Q:
Did you have him 'for lunch' in karts?
RB:
It’s difficult to say in karts what’s going on all the time. I always had tyre wars and stuff but, when we were juniors, I was often in front - and also in Formula A. It all depended what championship you were in and what tyres and stuff, but I think we were equal competitors back then.
Q:
What’s the chat within the team, if there is any that you have heard, about
Mark Webber – the Australian
F1 driver with the Jaguar team? Is he creating a lot of conversation among Oliver Panis and maybe Cristiano da Matta?
RB:
Not necessarily between the Toyota drivers but, in the general F1 paddock, he is very highly spoken of. He’s doing a fantastic job over here, and he is making a very good name for himself.
Q:
How is life is for you in Europe? What friends do you have around you? What family, if any? How lonely is it? How hard is it as you climb up a little bit and the pressures increase and so on? What other motorsport do you follow? Do you go and look at Le Mans or anything? Give us an idea of how things are going on a more personal basis?
RB:
I’m happy over here. I’m having a good time. It’s difficult to get lonely because my F3 programme is very full-on, and so I’m always on the move and always working. Everything is good over here. My girlfriend often comes down and stays with me here in Via Reggio.
Q:
Where is she from?
RB:
She's from Turin, so she is often down here. When I’m not at the track racing or testing, I’m here in the gym training. Here in Via Reggio, there are quite a few drivers living here for training purposes and we get along fine and go out and have a bit of fun when we can. It’s never lonely, that’s for sure.
Q:
How do you get around for transport, around the town and if you’re going out for a quick meal or something? Have you got a small car or a scooter or what?
RB:
I’ve got a Toyota Celica but, at the moment, it’s full of tourists here in Via Reggio, because we are by the sea, so it’s better to get around on a bicycle. So I’m mostly cycling around the place at the moment.
Q:
The public impression of race drivers is that you have a very glamorous lifestyle. What’s the reality? Especially for somebody who is up-and-coming and pushing for that glamorous position in F1?
