China Press Conference: Lorenzo stunned by his own performance

This interview was held by RudyOosterndijk on Monday 21th November 2011.

Question: Congratulations Lorenzo. I think PGR F1 has hardly ever witnessed such a flawless drive before. Please tell us about it.
Lorenzo: Thanks, I knew my performance was solid, but I didn't expect this kind of predominance... To be honest, I've done several mistakes, especially third stint was very imperfect and believe me or not, but I've done some equal or even better performances within last two months. This year is truly successful for me and I'm glad I'm capable of winning also in international competitions.

Question: In turn 2 you had some contact with the wall. Did you suffer any damage from that? And how did you manage to keep up your concentration after that?
Lorenzo: First laps are always pretty unsteady and in an emergency it’s important to keep a cool head. I hit that wall several times during my practice sessions but it was never really dangerous. Actually I just smiled and focused on challenges ahead.

Question: What is your secret? Do you practice harder than any other driver on the grid?
Lorenzo: Driving grippy cars when tyre wear is so big definitely demands specific training and driving style. I've been driving all kinds of F1 cars in GeneRally for many years and there are two things I am sure. First is that you can never let your car slide, because if you do, your pace will gradually fail. It's always better to ease off exiting corner too fast than leave skidmarks on track. The second "secret" is a knowledge about the track. You must know what to expect in every corner, otherwise you can't drive with adequate confidence.
Recently I found out that practicing on the accelerated game speed, something like 120-125%, is also a great way of training and I'm always using it to improve my reaction time.

Question: Not to mention this was your very first race this year, what can we expect from you during the rest of the season?
Lorenzo: After a very successful season in GRPL, I'll try to do my best in order to keep myself in a racing rhythm at least until the next season in Poland starts.

Question: Good luck to you in Japan.
Lorenzo: Thank you and good luck to everyone. Wet race at narrow track like Okayama... it sounds challenging.