I have changed my opinion completely. I thought I needed another year in Atlantics because I thought I needed more experience before I moved into the Champ Cars, but everything is a long‑term thing. It's not a short‑term thing, it's not about 2006. Obviously, I have to do well in 2006 in order to move into 2007, but how you define well is not necessarily winning races and dominating or anything like that. It's just being consistent, learning, improving, etc, etc. So I drove the car the first time and I thought, wow, these cars are brutal, I don't know whether I'll be able to do this.
Then I drove the car again, and I thought 'this is fun, this is much easier than it was last time'. I drove the car for the third time and I'm like 'bring it on, I can do this, no problem at all, it's the best thing for me to do'. Of course, I want to drive the big car. I'm partly eager, partly because it's an awesome car to drive. It's great fun, it's a driver's car. It's a massive challenge, and I'm one of those people who always challenges myself. I will push myself to the limit and it's a big step.
My lack of experience will go against me in some ways, I'm not sure how yet, but it will this year. I just have to make sure that I learn quickly and I make as few mistakes as possible and learn from my mistakes. As long as I'm learning from my mistakes, I'm happy. I think everybody changes your opinion, everybody was of the mindset that I would do another year in Atlantics, and then I think we realised that I'm ready. Maybe I'm not ready experience‑wise, but I'm ready speed‑wise and I will do the very best job I can and that will prepare us for 2007 and beyond. It's all about moving myself forward, it's about moving the team forward and it's about a continual process that is not a short‑term thing.
Q:
How much did what you did in the off‑season - the Minardi test and you drove A1GP too - also convince you that you would be ready to make a jump?
KL:
That had no influence on it at all. I enjoyed driving both, and it was a great honour to be given the opportunity to drive both. It was an experience, and every experience you get in the cockpit of a race car makes you a better driver - I firmly believe that. But it had no bearing on whether or not I wanted to do Champ Car. Again, it was just another experience that made me a better driver.
Q:
Kevin, when you saw Katherine grow last year in the Atlantic Series, how proud were you then and when the test that she had this year proved that she could drive a Champ Car? How proud are you that you gave her the shot and it looks like it's working out?
KK:
Well, first of all, from the time that I first saw Katherine, when I told my daughter to go get rid of her because I didn't want to spend my time with her at all, to where we are, as been a fascinating journey [
laughs]. It's a story all of its own.
