As part of the HVM team, he is one of only two rookies in the Champ Car World Series field to have led a race in 2005, and came close to winning the second round of the season in Monterrey.
Bjorn Wirdheim currently sits fourth in the 'Rookie-of-the-Year' standings with a best finish of eighth in that race in Monterrey and here he looks at the season so far and what the rest of the year holds…
Q:
What are your impressions of Champ Car thus far?
Bjorn Wirdheim:
I’ve got a really good impression of Champ Car, there is a friendly atmosphere in the paddock and all of the drivers are easy to get along with. I think the venues that we’ve been to so far have all been very nice. The racing is excellent and the field is very competitive.
Q:
How has your transition gone from being an
F1 test driver back to competing, racing and qualifying week in and week out?
BW:
It’s different but I think I got back into the racing pretty quickly again. I like working with the team of people that I have around me; HVM has a good spirit. Last year, all of that time in the car as a test driver was good experience for me, but I was pretty miserable not being able to race and this year, I’ve definitely realized what I missed out on.
Q:
Which event did you enjoy the most?
BW:
From an event standpoint, I thought Long Beach was good, being the season opener there was a lot going on, and the atmosphere was terrific. Although I have heard so much about Toronto, I am really looking forward to it and of course Australia as well.
Q:
Which track did enjoy the most?
BW:
I really enjoyed Milwaukee, it was my first time on an oval and it was more fun that I expected. It was just a different kind of experience; I think in Europe, where I come from, most people don’t understand how difficult it actually is to race on an oval.
Q:
What have been your biggest challenges or frustrations?
