Q & A with Adrian Sutil

And his performances have also seen him emerge as one of the candidates to replace Ralf Schumacher at Toyota, if the Japanese manufacturer decide not to extend their deal with the German driver.

Autosport.com caught up with Sutil in Montreal to find out what impact Monaco has had on his life, and whether he felt he was ready for a move to a manufacturer team like Toyota.

Q. Have you noticed interest in you rocketing after Monaco?

Adrian Sutil: This was a real push, I have to say. For sure if you put a Spyker car at Monaco in the wet on top, then normally everybody is impressed. Many people came to me and they said, 'Great. Great job'. It was unbelievable. I noticed when I was in the motorhome that there were so many press and television crews. It was crazy.

But these are the moments in your career that you need, especially starting in a team that is not so competitive. You need these chances and if you use it, it can bring you forward. It is very important to use it.

Q. Do you feel that people are noticing the job you are doing here?

AS: I think they realise that I am doing a good job during the season, already. They watch always the teammate fights, and that is how you can see if someone is good or someone is better. But in general, I think my name is quite good in the paddock and normally all the people I speak to say I am doing great. So it gives me power I would say, and confidence, and motivation to move up.

Q. It can be a gamble going to a team at the back of the grid, can't it?

AS: Yeah sure. If you are here two or three years in a team at the back, it is hard to move on. But if you do some highlights in the first year then everything is possible. You can go to a better team and then race.

Q. Is it important to spend this year learning the tracks, the car and the team?

AS: Yes, that is very important. That is why I am very happy at the moment. We have sometimes small fights at the back, but normally we do our own race - it's very lonely. But it is not boring for me. I enjoy every lap. It is to get experience, and I am sure if I do a good job here then my time will come to get a chance with a real good car. I never give up and I just do the best that I can.

Q. Speculation is linking you with Toyota. Would you feel ready to jump into a seat like that now?

AS: I think I feel ready. There is a lot to learn always but I am sure that with a good car, or a better car, I will do a good job as well. You don't need to learn new stuff in racing, in general, you just need to adapt your driving with the new car. The speed will be different. I did three years of F3, and in the last two years it was at a really high level and there you need to do perfect races and perfect qualifyings. It is not a big difference.

Q. What have the team and your management said about the Toyota situation?

AS: At the moment, there is a lot of talking I would say. Especially after Monaco, being P1 in free practice, it would obviously be a good step for me. But it is too early to say something. There are some interest from people at teams, who come around and say I am doing a good job. But there are no offers like: please come to my team. It is just a little bit of talking and by the middle of the season the negotiations normally start more.

Q. Is it hard to stay focused on the job you are doing here when there may be a chance to go to something much bigger soon?

AS: No, it makes no difference. It is just nice to hear that your name is around and being linked with other teams. It keeps things interesting.

Q. What did you think about Lewis Hamilton's comments in Monaco when he referred to the people at the back of the grid as 'monkeys'?

AS: Well, maybe I would say the same thing when I am in front. But we are not monkeys. Full stop. I will speak to him later about that.

Q. Are you surprised by how quickly your name has emerged?

AS: Yes, it is surprising. When I saw all the other people racing with Minardi in previous years, or with Midland last season, they did racing and nobody noticed. But maybe also because they did not do a real job good. I was sure that even with this team, if you are really fast, if you beat your teammate all the time, then your name will be there. That is how it happens at the moment.

Q. Has the Hamilton factor had a help, in making people more willing to look and appreciate young drivers?

AS: I think it was already last year when they put Robert Kubica in the car, and in the second race he got it on the podium. It showed that young guys can be very, very strong. This year it is the same again, and now we are in a really good condition for young drivers to step straight into F1. There will be a lot of newcomers in the next few seasons.

Q. Is there a risk that if you sign a long term deal for next year, that you could miss out on the chances of better seats in 2009 when there is likely to be many driver changes?

AS: I never think too much in the future, because you never know what happens in the next few days. Things change so quickly in F1, and even if you do a two-year contract with another team, and if a really top team wants to have you then they will get you. It is only a question of money, and with money everything is possible. Remember McLaren paid so much money for Kimi Raikkonen when he was at Sauber.

What is important at the moment is to move onto a factory team, but even Spyker will be better next year also. At the moment I will be here next year, so maybe I will stay even longer with this one. It just depends how strong the team will be here, and what offers I get.

Q. With Toyota considering their options, is there pressure on you to do well in these next two races?

AS: No, because I try always to do my best job. It makes no difference to me. I don't know if it is true that they want to change Ralf, but you never know.