Tamas Pal Kiss Q&A

With only several days until the opening round of the 2012 GP3 Series, the respective teams and drivers are eagerly arriving at the Circuit de Catalunya in preparation for the big event. This season will see a host of new and returning drivers competing in the Series, as well as several females for the first time as well.

Preparing to begin his second season in GP3, Hungarian driver Tamas Pal Kiss shares his thoughts and ambitions on the season ahead, as well as how pre-season testing went upon his return to Atech CRS GP.

Q: Heading into your second full season in GP3, how does it feel to be returning to Atech, a team which you had great success with in British Formula Renault?

Tamas Pal Kiss: It’s always better to head into a second season in any Championship with the same team, however having worked with many of the personnel at Atech before, I’m feeling very happy to return to them.  They are always very enthusiastic and very positive and I think we work well together. I have faith in them and they have trust in me so together we can get the very best out of the car and tyres, which will hopefully allow us to have a successful 2012.

Q: You won a race last season at Spain. Do you think you’ll be able to win further races in 2012 with Atech?

TPK: Having won a race in GP3 it is certainly easier to win others, it gives you a confidence that you can do it again. The Atech team came very close to winning in its first year and has had several podium finishes, so yes it’s certainly possible to win further races with them – I’d really like to be the driver to give them that first win.

Q: How were your first two days of testing with Atech at Silverstone?

TPK: Naturally we tested in Portugal and Spain with the team and both outings were very positive and we learnt a lot. Silverstone didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped, however we spent much of the time working on different things which we are confident will allow us to be right on the pace going into the first round.

Q: With pre-season testing now over, do you feel confident heading to Barcelona for the season-opener. What is your target for the first race of the season?

TPK: I always feel confident going into the season-opener, it’s the only way to approach each and every race. Testing is quite often not a true indication of a team or driver’s pace when it comes to qualifying, there are so many factors to take into consideration, and many people are trying out different things on their car which can produce times not necessarily representative of their true pace. As always my target will be to win – that has always been the team’s goal and that is mine also, Barcelona will be no different.

Q: With Zsolt Baumgartner the only Hungarian to ever drive in F1 to date, is it your career ambition to become the 2nd?

TPK: It’s every single-seater driver’s ambition to race in Formula One, and to be the first or second driver from your home country certainly adds to the desire to reach that goal. But motor racing is a very difficult sport, we have seen many good drivers fail to reach Formula One for a variety of reasons, but I will never give up that goal.

Many thanks to Atech CRS GP and Tamas Pal Kiss for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service