Daniel, winning in Montreal didn’t really change your opinion of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, did it?
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.
Gotta give us a bit more than that Dan…
It’s just a ridiculous amount of fun. You can jump across the kerbs 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.
How do you judge the risk versus reward between the walls?
It’s a clear choice: some guys will play it safe and sacrifice half a tenth to get through there cleanly; others who 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!
So, good then?
Yup.
How about the city?
Awesome. Great places to eat and drink – plus the fact 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.
Presumably last year there was a bit of a party on Sunday night?
There was – but I was very restrained and in bed by 1.30am. 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 lights. Fortunately the crew are made of sterner stuff and kept the party going. They were not a pretty sight at breakfast the following day…
