F1: Renault interview with Lopez

Jose-Maria Lopez talks about his first experience at the wheel of an F1
car, this week in Barcelona.

<b><i>Q:</b></i> Jose-Maria, how did your test in the R23 go?

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<b>JML:</b> It was an unforgettable experience. It was very intense, and
represented another first in my career. Having said that, it is just a
step. In a more precise sense, I also hope I met the engineers'
expectations.

<b><i>Q:</b></i> What was your feeling when you first went out on track in an F1 car?

<b>JML:</b> I was feeling lots of different things: happy, of course, and a
little bit of emotion, because I was achieving a dream. My father and
brother were there as well. From a purely professional point of view, it
was fantastic. The team did everything to give me the best possible
conditions to work in, and the track was. amazing! But I just tried to
stay calm and concentrate: when you are playing with 800bhp, you don't
try and show off. The power and the braking were incredible.

<b><i>Q:</b></i> How did you cope physically?

<b>JML:</b> Fine, even if the first few times I hit the brakes, it caught my
neck a bit by surprise! Once we had got my seating position exactly
right, everything was perfect. It was just a shame that I couldn't get in
a good final run on new tyres yesterday: I had made a good start to the
lap when the engine failed.

<b><i>Q:</b></i> And of course, the rain today didn't help things for you?

<b>JML:</b> Yes, the conditions were difficult, but driving in the wet is
another way for the Renault engineers to assess my behaviour out on the
circuit. In other categories, I never had a problem driving in the wet,
and you feel very safe in an F1 car: the tyres, the brakes and the car
itself all reassure you.

<b><i>Q:</b></i> However, the weather must have disrupted the work you and the 
engineers
had planned?

<b>JML:</b> Clearly, it wasn't easy working in the conditions. We did try and
make some set-up changes, but it then got very wet indeed. Overall, I
think the times I set were respectable (1:32.751 for his best lap) and
there were no mistakes.

<b><i>Q:</b></i> So what does the future hold?

<b>JML:</b> I will know better after another test next week at Vallelunga with
Minardi, and the management of the RDD will tell me more. In any case, I
particularly want to thank the Renault F1 Team, who gave me a fantastic
welcome.

-renault-


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