Gianfranco Fantuzzi, Toro Rosso - Q&A

Q:
We are facing the longest season in the sport's history. How does that affect the logistical side of the team?

Gianfranco Fantuzzi:
As you know there are 20 races this year, but because of the testing ban, we have changed our structure just like every other team, so the race team has to also do all the tests. Therefore, we should really talk about 25 events, not just 20 races. It's a lot of time, a long time away from home. In order to make life easier for the guys, we are trying to work shifts, to rotate the personnel, otherwise it gets very demanding, on a personal level especially for those with families.

Q:
Has it been much more complicated planning for this year?

Gianfranco Fantuzzi:
Not really, the standard, the template, is more or less the same. There's one more race, which is India and every time you go to a new country it's a little bit more difficult but nothing impossible. It's really the number of events rather than the type of events.

Q:
At the track we will be dealing with KERS. How has the team planned for that?

Gianfranco Fantuzzi:
KERS is new for us. We were ready to use it in 2009 but we decided not to. There are some safety concerns and safety issues, but we have initiated an extensive training and learning programme over the winter, going through all potential situations than can arise when working with this system. Our KERS supplier, Ferrari, has given us all the measures and all the procedures we need to apply and we train at the factory on a daily basis.

Q:
This is the second year without refuelling, so what lessons have been learned regarding pit stops?

Gianfranco Fantuzzi:
The pit stop now is more of a strategic importance than before. Up to the beginning of last year, the refuelling time was covering more or less all the mistakes made when changing wheels. Now you have to be really trained and you have no space for mistakes and every pit stop has to be done with the best performance possible. You lose positions very easily with this procedure in this type of pit stop. Last year, we were not so happy with our performance in this area, because we were okay, but not particularly successful, so we are training daily since the start of the year to improve.

Q:
What are your hopes for 2011?

Gianfranco Fantuzzi:
Winning? Maybe it's too much, even though we never stop dreaming about it. To do our best. To do a professional job and to try to get every little bit out of everything. No mistakes, be very professional and learn race after race, day by day. Sooner or later the results will come.