Gastaldi: We’ve been working hard on improving the E23

"We all love Barcelona and the surrounding countryside"

By Franck Drui

3 May 2015 - 17:36
Gastaldi: We've been working (...)

How much does the team look forward to racing in Spain?

We all love Barcelona and the surrounding countryside. Spain and the Spanish people are wonderful and I have a lot of friends as well as family there. In terms of a racing challenge, it’s a fascinating event as it’s where every team should be operating at their maximum potential at this time of the season as the circuit is so well known to us all. There are no excuses if you can’t get your car set-up or working well at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya!

What has been keeping the team busy since Bahrain?

We’ve been working hard on improving the E23 and how we use it, whether through the progress made in our technical debriefs, or the parts being fabricated here in Enstone. Elsewhere we also took the car to Brands Hatch for our filming day, which we opened to the public. This is something we’ve done historically behind closed doors where we have contractual obligations with partners for moving images and the like so it’s a full day. We looked at things a little differently this year and asked ‘why don’t we open the doors to fans who want to attend’. Thankfully we have a fantastic relationship with Jonathan Palmer and MotorSport Vision and they shared our vision. It was fantastic to have so many fans take a day off work to come visit us and it’s definitely something we’ll do again.

Anything exiting planned for the first European race?

There’s potential for some things which could open some eyes in Barcelona and then at the next race in Monaco too. It’s fair to say it’s busy times at Enstone.

What are your thoughts on Romain’s championship charge?

Romain delivered another textbook driving display in Bahrain and he continues to impress us and other seasoned F1 observers with his on track prowess. He is very focused this year and this means he’s making the most of every moment in the car. We know as soon as we can unlock a little more pace from the E23, there will be even stronger results to come.

Pastor has had more of a difficult start to his year, what are the team doing to ensure he can get the maximum from the E23?

We’re still waiting for those first 2015 points with Pastor and no-one wants them more than the man himself. Pastor is driving really well and has been the victim of other drivers’ mistakes rather too much this year. We know he likes the E23 and can get it to deliver very good pace. Pastor enjoyed great success in Barcelona a few years ago so hopefully that is a good omen for him.

Jolyon is being kept busy in and out of the car?

It’s always a notable step for a driver to go from focusing on contesting the GP2 Series championship to having a very different role at a Formula 1 race team. We’re keeping him very busy with his in-car duties and he has impressed us with his pace, application and feedback from his FP1 sessions so far. Out of the car there has been a lot of interest in him and he’s kept busy with media duties. Of course, like any driver, he’d like to be racing, but he’s definitely not sitting about being bored!

It’s Carmen’s home race – how is she gelling with the team?

Carmen has gone down really well with the team and it is a pleasure working with her. It’s been a surprise just how much attention she’s received. She has been hard at work in the simulator this week at Enstone and I think some aspects of the F1 set-up have been eye-opening for her. Certainly the step from GP3 – where she raced for the past three seasons – to Formula 1 is a large one but she’s applied herself well.

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