INFINITI RED BULL RACING: CANADIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

June 5, 2015 by Infiniti

Daniel Ricciardo

Q1: Daniel, winning in Montreal didn't really change your opinion of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, did it?

Ricciardo: Not really. Possibly winning has made me love it a little bit more, but really I've loved it since my first lap, back when I was driving for Toro Rosso. I remember coming back into the pits and saying, 'what a circuit.' I was amazed at how good it was, and I'd only done an install.

Q2: Gotta give us a bit more than that Dan…

Ricciardo: It's just a ridiculous amount of fun. You can jump across the curbs and really get the car bouncing around. It's like getting back to go-kart days. You really feel like you own it, and I love that. You can get aggressive with it and aim to just brush the wall. There's a lot of risk, but that brings a lot of adrenaline with it. It'd be wonderful if you were doing it in isolation, but with 100,000 screaming fans urging you on, it's just mega.

Q3: How do you judge the risk versus reward between the walls?

Ricciardo: It's a clear choice: Some guys will play it safe and sacrifice half a tenth to get through there cleanly; others will take a risk and go flat out trying to find a little bit. The nearer you are, the faster you'll go. Give the wall a kiss and you feel pretty good; kiss it too hard and that's it!

Q4: How about the city?

Ricciardo: Awesome. There are great places to eat and drink, plus the fact that Crescent Street is closed off for a big party is very, very cool. The whole city gets involved in the race, and you get the impression that the grand prix is really embraced.

Q5: Presumably last year there was a bit of a party on Sunday night?

Ricciardo: There was, but I was very restrained and in bed by 1:30 a.m. There's a point where the adrenaline wears off, and suddenly you're absolutely exhausted. I remember falling into bed, thinking 'wow, crazy day,' and out went the light. Fortunately the crew are made of sterner stuff and kept the party going. They were not a pretty sight at breakfast the following day.

Daniil Kvyat

Q1: We've just had a tight and twisting street circuit in Monaco, and we're now heading to a quite different temporary track in Montreal. Is a lap of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as intense?

Kvyat: Yes, it's quite intense, but in a very different way. The straights are long, but you have these big braking zones. It has a little bit of the feeling of street circuit because of the walls, but it is more of a traditional, classic track. It has a unique feeling though, and it's a great place for racing. It's great for drivers, and the races are usually very exciting, so I'm looking forward to it.

Q2: What about the atmosphere in Montreal? It's a city that really embraces F1.

Kvyat: Yeah, the atmosphere is always really good. It's a great crowd and they seem to really know a lot about F1, which is great.

Q3: Is it a town where you enjoy hanging out?

Kvyat: From what I've seen it's a good city, but to be honest I haven't actually been out and about there very much. However, my trainer likes it very much, because of the hockey. He's a former hockey player, so he loves it there. We've visited the stadium and I've watched a few games on the TV because it's often play-off season (with the Stanley Cup) when we're there, so he's always watching it.

Q4: You've got a good hockey team, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, in your home city in Russia, don't you?

Kvyat: Yeah, they're good, but they're facing difficult times now. But they're my home team so I have to support them. I was never a really big fan of hockey, but since meeting my trainer I've followed it a bit more and I do enjoy it, especially when Russia beats Finland.