Renault WS »

Walker Talk: Home and away.


It's hard to believe that we are approaching the halfway point of the World Series by Renault season, but time has flown since we kicked off in Monza and we are now approaching the Hungaroring.

As expected, it's been a tough campaign so far, as the championship is proving to be very competitive, but I have enjoyed most of what has gone on, even if I am a little lower in the standings than I would have hoped.

As we head into the second half of the year, all I'm focusing on is trying to improve my qualifying pace. My race pace is always good, but I need to qualify higher up to make the most of that. We've still got some fantastic circuits to visit - Le Mans is new to me, so I'm really looking forward to that one, as I am to returning to Estoril, where I had a strong weekend in 2007 - so there is a lot to play for.

Our most recent outing was, of course, at Silverstone, which gave me the chance to race in front of my home crowd again. A year ago, I was lucky enough to realise the feeling of winning on home soil, at Donington Park, and, even though there was no repeat this time, from a racing point of view, Silverstone was fantastic.

I found myself having a lot of wheel-to-wheel battles in both races at Silverstone. Even though it's is a very wide circuit, it is still very difficult to overtake, as I found out when I passed Charles Pic with all four wheels on the grass going down the Hangar Straight!

The results may not have gone out way, but the support that all the British drivers got was unreal. During the pit-lane walkabout, we couldn't move, but it was a lot of fun and a fantastic atmosphere. I think Silverstone did a mega job and I'm sure every single spectator enjoyed it. I think the total attendance figure was 110,000, and I must say it really makes a difference to have that many people cheering you on.

Racing at home means a lot to any driver but, for me, when I don't get that many chances to return to my 'real' home in Jersey, it means a lot more to get support from the British fans.

Jersey was a great place to grow up, but starting racing meant leaving the island and moving to the UK when I was 15. I normally go back at Christmas and for a couple of weeks during the summer but, apart from that, I only really get the chance to go back for meetings with current and potential sponsors.

Having said that, I went back last week as I've been asked to demonstrate my current Fortec Motorsport car on the island this August. It will be part of an annual event that the island has hosted since 1906, and the team and I will be doing a day and night demonstration, so it's going to be really exciting. It's a great honour to be involved and a great chance for me to be able to show people what it's all about, and for them to get close to the action.

Paging
Page 1 of 2
1 2  »
Paging

Comments
Comments

Social Networking
Social Networking


Latest Comments
Latest Comments
Be the first to comment on this article and see your comment appear right here!
Latest Comments
Related Images

Related Images

James Walker
Related Images
 
Site Map

MOTORSPORT

F1
NASCAR
WRC
WTCC
Indycar
GP2
Renault WS

 

Sportscars
F3
DTM
BTCC
V8 Supercars
A1GP
Rally UK

 

MotoGP
WSBK
BSB
Moto-X

INTERACTIVE

Audio
Podcasts
Have Your Say
Polls
RSS Newsfeeds
Make Homepage

 

Contact Us
Jobs
Free Screensavers
Official Links
Unofficial Links
Race Cars for Sale

SERVICES

Motorbike Insurance
Bike Insurance
Motoring Experiences
Motorcycling Experiences
Loans
Loading...
© 1999 - 2009 Crash Media Group
The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form.

Contact Crash.Net  |  Advertise on Crash.Net  |  Our Privacy Policy  |  About Crash.Net  |  Get News Feeds  |  Need a Website?

Find car reviews on sports cars such as Ferrari, BMW, Porsche and many more.