I think, even last year, we showed that we found some more development in the car ourselves. But I think, with the new car, we have a plan and nothing is going to change - it's just a different mentality. We've done it in other series - if it's a spec, then you've got to find out what the differences are between that car and this car. And if you've got good engineering, good analysis, then the real key is comparison. Finding out where the weak areas are and finding the little things that you can do rather than the big things, like going back to the Formula Ford days. The devil is in the detail and I think that's where we will go.
Again, this was alluded to in the last question, but there's been many years when we've sat here and said 'this is what I'd like to do, if only we had the budget to
do it'. Sometimes, it can be a bit grating when you have to take some drivers that are not as talented into cars which you know are good and try and do development and keep the motivation with engineers to do development. You want the frontrunners and you want to know that it's put to good use.
One of the good things here is that we've looked at a plan of how to develop a car and looked at that small stuff. This situation now gives us the ability to know that we can carry through all those ideas and know that we've got resources. There are a couple of people here and there that we've been talking to, we can go ahead and secure them and follow through, shall we say.
Q:
Paul, in the beginning, you alluded to two drivers being confirmed, with a possibility of more. Can you talk about if the drivers from last year, Nelson Philippe and Dan Clarke, are in the mix or not? And the second part of the question is, you mentioned the possibility of a third car, is there any possibility of a fourth car, or is three your absolute maximum?
PS:
It was actually two cars that were confirmed with a possibility of a third. In terms of drivers, yes, for sure, both Nelson and Dan are still in the picture. And in addition to that there are at least two other drivers that we are talking very seriously to, and one or two that we are in earlier stages of negotiations with. So it would be wrong for us to go into that today, other than to say that we are actively talking to four and more. And, as for a fourth car, I think that would be a bit much for next year. I think a third car is what we're aiming for and if we can see that we've got three drivers that will complement each other, complement the information and data feedback to the team, then it's a possibility.
Q:
Is your goal to have all two or three drivers before the first test in January?
PS:
That's what we're hoping for. We've self-imposed a date of 15 January as the day that we would like to know who our two drivers are for sure, and we will probably still be negotiating with the third.
Q:
In Australia, we talked about the possibility of the Minardi two-seater cars maybe being used; is that still in the mix for this next year?
PS:
Certainly is, and I think you know that's something again that will be discussed in more detail in the New Year. But I think it's fair it say that you'll certainly see them at some point.
Q:
Paul, with your arrival from the
F1 community, is it realistic to think that there are others in the F1 community that, like you, going to look at the Champ Car World Series as something that they may also want to do?
PS:
I think it's early days to say that. But what I would probably do is just turn that around a little bit and say that Champ Car is viewed as being very credible, very respectable and very well managed, so you could not discount that possibility. I think I'm the only one that's publicly said it, but I know privately there's at least one other formula team owner who is quietly thinking at this point in time.
