Q & A with Marko Asmer

The Hitech Racing driver was leading the 2006 main race at the first corner when the pursuing cars of Kamui Kobayashi and Paul di Resta slid into the back of him. All three were effectively out on the spot.

Autosport.com caught up with Asmer to find out his feelings on last year, this weekend and his plans for the future.

Q: Is it a case of unfinished business for you in Macau this weekend?

Asmer: "Well, in a way yes. It sure would be nice to end my F3 career with a win here, or at least a good result. But Macau is Macau.

"Like everywhere you need a good set up and a good feeling on the circuit, but here you also need double the luck that you have at the normal circuits. So it is a lot to do with luck here, especially in qualifying with all the traffic.

"Even if you do a really good lap and get a bit unlucky, you can't do anything. But I am really confident that we should be okay and fighting for the win."

Q: You were on pole position here last year and led into the first corner of the main race. What do you remember?

Asmer: "I have been here twice. The first time I came here in 2004, it was my first season. Then I finished 11th or something. Then last year we were quick in qualifying, second in the first (qualification race) and I went to the lead in the first corner but then we all ran wide.

"It is one of those things. It is racing. The other boys missed their braking a bit - I couldn't do anything about it and they couldn't do anything about it at that moment also.

"I was just really unlucky. It is hard to say that I would have definitely won the race, but for sure we had the speed and, if I was leading, I would have done my best to win it."

Q: Who do you rate as your key opposition this weekend?

Asmer: "I think the logical ones first of all are (F3 Euro Series champion) Romain Grosjean and Sebastien Buemi, but there is also Kazuya Oshima and Kobayashi. The Brits? Most of them haven't been here so it is difficult to say how strong they will be. But there is also Nico Hulkenberg.

"At the end it will depend who gets the incidents at the right moment in qualifying. In the race anything can happen, you can still come from 20th and win the race. In qualifying, I think it will be between these drivers."

Q: Do you think experience counts here?

Asmer: "Sure, a bit. It is definitely easier to start with, but the circuit is still a circuit - it is a difficult circuit to learn but nothing special. In the past you have seen rookies win the race, so it is not impossible. But definitely, it is a bit harder for the rookies in first practice."

Q: Looking back to the start of the year, could you have expected things to have gone so well?

Asmer: "No. Sure, deep in my heart I hoped that this would come one year. We have had very difficult times in the past now, and at the beginning of the year it wasn't fantastic. We signed with the Japanese and when I did the first test there, the car was not very competitive.

"They are nice guys, but I knew that if I needed to do it then it was a year wasted again. Okay, it could have opened up the Formula Nippon and Super GT opportunities for next year, but it would not have been very motivating to drive like that.

"But then when the British opportunity came up with Hitech, we had to take it immediately. I was here in Macau last year with them and it was good. And we came here last year with no expectations. Last year I had some podiums in Japan and won one race, but it was a big struggle and I didn't know how good I could be.

"This race last year showed that if I have a car, I don't know if it was the best because last year it was not the fastest in F3, but it was enough to be quick. It gave me a lot of confidence again.

"And I knew that in England that if I could race that car and beat everyone here then I could beat everyone in England as well. The team did a great job and it was good."

Q: Two years ago Robert Kubica finished second and caught the eye of Mario Theissen, earning him an F1 test deal and sending him on his way to F1. Are you hoping that a good showing this weekend will help you in a similar way?

Asmer: "Well, probably that already happened last year. When I was on pole and finished second in the qualifying race, speed wise we were there already. For myself I try to do the best to win the race, but I don't think it will make that much difference as I have already raced a very good season. I have not that much to prove in F3 any more, but definitely that would be a help again if I could win this one."

Q: What are your plans for next year?

Asmer: "Nothing yet. It is again the same thing that GP2 takes a lot of money, which we don't have. The (Renault) World Series? It may be a possibility. But we have to look around everywhere now and see what comes up. My big dream is still F1 and we are working very hard towards it and we are seeing if there are any chances."

Q: Would you prefer to race next year, or would you be happy to be an F1 test driver?

Asmer: "It depends on the situation. If I could be a test driver and I can do enough testing, then I would be happy to do one year of that to learn as much as I can with the team and everything else. But first of all, if I could test then we would have to see together with the team what is the right thing. As a racing driver, you want to race of course."