David Leslie Q&A

"I was professional last year in America, though maybe it wasn't just quite at the same level as this. It's great to be back in Britain and in the BTCC, and even better when you arrive for the first meeting and someone asks you if you would like to drive an Aston Martin AMR1. I drove one at Daytona five years ago, but otherwise it's the first time I've been in one since 1989 [when he was part of the Aston Martin Group C team]. I think it's the car from Mexico, when I managed to run into a Spaniard [Jesus Pareja] on the last lap. I can remember doing it and why I did it as well... But it's fantastic to get back in it. I was just bringing something into the paddock, driving past the Aston and the guy who's restored it asked whether I'd like to drive it with its owner. I said I'd love to, got permission from the touring car people and away we went. I'll race it after the BTCC feature race."



"It has. Any new project is difficult, and nothing was an easy ride so the boys have had to work extremely hard. We've had a lot of little things to sort out, niggling things, but no major problems that have set us back. The guys who designed the car at Puresports have done a great job and the car has basically worked straight out of the box. It's good and it goes where you point it and does what you want it to do - you don't have to fight it which you usually do with a brand new car."



"We've got a bit to go. We spent a couple of days in France and then a week in Spain and then had three days in Britain since then. Although we've had that running, we've still got a lot to learn."



"I think it will be difficult for anyone to get on the pace of the Vauxhalls from what I've seen. They're going to go out and do one-two-three with Muller Thompson and Neal, unless they run each other off the road. On that basis they'll get the success ballast first and that will maybe slow them down to everyone else's pace. We feel that we have the opportunity to do the times that Matt Neal's doing, but we will need time. We won't do it this weekend and the aim this weekend will be purely to finish two races."



"It depends on the circuit. It will be better at some than others. I think the car will go well at Thruxton for instance. Because I get the impression that it's better in fast corners than slow ones and we think we know why, but that will need a new evolution homologation later in the year. We've understood quite a lot and we know where we are and where we need to be, but we will sit down and think about it and get it right rather than go rushing off at a tangent. We're under no illusions that we've got a lot to do and there will hard work to get up to their pace. Our target is to win races, but that won't happen in the first half of the year. We're more than pleased with the way it's gone so far."



"I'm one of the people who's honest about my age, I don't dye my hair and I'm quite happy being the oldest. I'm not the slowest by any stretch of the imagination and I've got a lot to offer still within the championship - speed, information and everything else. I'll be around for a few years yet."