By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
Sébastien Bourdais, who is a driver in the IndyCar Series, the Le Mans 24 Hours LMP1 Class, and the Le Mans Series LMP1 class, recently took time to do a Q&A session with The Capital Sports Report. His interview is about his racing career.
TCSR: Could you talk about being one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Champ Car World Series? Could you talk about winning four consecutive Champ Car World Series championships from 2004 to 2007?
SB: “These years were great, the best of my career. The success we enjoyed was the result of a team effort. The stability within the team was crucial, and the car suited my driving style. I had the best in the business around me to achieve the target, which always is winning at NHR (Newman Haas Racing). I also got to know unbelievable people like Paul (Tracy), and we shared great experiences that I will never forget…”
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TCSR: Could you talk about winning the 1996 24-hour Le Mans kart race at the Circuit Alain Prost?
SB: “It was a long time ago, but that year, everything was right. We had both the speed and the reliability and we won by nearly 20 laps!”
TCSR: Could you talk about your switch from the kart circuits to the Formula Campus Championship?
SB: “Kart was going to cost a lot of money to do it properly when it was time to start European championships and the likes… my dad wasn’t very familiar with (go) kart but knew very well car racing. So when the French federation offered me a scholarship to start racing open wheels at 16, it was going to be very cheap, and a great opportunity, so we went for it!”
TCSR: What was it like racing in the International F3000 Championship? Could you talk about following in the footsteps of Juan Pablo Montoya and Bruno Junqueira from F3000 to the Champ Car series?
SR: “F3000 was a very tough and cruel series. There was very little off-season testing, even less in-season, and no free practice during the race weekends! You had to go straight away qualifying, so it was crucial to be in the right car and to be fast off the truck. Otherwise, you had no chance to succeed. It took me 3-years to be at the wheel of a good car and that opened the doors of ChampCar.”
TCSR: You became the first rookie since Nigel Mansell to win the pole in your very first race. What was that like?
SR: “Nobody knew me and when I got (the) pole for my very first race, it was a pretty big deal. On top of that, there was no sponsor on my car, so I needed to show what I was capable of at the wheel of a ChampCar!”
TCSR: Could you talk about winning the Rookie of the Year in 2003?
SR: “After scoring five poles and winning three races, it was more a consolation than anything else. With a bit of luck, rather than pure bad luck, we carried most of the year, we could have won the championship on our first attempt…”
TCSR: What was it like racing in the 2005 Indy 500?
SR: “It was a great experience. My oval background was small, but I learned quite quickly thanks to NHR. Although we didn’t have a very fast car on our own, during the race we were very competitive, running 4th one lap from the end, then I got a cut tire and crashed in 3. So, after Bruno’s (Bruno Junqueira) crash where he broke his back, and my accident, I can’t keep a great memory of it…”
TCSR: Could you talk about seeing A.J. Allmendinger, a current NASCAR driver, end your win streak in 2006 when he won 3 straight races, even though you won the championship that year?
SR: “AJ is a great driver and we had good fights together… that’s all. I am happy to see him do well in NASCAR.”
TCSR: You have a rivalry with Paul Tracy. Why do you guys have such a rivalry with each other?
SR: “Paul has always been a very radical driver. He was in a good car and so was I, so we ended up fighting each other pretty hard on track. The thing is, when you fight with Paul, it doesn’t always end in tears, but more often than not, there is a contact… So in the end, we had our share of incidents, and the press, which loved the story, made a big deal out of it. But I have a lot of respect for Paul.”
TCSR: How is racing in America different than racing in Europe?
SR: “You are a lot closer to the fans. People are more relaxed. Things are globally more fun in the States!”
TCSR: What was it like racing in the Superleague Formula Series in 2009?
SR: “2008 was better than 2009. I was in a good team and we won straight away quite a few races. The cars are very different from what I knew in ChampCar, but it was fun. Then, in 2009, the team had no money and we stopped after a couple of races because we were not fast…”
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TCSR: You have won many endurance races, with several teammates. What endurance race win do you remember the most?
SR: “Probably Sebring 2006 when we won in GT2 with the Panoz. I was in the car for the finish, and the car was agonizing! A great memory!”
TCSR: After a long hiatus, you have returned to the IndyCar Series. Could you talk about your decision to return after 3 years away from the sport?
SR: “I have tried to come back as early as 2009, but there simply was no opportunity… and it took Dale’s (Dale Coyne) personal efforts to get me back racing the US.”
TCSR: What is it like racing for Dale Coyne Racing?
SR: “He is a great racing person. But the program started too late and we are running after the lost time. The team has great people, but it is a small organization, so everything is a little harder… It seems we made some progress in Brazil, but we are a long way from where we want to be.”
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