Q&A: David Brabham - EXCLUSIVE.

by Russell Atkins

TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN FULL: CLICK HERE

David Brabham has enjoyed a highly fruitful career in sportscar racing over the past 17 years, twice triumphing in class in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours and finishing as overall runner-up in the round-the-clock French classic for Bentley in 2003.

The UK-domiciled Aussie is returning to La Sarthe in June in an effort to defend both his and Aston Martin Racing's hard-fought GT1 class title, and along with team-mates Darren Turner and Antonio Garcia will be behind the wheel of a specially Gulf-liveried DBR9 for the occasion. The 42-year-old told Crash.net Radio how he is optimistic AMR have more than fighting chance of glory again in 2008...

Q:
David, you've got a long and very successful record in the Le Mans 24 Hours - what is it that motivates you to keep on coming back each year?

David Brabham:
That's an interesting question, and I'm not sure I just have one type of answer for it. It's just the place, I suppose, if I had to give one reason. Every time I think about it, every time I go there to compete, leave the place, go back again - to me it's addictive, and very much a big part of my life in terms of my racing world. It comes round only once a year, but it's such a huge event and I just love competing in it; I have never once lost interest in it, and I'm very much looking forward to going back again.

Q:
Of course you also have lots of special memories of the race. Last year must have been one of the greatest of all, winning the GT1 class with Aston Martin and finishing fifth overall. How tough do you think it will be to repeat that this year?

DB:
Last year was particularly special and emotional for everyone involved. I've been there a lot of times - that was my 14th year - so to not just win, but to win there in an Aston Martin, was pretty special. Our job is probably a little bit harder I think coming into this year's event. We were very well-prepared last year; I think we were better prepared than most. I think the other teams will be better prepared this time - I'm not saying they're going to be better prepared than us, but they're going to be better than they were - and I think the competition will be challenging, but I've got every bit of confidence that we can repeat it.

We've just got to make sure that we push in every area and like last year have no mistakes - just service in the pit-stops, fast pit-stops, having good 'out' and 'in' laps and so forth. Everything has to be perfect to be able to win this race. Last year Corvette had exactly the same type of race as we did - an absolutely perfect race - but we just had more speed. I anticipate them being closer this year, so I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's going to be an even tougher fight than last year.

Q:
Your team-mate Darren Turner has said that after several years as the underdogs as such against Corvette, as the defending winners Aston Martin are now the favourites for GT1 glory at La Sarthe. Does that put you under any more pressure do you feel?

DB:
For me personally, no - I think pressure really depends on the way you look at it. Every race you go to at Le Mans you go there to win, obviously. There's always a certain amount of pressure, but I don't think it adds any extra pressure to what I have to do and hopefully not the team either. You have a particular mindset when you go into a race like that. You've got to make sure that your preparation is good, and I think the better your preparation the more comfortable you feel when you get to the race. Yesterday was history; we've got a new race again, so we've got to treat it like that and make sure that every individual in the team does their best on the day.

Q:
Like you say, Corvette have traditionally been the principal rivals to Aston Martin in recent years at Le Mans. Do you see anyone else in GT1 getting in on the mix too this year?

DB:
Yeah, I think the Saleens were fast but they weren't quite ready last year, but they've obviously had another year to prepare now, and there are some private-tier teams out there that are going to be strong too. Certainly we don't have it all our own way, nor Corvette - I think last year's qualifying showed that, and when the race got going we were still fairly closely-bunched after a few hours before it kind of stretched out and we were the ones out front. I really do feel it's going to be a tough competition, but I think all of us are looking forward to the challenge.

Q:
The number on the car - 009 - is the same as last year, and the car itself looks fairly similar too, but the livery is rather different, isn't it..?

DB:
Just a bit, isn't it?! In some ways Gulf is like a legendary trademark name at Le Mans - it goes back many years and covers some fantastic times there. To combine the two - Aston Martin and Gulf - is pretty special, so just to be a part of that is great.

Q:
Obviously you previously drove a Gulf-backed McLaren at Le Mans in 1996, and this is Gulf's 40th anniversary in the race - does that make it even more of a special feeling?

DB:
Well that's the first I've heard about that, so I haven't really thought about it. All these things are pretty cool, but at the end of the day we're there to do a job, and we've just got to get on with it and win the race. What happens outside of that is outside our control. The most important thing is that we go there and do our job, and the nice thing is we've got a fantastic brand in Aston Martin and a great brand in the sponsor in Gulf as well. That will create a lot of interest for the race, which is also good for the team.

Q:
You've got a couple of great team-mates too, in the shape of Darren Turner who we've mentioned, and Antonio Garcia. You won the GT1 class at Le Mans with Darren last year, and Antonio you raced with a couple of years ago I believe - how are the three of you working together so far?

DB:
To be honest, we haven't really had the chance to do much together. The media launch was the first time we had actually got together, but it's a given that we're going to work well together. We know each other very well, we know the car very well, we're very similar-sized and I'm really looking forward to it. I think we're all very pleased with the decision to put us together, and I was pleased when I was told who I was going to be driving with, although I would have been fine with the other guys as well - both are very strong driver line-ups.

Q:
So finally, Le Mans is often referred to as the toughest race in the world - can Aston Martin do it again in 2008?

DB:
Absolutely.

TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN FULL: CLICK HERE