GP2 Monaco - Race 2 press conference

GP2 Series: Charles, how does it feel to be a Monaco race winner?

Charles Pic: Very, very good! Especially because qualifying was very tough for us, because we didn’t have a clear lap, so we made P12.

Starting the weekend was tough but we made a good race one, finished eighth and so that means starting from pole in the second race, and we won today, so it’s very good! We reacted quite well, very positively, and now we have one month to work very hard and find some new things for Valencia to be stronger and fight for the wins there.

GP2 Series: It looked like you have some trouble with pace yesterday, but today it seemed to be no problem: what was the difference today?

Charles: No, no, it’s just because yesterday we chose to pit very early, and the first lap I made 24 and it was an okay lap, but directly after I had someone pit and exit in front of me, so I was blocked. I think our pace this weekend was good, it’s just that we didn’t get a clear lap in qualy and we started from P12 in qualy, but we reacted quite well so that is positive.

GP2 Series: You were leading all the way today, and had Kral pushing you hard for a while: how did the tyres handle it?

Charles: For the first part of the race I was really taking care of them, because we know that we will struggle at the end with the rear tyres so I was really careful, but around the middle of the race I began to push a little and I could make a little gap with Kral, and at the end I was keeping the gap to finish the race.

GP2 Series: At Barcelona you had a haircut and a win, so I suggested you need a haircut every weekend: will you have a haircut for Valencia now? (laughs)

Charles: But for Monaco I didn’t get any haircut! (laughs) For Valencia for sure: in one month it will be much longer, so I will have to have a haircut for Valencia, and I hope it will bring the same luck!

GP2 Series: Josef, P2 and on the podium in Monaco: how does it feel?

Josef Kral: It’s like a dream! It wasn’t like a really brilliant start in the free session, and in qualifying I struggled to do a good lap, so when the time limit was gone I had only one lap and it put me on P7, then P5 after the penalties. Yesterday’s race was just holding in place and I finished P6 and I thought okay, I can go for this one, and I finished P2 which is really like a dream! I had a brilliant start from third and I nearly got P1: it was really close! I was just pushing Charles hard for most of the race, the car was brilliant, and in the end Romain was catching me up but he wasn’t a problem so I could just concentrate on my laps, and we finished the race as we started. I’m just so happy to finish second here.

GP2 Series: Nobody knew what the tyres were going to do today: how were they?

Josef: That’s it! But in the end we just pushed all the race: it’s the first race we could push all the time, and it was just really good! It was like last year, no difference, and I think we saw some good overtaking yesterday so it definitely helped for racing here. It was just a really cool race, and I like it here! (laughs)

GP2 Series: Were you worried because of the overtaking yesterday about Grosjean at the end today?

Josef: Yeah, of course, because we know that Romain is all the time fast in the last few laps of the race so I was pretty concerned, but when I saw that it was 5 laps to the end I realised that it’s going to be fine, and I just kept doing similar times.

GP2 Series: How important is this result here for you and the team?

Josef: A lot, a lot! I think it’s important for everyone here, Monaco, it’s something like winning the championship! And I was second, so it’s like I came second in the championship! (laughs) I’m just really happy and now we have to build on this, keep the same pace, and bring some points like this from every weekend.