Karun Chandhok: Very good: this time is a little different to Spa last year, because Spa I was just really, really pleased but this time there is a little relief as well because this year I came into it believing we were fast enough, knowing we were fast enough to win races but it didn’t happen in Asia, and for a number of reasons I think we got robbed of a few wins there. I was really, really pissed off after Asia, so it’s really nice to get one under our belts here: we’ve had good race pace all season long you know, in Monaco and Silverstone, and we’ve struggled a little bit in qualifying for a few reasons but yeah, just very pleased. And I’m really pleased for the team as well, to get two drivers to have won a race, so I’m just really pleased and I just love working with these guys: they’re the best team I’ve ever worked with, they’re just so good to get along with, and with Bruno as I well because I think we get along better than any other teammates in the pitlane. It’s just a great feeling right now.

GP2 Series: Was it the best way to get it done: start from pole and just fight from the front?

Karun: Yeah, but we lost off the line! It was a pressure race you know, it wasn’t an easy race: okay, starting from the front but it was a pressure race the whole way because Zuber was quick here all weekend and qualified third, and Bruno is quick as well, but I was quite comfortable and don’t think I made any mistakes: I had a second gap to Zuber and just sat there, and the team did a great job to keep me informed of where things stood, where we were quick and where we weren’t, and that helped things a lot.

GP2 Series: Was it just a case of managing the race? You didn’t set any fastest laps, but you always looked comfortable there…

Karun: We had fastest lap very early on in the race, but I wasn’t too fussed to be honest because I just wanted to make sure we looked after the rear tyres: the last thing I wanted was to have a situation like Grosjean had in Silverstone where he destroyed the tyres and then couldn’t do anything for the last ten laps. I’d rather have the six points for the win than the one point for fastest lap!

GP2 Series: It has been a bit of a monkey of your back getting the win here: can this help you for the remainder of the season?

Karun: Yeah, we’ve had pace all season long at places like Silverstone and Istanbul, and in Monaco we had good race pace: it’s just nice to get one under the belt as an indication that we can complete the job as well.

GP2 Series: Andreas, you told me before the race that you were going to have an amazing start and push for the race win, and that’s exactly what happened: how was it from inside the car?

Andreas Zuber: Yeah, it was good today: we know what the problem was yesterday, it was just too long a first gear, so that was the problem yesterday and we burned the clutch, so today we know that we can start because we’re not stupid, you know: it looks like it because we had so many start problems this year, we knew already the problems after. So today was just great: I had a really mega start and after just one lap I was sixth already, I overtook four or five cars at the start and then on the first corner I was a bit wide because one guy pushed me out so I lost even two places there but I made it back, I overtook my teammate, di Grassi, and then I went when Pantano and Soucek were a little bit fighting and overtook them on the outside when they touched, and it was really nice. After five laps I was pushing Chandhok quite hard but then my rear tyres lost a little bit of grip and I saw Bruno flying from behind and so I said okay, I’ll wait for a mistake from Chandhok but it didn’t happen – he drove a really good race today – and when you come from eleventh to second you don’t want to risk too much!

GP2 Series: You did have a great start and pushed hard: was it just a case of being sensible and getting on the podium rather than pushing too hard?

Andreas: Yep, it was half-half: I saw Bruno coming and I was thinking the car is oversteering, so I went okay leave it like this now for the last five laps, and Bruno was coming more and more and then I pushed a little bit more and made a little mistake, and after the mistake on the second last lap I just thought finish the race, I can’t push any more.

GP2 Series: The team have had a few problems in the last few races, but the car looked great today: do you think you’ve found the solution for the rest of the season?

Andreas: Yeah, of course at the last race we had big problems in the race with tyrewear, it was just crazy because after five laps you didn’t have any rubber anymore, but now after five laps we have rubber: not too much, but we still have rubber on the tyres! [laughs] It’s going better and better, and we changed some things on the car where we know there is a problem, and I am very confident for Budapest.

GP2 Series: Okay, we’ll see if you can do the same thing there.

