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Q & A with Jaime Melo

Jaime Melo and Mika Salo won the GT2 class at Road Atlanta after an inspired call by the Finn to switch to wet tyres before his rivals during the penultimate safety car period

The Brazilian explained to AUTOSPORT what another Petit Le Mans win meant to him and why ALMS GT2 racing is becoming the most competitive class in sportscar racing.

Q. Have you ever won such a strange race?

Jaime Melo: It's a bit weird but we have a competitive car, even in such difficult conditions in the wet and dry, we could manage the situation. We were a bit behind at the first part of the race because we started tenth. We had a tyre problem in qualifying so... but anyway I think we showed again the potential of the team and the drivers. I just need to say thank you to the whole team. The package of Ferrari, Risi and Michelin has been just great. It just makes our job easier, to work with them.

Q. Do you feel you missed out on an opportunity to prove the class of your car over a longer distance, bearing in mind the strength in depth of GT2?

JM: That's for sure. I love to race, so I would loved to have been there until the last minute of the race. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not. This time Mika [Salo] did a very good call on the tyres.

Q. Was it Mika's call to change to the full wets earlier than the others then?

JM: Yeah it was. He was in the car and he was the only one who could say how the track conditions were. Then the team made the decision together. But there is still one more race to go so we can race.

Q. How close do you think the race would have been had it gone the distance?

JM: It has been like this at Mosport and Road America as well. That is the GT2 class so I think it is quite competitive. In 2007 I won Sebring by 0.2s so maybe it could have been like this here as well.

Q. Are you enjoying the more intense battle from the competition in GT2?

JM: Yes I am. This year has been more difficult. We have a four-year old car, but we are still trying to improve little things and we are still competitive. Now Corvette has come in and it's BMW and Porsche as well. I would say six or seven cars can win the race now so that has made it even more exciting for us.

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