Vitaly, your race in Melbourne ended early, but what did you think of your first F1 street race?
I liked the circuit and it was quite bumpy and challenging, just like most street circuits. The wet weather also made it interesting and I really enjoyed the first few laps of the race in the damp. I was a shame to retire so early because I think I could have challenged for points in the race. Although I’m disappointed, I still take a lot of positives from the weekend because it’s clear that we have a competitive car with a lot of potential, and my aim to get the maximum from it in Malaysia.
Are you finding it easier to work with the team and set the car up?
F1 is such a steep learning curve, but I feel like I’m improving each time I get in the car. After two races I now have more experience and a better understanding of how to work with the team to improve the car. This is something where I will get better throughout the season because it’s a big difference compared to GP2.
How is the balance of the R30? What do you feel are the strengths of the car at the moment?
The car is generally well balanced, consistent and stable in the corners, which makes it an easy car to drive, but we still need more overall downforce to get closer to the front. There will be some more aero updates on the car in Malaysia, which should give us a bit more performance.
What are your expectations for Sepang?
It’s a track I know already from GP2 so I won’t have to spend time learning the circuit on Friday, which means I can concentrate more on finding a good set-up and evaluating the tyres. I really hope I can finish the race, which has to be my target because it’s important for me to get more miles in the car and experience a full race distance. Robert’s result in Melbourne has shown the car has potential and hopefully I can score my first points soon.