How are you approaching this final, crucial weekend of the year?
“Fundamentally the same way I ve approached the previous races. Obviously, my aim for Brazil is slightly different from the other grands prix: I don t need to win the race, but that won t stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible. Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back. Our aim wasn t to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there. That s what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil – a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving.”
What do you think of the Interlagos circuit?
“I love the circuit: it s in this incredible natural arena that is just amazing to race on. And it s anti-clockwise too – so it presents an additional challenge to the drivers. The track always seems to provide good, close racing: one of the reasons for that is because there s a long straight leading up to the first corner and you can slipstream other cars and overtake into Turn One. It s also a place where there seems to be a lot of grip so you can dice with other cars and have fun.”
What do you remember of last year s nail-biting finale in Brazil?
“I went to Interlagos with the title battle still up in the air and all my emotions just bubbling up and down. It was a very emotional time because I knew it would end with either great success or huge disappointment. In 2007, things didn t end up too well for me – but I still had a great first year. Everybody s always happy to finish the season in Brazil – there s a real party atmosphere in Sao Paulo on the Sunday night and it s a perfect place to end such a great season.”
Sao Paulo and Interlagos have long been intertwined with the legacy of Ayrton Senna – how does that make you feel?
“Ayrton has always been my favourite driver. I think he s the best driver there ever was and, still, to this day, I don t believe anyone would beat him. If I could achieve just a small part of what he achieved, it would be a dream for me.”
Source: McLaren