Two events into the championship, Victor Guerin’s history in Auto GP is a tale of unfulfilled potential. The Brazilian was always among the quicker drivers on track but for different reasons he still didn’t get the results he deserved.

In Monza it was down to an “aggressive” mood that ended in two crashes, while in Valencia it was an engine failure in Race 1 who robbed the young Brazilian of a possible podium finish. That engine blow also had a big impact on Race 2, as Guerin had to start from P16 on the grid, but Victor again proved his talent with a stunning drive that allowed him to recover up to P5. With such a pace, it will be worth to keep an eye on the 19 year-old from San Paolo in Marrakech, as he definitely wants to add a podium finish to his tally…

“Well I think that it’s time to get on that podium, I really want it and I feel I deserve it after the performances I’ve boasted in the first two events. It’s my first time on a street circuit but I’m confident: I worked hard at home and the lap I did on foot yesterday to check the track confirmed the impression I had from the Auto GP simulator. It’s a track where balls are needed, but that has never been a problem for me. I’ve already seen that the chicanes are pretty fast and I believe I can make a difference there, and I’m not scared by the walls. If I’ll need to race two inches from the edge, I will do it”.

You will have a special coach for this weekend, Gabriele Tarquini. Do you think that this is going to help you?
“I’m a very lucky guy because I have some very good coaches. Usually I’m followed by former F1 and WTCC racer Nicola Larini, and in my career I clinched a podium finish each time he was on track with me. It’s a pity that he couldn’t come to any of my Auto GP races so far, but in Marrakech I’m having a very good substitute in Tarquini: Nicola and Gabriele are good friends and so he was happy to help. He will be a valuable asset because he’s an amazing driver and he already raced here with WTCC in 2009 and 2010, so he will give me some useful tips on the track. Furthermore, even my engineer knows the track because he was here in 2010 too, so everything is in place for a good result!”.

How do you judge your Auto GP commitment so far?
“There have been some setbacks, especially in not managing to make the most of my potential, but the pace was always there and that means a lot, especially if you consider that a few weeks before the start of the championship my plan for 2012 seemed to consist of another year in the Italian F3. Then something changed: I’m a good friend of Kevin Ceccon, the 2011 Auto GP champion, and he kept telling me that in his opinion my driving style suited the car a lot.
I was already following the championship with interest and ultimately I asked my manager to arrange a test for me. At the same time, we were contacted by SuperNova who had an available seat for the official pre-season test and we decided to go for it".
"Monza isn’t the ideal track to try such a powerful car for the first time when you’re making the big jump from F3, but despite that I was immediately quick, P1 in the morning and P4 in the afternoon. After that, we quickly realized that Auto GP was the best option we had. I liked the car, the team was top-notch, and the budget was higher than F3 but still reasonable considering the performance of the car”.

How is your relationship with your team mate?
“Honestly, knowing that I was going to have a quick and experienced team-mate as Quaife-Hobbs was a factor in my choice to do Auto GP. We have a good cooperation, there’s a lot I can learn from him and our performances are always very close, we are pushing each other in a very positive way. But it’s not just Adrian, also the rest of the grid is really high-level, and having strong rivals definitely helps you in growing more quickly".

"I’m really happy of my choice, I think that this is the best way to prepare myself for GP2 at half the cost of other championships”.



Filippo Zanier