Andreas: I hope so!

GP2 Series: Bruno, third today for another podium: is it fair to say this was a bit of a recovery race for you?

Bruno Senna: Yeah it’s fair to say: we started from fifth place which would lead to a forward looking race but I had a really bad start, and I got swamped by many cars and just had to let some people pass me because I was just being careful not to be taken out. And it worked, because everybody got too excited during the race and cleared the road a little bit: I had a good move on Alvaro, it was a good opportunity and I took the chance very well, so it was one of those days where you have to fight back without making any mistakes and I did it, so it was good to finish third. I have to thank the team because they did a great job today, and it was a good day for the team because Karun won and he broke his jinx, his Sunday jinx in great style, and I’m happy for him as well. This is great for him and for the team because it motivates the whole team and next time we are just going to be stronger and stronger, and we lead the constructor’s championship once again too.

GP2 Series: You were possibly a little unlucky yesterday and a little lucky today with the guys in front of you, which sort of evened up a bit with Soucek and Pantano going out…

Bruno: Yeah, I think yesterday I was unlucky because of the weather only, but to be fair one lucky day compensates for an unlucky day, especially if they’re not Saturdays, but it doesn’t matter because today we were quite strong and we did a good job, and we’ve had a good battle with Giorgio this year: he’s quite great and consistent, and winning too many races for my taste! [laughs] But he is driving well and deserves what he has got, but he’s only doing this because I had too many problems at the beginning of the year, and if it wasn’t for those problems things would be a lot different.

GP2 Series: True enough, although he is building up a fairly handy lead in the championship: what can you do to reign in that lead?

Bruno: Just keep pushing with the team, and get more points than him in the race! [laughs]

GP2 Series: Sure, but if he keeps getting on the podium…

Bruno: It’s hard but it’s not impossible, and now if I score 3 or 4 points more than him on a weekend I can win, so it’s not easy but it’s not impossible, and if he has a bad one and I have a good one then everything evens out and that’s it. The problem is that there are many competitive drivers out there taking the points from everyone else.

The Indian driver had to briefly relinquish the lead at the start: he made a strong start from pole but was unable to stop Lucas di Grassi’s storming run around the outside and into the lead at turn one after the lights went out, but kept his head to hold off fellow front row starter Andy Soucek and Pastor Maldonado, while behind them Michael Herck had a slow start and tapped Luca Filippi into a big spin on the front straight: luckily both cars were out of the way quickly and there was nothing to delay the field when they came back around for the first time.

Meanwhile Zuber was on a charge: starting from eleventh he was up to sixth place by the end of the first lap, pushed past his teammate next time around and had the right line to take advantage when Soucek spun at the hairpin (removing Giorgio Pantano in the process) before setting a string of fastest laps to put himself on Chandhok’s tail to commence what was to be a race long battle.

Chandhok wasn’t hanging around either: he out dragged di Grassi along the long back straight before cutting back underneath and into the lead out of the hairpin, but soon had a bigger challenge in the form of Zuber, who was clearly faster but just could not find a way to make a move stick. di Grassi was soon out of the fight: on lap seven Maldonado was unable to stop fast enough into the hairpin and ran straight into the back of the Brazilian, putting him out of the race on the spot.

All of which played into Senna’s hands: after finally disposing of Alvaro Parente after a good fight he was on the trail of the frontrunners, but had lost so much time that it wasn’t until the last five laps that he could get back up on terms with the pair, applying constant pressure to Zuber which meant he had to take one eye off the fight ahead and concentrate on his mirrors.

And so it finished: when the flag dropped the order was Chandhok Zuber Senna with just a second covering the trio, while Grosjean fought his way through the pack to claim fourth place ahead of Javier Villa and Alvaro Parente, with Kamui Kobayashi taking something home from another difficult weekend after claiming the fastest lap of the race. But with everyone crowding around the iSport engineers all the applause was saved for Chandhok, who drove a strong, mature race to take a long overdue win in the sprint race.

