First of all I need to start winning again. Obviously, the championship now depens on the results from my main competitors. It’s not over yet, but it’s not in my control. If they are on the podium for the remaining races, then I cannot win.
Last year from midseason onwards I found a great set-up and I was able to win many races in the second half of the season. For a long time now my aim has been to work with the engineers to overcome the tyre temperature issue.
The car is very competitive once the tyres are up to temperature. That’s what we are looking for this weekend in Singapore.
For me there is nothing else to do, but go there and just focus on the winning. We will give it all we have and go flat out race by race. This is motor racing, you just try to win a race. Nothing else matters. Who knows, suddenly everything can still change.
I know I have been repeating myself, but I say it again. We are here just to win. I don’t want to go there just to hang around. There would not be any sense doing that. Obviously, Monza was terrible for me, but after that we had an encouraging test in Mugello, I was the fastest on my day.
The balance has been good in the last two races once we got the tyres up to temperature. In test we tried a few new things and improved the car.
Now I have been working with the business partners in Dubai and just recharging my batteries for the last part of the season. All the time I have had a very fascinating feeling, because Singapore is getting closer. It’s just a big and new challenge in every day. I have been waiting for Singapore ever since I heard about it coming to the calendar.
It’s going to be a real challenge for all the teams and drivers. I don’t feel racing at night will be a major issue. They have already done it this in Moto GP. Actually it looked great. I am a night person, too. I like to sleep long and my whole body really wakes up late. Obviously this kind of a new schedule suits me fine.
It doesn’t matter at what time is the start of the race. When you put your helmet on and you take your place in the grid, there is so much adrenaline storming in your veins, that you forget everything else and just go for it 100% every time.
They say that it will rain in Singapore when the evening comes. Well, we see it there. It’s not use to worry about that. It will be the same for everybody, any way.
I think we have a good chance to fight for the victory in all the remaining races starting from Singapore.
When you look at the results from the ‘street’ races this year things have not gone well for me. But it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t like the street races any more. I sincerely like them all, it’s a thrilling moment when you have a well balanced car there between the walls and really go for it.
I did a day in the simulator last week in Italy. I tried the Singapore circuit and just saw how the corners are.
I’m looking forward to racing at night. It’s something new everything there in a brand new experience.