PaddockSpy-Grand Prix Blog

Felipe Guimaraes is keen to build on his maiden podium finish and turn A1 Team Brazil into championship contenders for next season.

Guimaraes became the series’ youngest ever medal winner after securing second in the Feature race in Gauteng. Only one other driver in A1 Team Brazil’s history has bettered that feat – Nelson Piquet Jr, who won the inaugural two A1GP races back in 2005.

Guimaraes, who has since turned 18, says he wants to maintain the momentum following his strong performance, and with the confidence it has given him to start to put his team into contention for the championship in 2009/10. The team has not made any announcement regarding its driver line up for next season yet, however Guimaraes is safe in the knowledge that he is Brazil’s lead driver until the end of this season at least.

“Gauteng was a good result for us; for me and my team,” said Guimaraes, speaking on the phone to A1GP.com in English from his home in Brazil.

“For sure I have confidence right now. In the last race, I saw that I could drive with guys at the front like Neel Jani and Adam Carroll, so I could get a lot of inner belief from that.

source: www.a1gp.com

“Next season, we are going to work very hard to finish in the first position in the championship. I have finished second in a race, I now want to finish in the first in races and then the championship.

“I am doing all the races this season, and for sure, next season I want to stay with Brazil in A1GP again. I will be more confident and I hope we all stay together because Brazil is a very good team and we can always finish in a good position.”

In the short term, Guimaraes believes the team can continue its form in the Algarve next weekend with the Portimao circuit being a new track to A1GP. Like Gauteng, the majority of the field has no pervious experience of the circuit, and he will have no disadvantage compared to the more seasoned racers on the grid.

“For the next race in Portugal, I hope I can race with the front runners again. In a sense, racing in the Algarve next week will be the same as Kyalami. It’ll be a new track for everyone and I’ll look forward to it.

“We’re going to work very hard to finish in first position and win, and I cannot predict what will happen. But I’ll do my best.”