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Q & A with Jaime Alguersuari

Q. How was it today?

Jaime Alguersuari: "I think we did a quite good job because we did so many laps and we didn't make any mistakes. That was the target and it was accomplished so I was quite happy for that. Then in the second session we would have gone a little bit faster at the end but obviously I couldn't get a lap with low fuel and option tyres but I think it was quite good. The consistency is there and I got a feeling for the car, that's the main thing. For sure high speed corners I still need to improve quite a lot because obviously the confidence is not there. But I think step by step, we will get there and up to speed."

Q. How comfortable on the track?

JA: "I was quite happy. I didn't have any problem with the drivers. At the end OK we had something with Kovalainen and Button but nothing special, we were just racing. I'm quite happy for the day, quite happy to be here and for sure I enjoyed the moment and that's the main thing."

Q. No problems physically?

JA: "I think for sure the neck's not so bad, but obviously for the resistance is quite high because it looks like a kart track, you have to use the brake quite a lot. I expected it to be like that because it's F1 and it's a high level and I'm not used to this but we will see how the race goes."

Q. Was there any special excitement?

JA: "I think the fact that putting on new tyres and running with high fuel and for sure doing all the laps, that was the main thing of the day. I think for sure we did a quite good job because we didn't make any mistakes, we finished all the laps and I think that was the main thing to do today."

Q. Are you proud?

JA: "I feel proud for sure, I think I did a quite good job, I'm quite happy and I am more motivated than yesterday for sure because I know now the car, the track and a little bit the championship. I am looking forward to the race which is the main thing and we will see how it goes."

Q. How hard was it to give feedback?

JA: "It's always tough, when you get into a new car for sure the feeling is not there right in the first day and as I said before the target today was to make all the laps and not do any mistakes so that was accomplished and I was quite happy for that.

"It's always difficult to give good feedback to the team because you never know how the track is changing and how the car is changing due to set-up changes but it's always good. I learnt a little bit with two compounds of tyres which was quite the target for today and obviously running low and high fuel it was also quite good for me."

Q. Are you surprised with the speed?

JA: "To be honest I am missing quite a lot of speed in the high speed corners but I expected that. I know that power steering cars are quite difficult to steer with especially on the tough corners, on the high speed ones, but we are quite happy. we will see tomorrow in qualifying, I hope it gets better even in practice three and looking forward to the race."

Q. Do you think you answered the critics who said you were too young?

JA: "I don't really care what all the people say, I just do my work. I do what I know to be honest. I am here because Red Bull just asked me to, as I do Formula 3 or World Series or GP2, I don't care. I just drive the cars. That's my job and that's what I enjoy doing in life. I'm here because Red Bull just sent me a message telling me that I have to drive this car so I'm here."

Q. You are paying tribute to Henry Surtees on your helmet.

JA: "Henry was a big friend, I didn't know him much, to be honest because I met him last year in Donington Park in the last round of British F3. He did I think a really good job, he was a very talented driver and he was a good friend. I spent a day in Alton Towers with him in England, we had good fun and for me he was very very strong. More than this is that I could never expect something like this to anybody so it also affects me. At the end it is a sad day and sad season for everyone in motorsport."

Q. Do you set targets for yourself?

JA: "Yes, for sure, the fact that I'm here is always setting you a new target, a new goal in life. Obviously I reached F1 but I know I am very young and there's still a lot to develop. Today we were quite close with the times, at the end it could have been a little bit better but I was quite happy with the day and for sure the new target tomorrow is to improve, and to improve and at the end get up to speed with other drivers and win."

Q. What's the target for qualifying?

JA: "I don't really fix me target in the result. I want to be as close as possible (to Buemi). I don't really know because tomorrow conditions and track can change a lot so you never really know what can happen in qualifying and even in the race. I just want to be happy with my performance as I am today and that's my target."

Q. Did the team say anything to you after practice?

JA: "I think the team is quite happy because as I said in the press release, they are not giving me pressure they are just letting me work with my side and that's what I am doing. I feel confident and maybe that's why I am doing a good job because I feel free to do things."

Q. What most challenging thing?

JA: "I think the brakes and the high speed corners, its unbelievable, its much better than what you are used to and its much faster. I think the target is to improve and that's what we need to deal with better."

Q. Niki Lauda said you could be dangerous because not experienced enough?

JA: "I don't care what other people say, that's the main thing, first of all. And the second thing is that I know what my expectation is, I know what my target is. I know that today I didn't make any mistake and I hope tomorrow I don't and even in the race and that's how I work at the end. My target here is to drive the car and not make mistakes. then we will talk about times and about speed. But I don't feel I am a danger, not really."

Q. Was it as you expected?

JA: "I think it was as I expected to be honest, I think it was a little bit better than I expected. I expected to be much off the pace against my team-mate and I was quite happy with the day. On slow speed corners I feel quite confident, at the end as I said yesterday it's another car and a new car for me.

"High speed is where you need to have a feel for that, and obviously on the brakes but I was quite happy on the slow speed sector three and sector one and sector two obviously is missing quite a lot but that was normal and expected because at high speed I don't want to make a mistake and go to the barrier and crash the car and finish the weekend. I want to make as many laps as possible and as I said before at some time we will talk about times and speed."

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