The start is crucial, really, but the entire race is crucial. There is not any room for error. If there is one bad stroke, you regularly lose the race.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I am always nervous before the start of a race. It helps me to say to myself to try my very best. That is my commitment. No matter how bad it gets, I will try my hardest.
For most part, the rule of thumb is pretty much you're going to race guys hard the last quarter of the race and for sure the last run of the day. You're still going to give and take until that last pit stop.
I always work the same way, starting from the beginning of the weekend, so I know at the beginning of the race, from all that I have analysed during the practice, whether I will win the race or not.
This is a business, and no one enters a race not to finish first. I wouldn't say I'm in it for the competition, but I'm certainly not just in it to coast along. I want to be the best I possibly can be.
Every race is not perfect; there are obviously a lot of things I can improve on at the end of the race.
Fitness will be a major factor in the first race and I think that will play into the hands of drivers who have been racing recently, rather than people like me who haven't raced properly for a decade. I'am not one of the favourites to start with.
In racing, we have a better chance of it happening quicker because we have attracted good people to come to work for us. It's the beginning of a great adventure, and we're looking forward to it.
There is no place for arrogance or complacency in racing because you are up there one minute and on your backside the next.
If you are out in two races and someone else has a good couple of races, it could change. So all we do is try to get the optimum every time.
Finishing races is important, but racing is more important.