Hockenheim – Race 2

Fastest lap time: Kamui Kobayashi (Dams): 1:24.253 on lap 24

Giorgio Pantano: Unfortunately no: I thought for sure we would win this race, and for most of the race we were doing the job and winning the race, but the weather was unlucky in the last few laps and Grosjean got past me. It was very difficult and I was being very careful, and Romain was able to be faster than me so I had to just not be stupid and let him go.

GP2 Series: How hard were the conditions over those last few laps, and were you just thinking of the championship?

Giorgio: To be honest I was not thinking about the championship, I was thinking about being there at the end! It was so dangerous on those last few laps: the first sector was really wet and it is so easy to make a mistake in those conditions. Anyway we just stayed out with the situations and tried to make the best laps that we could without making a mistake, because they were telling me over the radio that the others were very far from me, and why would I make a big risk for just two points more?

GP2 Series: Did you ever consider coming in for wet tyres?

Giorgio: No. No, because by the time you come out, the wet tyres are cold, the time to get back up with everybody, you would just lose too much time.

GP2 Series: Nevertheless over the weekend you’ve still made more points that Romain, which must gives you something to be happy about…

Giorgio: Yes it’s good: I was having a good race and got the fastest lap before the rain, and then I thought why risk everything for just two points, that was not really for me to risk everything because second was good enough, and the others were a long way behind so yeah, it’s good and we have a nice lead in the championship.

GP2 Series: Do you now start to think about the championship and play conservative, just think about getting the points rather than pushing for the wins?

Giorgio: No, because if I can ever win then I drive to win: we are doing a very good job with the team, we have a very good car, and why think about the championship? I want to keep winning – I wanted to win today – and I will keep pushing to get some more wins.

GP2 Series: Congratulations. Alvaro, congratulations to you on a great job today, particularly that last lap which we will come back to, but I guess after the start you had today you are probably weren’t expecting to be here now?

Alvaro Parente: Yeah, we had some definite problems on that first lap: the car in front of me stalled which wasn’t a big problem, but then I lost my line into turn one because I had someone in side so I couldn’t hold my position, and then I got out on the astroturf so I lost a few more places there. In the beginning it was not good for sure, and then we had a pitstop and I managed to overtake two guys in front of me, I think Filippi and Petrov, when they came out of the pits and I was in eighth place. I was trying catch up but I was starting to struggle in some sectors, and then the last five laps came! We took a risk to stay out, taking some risks and trying to stay on the track, and then we could pass some people and have some interesting fights until the end.

GP2 Series: That last lap was pretty amazing because it was wet / dry all the way around the circuit, and you were having a great fight with Bruno on wets: talk me through it from your perspective.

Alvaro: I think it was not only the last lap that was wet and dry: it was changing for a few laps, so that was even harder. There was one driver who got caught out with that because on the previous lap it was dry it that area and then on the next lap it was nearly fully wet and he spun off. But that last lap with Bruno was hard because obviously in one area he was faster and then in other areas I was faster because I had slicks, but I managed to pass him in the dry area and stay in front of him in the wet area, so it was a pretty interesting challenge for me.

GP2 Series: How hard was it to stay on the circuit in those conditions on slicks, when you consider that Bruno was on wets and still spinning off?

Alvaro: It was hard, but you had to slow down a bit and look for the grip, on the left side, on the right side, not on the line: it worked out well for me because I was not risking 100% like I saw some people I saw in my mirrors were! It worked out really well for me.

GP2 Series: You’ve had a bit of bad luck in the last few races after a good start to the season: how important is this podium for you and the team?

Alvaro: It’s really important: I just had a bad weekend in Silverstone but everywhere else I think we were close, in Magny Cours I could have had a podium except for the relay problem, and easy podium, so that was a shame obviously. But coming back from two bad weekends is good obviously, and we just have to keep working and getting more points and be in the position we should be in the championship.

GP2 Series: And of course you have another chance for a good result tomorrow: what are your expectations there?

Alvaro: Yeah for sure, and every race is important in GP2, and every point is crucial for the championship in a season like this.