year has been pretty difficult in general. On the drivers side we have a pretty good relationship with the FIA, so hopefully we can discuss these things together.
Will you be at Toyota next year, or are you talking to other teams?
I prefer not to make any speculation. There is a high chance of me leaving Toyota but it’s probably difficult for me to talk about it, it’s all up in the air.
You own a successful vineyard in your hometown of Pescara. Are you nearly ready to quit F1 and concentrate on winemaking?
Right now, Formula One is my job and wine is my passion. I’m not ready to give up F1 yet. They are both completely different, which is good. Both are competitive but when it comes to wine it is a very different kind of competition to F1; you have more time to reflect on what you are doing and to improve everything. In F1 you are just flat-out all the time, it is a big rush. I enjoy the chance to do things at a different pace.
Will you be able to adapt to the slower pace of life?
Life will be a lot slower than it is now, but I will still travel around the world – albeit a bit less – to promote my wine. I think my profile helps a lot promoting the wine but not selling it because that is down to a good product. When people buy wine they don’t pay for me – I can be the best in the world but if the wine is not good, they might buy one bottle but won’t buy any more.
Is it a family business?
Yes, my father is in business with me and my grandfather was also a winemaker – so you could say it’s in my DNA. I come from a region where wine is very big; we have a long culture and huge tradition about it. We bought some land and we started the business together with some other friends who are very important to us. At the beginning of the project we were producing around 18,000 bottles but now we are up to 600,000. The best wine comes from my own vineyard because that is where we have the oldest vines but we do buy in grapes from other vineyards as well.
Do you prefer red or white?
I like both but probably I prefer red.
You collect jukeboxes. What interests you about them?
They are absolutely fascinating to look at. My very first jukebox was a beautiful 1954 Rock-Ola with disco lights and more chrome than a Cadillac. It takes 200 discs, making it one of the top of the range of its day. I found it in Birmingham and got my mechanics to drag it up the stairs of my house. I have a great passion for vintage items and antiques, and jukeboxes are a terrific example of the style, design, music and romance of a certain era. Now I have three – the Rock-Ola, an AMI-Rowe and a Wurlitzer.
What records do you listen to?
Hits from the 50s right through to the 1980s. You can buy 45s quite easily and inexpensively on the internet. I bought the whole Elvis collection online. Much though it’s fun to go into old record stores, it’s just easier this way given how much I travel. The whole family crowds round to listen to oldies like Aretha Frankin and Elvis. The thing about jukeboxes is that it isn’t just about listening to the music you love – it’s about forcing everyone else in the place listen to it too.