Mark Lemmer:
We are delighted with it. Chris [Needell] has worked very hard and we have some very exciting driver line-ups. Paul has come on very well last year, coming from a historic racing background. He has had a lot to learn but is finding pace every time he goes out in the car and teamed up with Jonny Cocker, they are very competitive and looking for some top results this year. I have my younger driver pairing of Ben Butler and Guy Harrington, who are both top Caterham guys and finished first and second in the Euroseries. They are still learning and it is a big step up for them, but I’m sure they are going to be very quick in the car when they have done some more miles. With Tom Alexander, he is very experienced and has been with the team a number of years, he will team up with Michael Bentwood who has proved he is quick in the car. I would expect Johnny and Michael to really set the pace in GT3 from the outset.
Q:
Ben and Guy in particular will be interesting as they go from being heated rivals on-track to team-mates who need to work together for the results…
Mark Lemmer:
Yeah they seem to get on very well and are very dedicated. They are working well with the team so my job is to make sure they just take it one step at a time. I know the speed is there with them, but its just getting the experience of dealing with endurance racing and dealing with a 500 horsepower car.
Q:
You are pushing the boat out this season with selected FIA GT Championship rounds. How important is that programme going to be this year?
Mark Lemmer:
Our main focus is definitely British GT, but the DBR9 in the longer FIA races – and probably one LMS event – is key to our long-term plans. We have strengthened our ties with Aston Martin Racing and it is a fantastic ex-factory car. We know the car is great but we have a lot to learn as we step up to that level. We are going to take that one step at a time and see how it develops, but our aim is to do selected rounds this year and then a full season in 2008 and definitely go to Le Mans.
Q:
Just quickly to wrap it and back to the British series. It’s an impressive looking grid, so who do you seen as your main rivals for the year ahead?
Mark Lemmer:
FIA GT3 by its very nature is competitive as the cars are equalised and balanced by the
FIA. The Vipers are strong and we know from last year that they are reliable and fairly easy to drive, so we expect strong opposition there. The Ascari is quick, but fragile and the Porsche seems to come into its own on certain circuits and be weaker than us on others. I think it is shaping up to be an excellent year, and GT3 was definitely the right way to go.
