Rookie Enge Not Feeling the Pressure

New Prost driver Tomas Enge said on Friday that he is not feeling the pressure of life in Formula One after completing his first practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Enge became the first Czech to drive in the sport when he stood in for the injured Luciano Burti in Friday's free practice, but the 25-year-old claimed that he is not feeling the weight of his nations expectations.

"I don't feel too much pressure," said Enge, who finished 20th in practice nearly two seconds behind teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen. "For me, it's a bit different. If I was fighting for first position, of course the pressure would be there. If I am not fighting for the first position or getting to the front, or setting good lap times like I expected to do, the pressure is not there too much.

"I'm just concentrating more on my driving than looking to see what people are thinking. But the best thing about it is that everybody is behind me in my country, and I'm proud to be Czech."

Enge admitted that he has been the subject of mass interest from individuals in his homeland and said he feels like the most important person in the Czech Republic.

"When we said to the Czech people, to the press, that I was going to drive here in Monza there was a big boom in the Czech Republic and everybody was wishing me good luck," Enge said. "So it's now as though I am like most of the working sportsmen in Czech Republic."