Q&A with Andy Priaulx

Autosport.com caught up with Priaulx to talk about his qualifying effort, his hopes for the race and just how hard this season has been.

Q: The result is better than just pole position isn't it, because there are some title rivals at the back of the field?

Andy Priaulx: Well, there are still quite a few in the top eight though. Rickard Rydell is down there, but to be honest I am going to very much concentrate on my own job. There are four million possibilities for what can happen, but there is a lot of the job still left to do. For four years in a row I have been in a title battle at the last race, so it doesn't feel any different to the previous years really.

Q: You went out very early to set your times. Was that part of your gameplan?

AP: I knew that there would be red flags, because there always are. It seems in qualifying that everybody has to try that little bit harder and the track always seems a bit narrower in qualifying than in practice. My plan was to get the time early, which I did, and then I backed it up with an even faster time.

Q: Did you know the rain was coming?

AP: No, we had no idea. I didn't know that at all, but I just knew that I needed to do a time early. It was like we did 12 months ago. We did it exactly the same last year and it worked because I am able to go out at this place and do a time straightaway. I like the circuit and even in practice I can just go out and do a time. That was the plan and it paid off.

Q: You got a slipstream on both of your laps from your new teammate Jan Magnussen. How much of a help has he been this weekend?

AP: Yeah, that's something really special. Having Jan here as a teammate has been special for me. He has been brilliant. It's something I haven't had for four years and something that I believe can take us up to another level. Seeing what he has done here in qualifying, we have worked really well together. I have given him a lot of advice and information on the circuit, which he has used, and now he is around the top ten which means he can get into the top eight if he makes a good start. Then he should be alright with the reverse grid. It has been really positive having twice as much data over a weekend, and it has made things easier. I think it has improved our car and helped us move up to another level.

Q: There didn't seem to be much grip out there. Was that just the track surface or were the low temperatures a factor as well?

AP: I think that the new track surface has got less grip than last year and the track doesn't feel like it has rubbered up. I think the weather has cleaned the track, and maybe there is some oil on the surface, because the grip is definitely not as good. But it is the same for everybody. We have to keep our head together and keep it straight for the race.

Q: What is the gameplan for the race?

AP: I am just going to drive as fast as I can and hopefully that will be enough. I want to get as many points in the first race and then make a good start in the second.

Q: Can you play a tactical game because of the championship, or do you have to focus solely on going out there and winning the race?

AP: Well, I just want to get away from everybody so nobody can touch me. My first few laps are really quick, so I can just go straight out and do a time. We will see. I expect safety cars and I expect a lot of bunching up. But as far as I am concerned, if I can drive my very best races ever then that will be enough. And I have just done a good job in qualifying to do a lot of work towards that.

Q: You have a BMW driver (Dirk Muller) alongside you on the grid. Is there more pressure because of that and will there be any team orders?

AP: I am not sure about team orders, but I am not feeling any pressure. I think it can only help me having more BMWs around me. And the less SEATs, the better. I am really happy about the outcome at the moment. I am very happy to see a few BMWs around me. It is a good BMW circuit, especially in the races, we have got a lot of consistency and we can do lap time after lap time. So, it suits BMW this circuit and we have got good straight-line speed so it is good to have a few around me.

Q: Looking back at the year, how tough has it been because of the weight penalty fluctuations?

AP: It has been my best year yet, in terms of both my performance and my team's performance. I have had four wins and some people have said, 'well, you deliberately finished eighth to try and win the second race' but what do you expect with 65kg? I am the only guy who has won with 65kg in the car. When I look back at the season it has been really, really good for me but a lot, lot harder than the years before. I am glad I got the last few races out of my system, because I had a healthy nine points lead but at the end of the day I have lost some weight and I am in a good position from the weight point of view.