But like anyone else in F3000, I think you are not here to make up the numbers. Everyone is trying to get to
F1 and trying to win, but, for me, for my first season, given my experience and that, I hope to be very competitive as soon as possible and get a lot of top ten finishes and, by the middle of the season, maybe get in the points more often. Then, by the end of the season, maybe some podium finishes will be very good for me. I also plan for the second year to be very competitive and maybe, like
Mark Webber, to aim for the championship in the second year.
Q:
Obviously, motorsport isn't the cheapest thing to get into, and teams always like to have a driver who will bring some money in with him. Sponsorship-wise, how are you going and who have you got on board?
RN:
At the moment, it's been very difficult. Finding sponsors always has been very difficult but, last season, I had a few Austrian companies sponsoring me and, more for this year, I have some people investing in me and with me long-term. I'm more interested in sponsors than first season and, of course, throughout the season I'm trying to look for sponsors. It would be very nice to get some support in Australia also, but it is very difficult to get, it seems.
Q:
Have you spoken to anyone in Australia?
RN:
I think not to the extent [that I should have]… I think, at the moment, we are speaking to some in Europe and we spoke to a few people in Australia. The problem is probably that most Australians are into the V8 Supercars. I think all Australians are more attracted to that and generally there is not enough support for lower categories than
Formula One, like 3000. Volkswagen, Renault,
etcetera go more for F1 or the V8s, so it's very difficult to get sponsors and to get drivers in the public eye a lot. I think it's very difficult because 3000 and support categories for F1 do not have so much support in the Australian public.
Q:
Could you give us a little of your family background? Are your parents still in Brisbane? Could you just tell us a bit about your family?
RN:
My parents still live in Brisbane. My whole family still lives in Australia, except for one of my brothers, who lives with me in Switzerland. And, from my parents' side, I think half of the family is in Australia and half is still in Vietnam. Basically my family is still very Australian-based. They travel a lot to come and visit me, but everyone still lives in Brisbane, more or less.
:
Can you explain to us how you can go so quickly in a race car as soon as you get in it? Your speed at your first F3000 test really surprised everyone. Did you have immediate empathy with the car, or did it just feel automatically natural to you or what?
RN:
I had that same feeling because, when I first sat in the Formula Volkswagen, I was testing with a lot of other guys who had five years' experience and it was just my first outing. I saw them go crazy and I'm saying to myself, 'What am I doing here?'
