This weekend, Will Power aims to become the first Australian to claim the prestigious Champ Car Roshfrans Rookie of the Year title, in the final round of the 2006 series in Mexico City.
The Team Australia driver is currently 15 points ahead of nearest rookie rival Dan Clarke and is assured the title if he finishes fifth or better in Sunday's race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. If Clarke does not gain pole position in either of the qualifying sessions this weekend, Power will only have to finish sixth or better to claim the Rookie of the Year crown...
Q:
I guess Will it’d be fair to say that this is probably the biggest racing weekend of your life?
Will Power:
Yeah I’m taking it as just another weekend but it’s quite an important one. The good thing is that it’s the second time I’ve been to this track, I didn’t have to learn the circuit so I won’t waste any time on Friday learning the track. I think we should have a good car here and the track is not like a normal street circuit, it’s a real European style track so it’s very flowing and it suits my style more than street circuits do. I think we should have the speed here, but as you can see with what happened at Surfers - anything can happen in racing so we’ve got to take it as it comes.
Q:
Let’s talk about Surfers for a moment, obviously you got the pole there both days and had the crowd support, how do you come off that high and the disappointment of the race? There’s a lot on the line for you this weekend, you set your goal at the start of the year for Rookie of the Year and there’s a lot of people who put a lot of effort into this especially Craig Gore and the entire Team Australia Program.
Will Power:
From the start of the year it’s been my goal to win Rookie of the Year and it would be a great way to pay Craig Gore back for all the effort and money he’s put into the team, and Derrick Walker and Team Australia as well. They’ve made this team into a really strong team to the point where we’re getting pole positions and contending for race wins. I think to finish the year of winning Rookie of the Year and winning a podium here would be a great way to go out.
Q:
What would it mean to you to become the first, not only Queenslander, but first Australian to win Rookie of the Year in this open wheel championship, which is considered to be one of the major championships in the world?
Will Power:
It would mean a lot to me because I’m at a point in my career where I’m earning money to drive and that’s something you’ve worked at all your life - to be paid to do what you love. I’m at that point now and I think winning Rookie of the Year would be the next step in the ladder. It would be a great way to finish the year and a stepping stone to winning the title next year, as well as being great for the team and my confidence.
Q:
Will, have you spoken to
Sebastien Bourdais following your coming together at Surfers? And do you have any lingering feelings about that incident?
Will Power:
Yeah I spoke to Sebastien today and we didn’t even speak about what happened. We just said g’day and had a chat about this circuit. These things happen all the time in motorsport and you can’t hold grudges because there is no use. Every weekend there’ll be something, or someone will get in your way or hit you - these things happen. Unfortunately it’s a pretty big deal to be taken out while leading your home race. At the end of the day he didn’t mean to do it, he made a mistake. It was unfortunate, but on a positive note we had a really fast car and showed we could run at the front, in fact we had the quickest car there.
Q:
So you’ve forgiven him?
![Will Power - Team Australia [Pic credit: BAM Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/276263.jpg)
