In the first race on the opening lap I passed quite a few slower cars, but then I got stuck behind the faster ones. I’ve always gone forwards over the first lap. There’s no secret to it; you just need to be good off the line, use as much traction as possible without wheelspin, remain alert through the opening corners so you don’t get involved in any accidents and then try to find gaps to overtake people. To be honest, our car is generally better over the first two or three laps – maybe we find more grip than the others – but then after about a third of the race we start to go backwards.
Before the races we had been told in the drivers’ briefing: you cannot cross the white line on the oval. One of the drivers asked ‘what will happen if we do?’ and the race director said ‘you might get a penalty, so don’t be stupid because you will get punished’. It was very clear to everybody.
During the second race I was running in third place and in a situation to score a podium. I had Hohenthal attacking behind me, and when I went to defend my position I obviously went across to the inside – though only as far as the white line because I believed I couldn’t cross it. But Seb went past me by going even further to the inside and crossing the line. I could have fought back in the following corner, but I honestly thought he was going to be punished because what had been said in the drivers’ briefing was very clear. Unfortunately the rules were not followed so I finished fourth.
It was important to get the points, but we had gone there to get a podium and I had been lying in third place. I was pushing really hard and trying not to make any mistakes. I’m not blaming Seb for going over the white line, but if the rules are there they should be consistently followed. That’s what was frustrating.
