Rene Binder Q&A

The 2013 GP2 Series season may only be several races old, however Austrian driver Rene Binder has already surpassed the first milestone of his career in the category by picking up his first point during the sprint race in Malaysia. The 21-year-old made his debut in the Series last year at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Prior to making his debut in the GP2 Series with Venezuela GP Lazarus towards the end of last season, Rene Binder competed in the German Formula Three Series with Van Amersfoort Racing. The 21-year-old Austrian made his debut in single seater racing back in 2009 in the ADAC Formel Masters category with Team Abt Sportsline. The 21-year-old Austrian also competed in Formula 2 for his home event in 2011 at the Red Bull Ring, finishing 16th and 13th respectively in the two races.

Motorsport runs in his blood, with his father [Franz Binder] and uncle [Hans Binder] having both competed in motor racing, with the latter starting several races in Formula 1 throughout the 1970s. So far this season, Rene Binder has finished each of the four races for Venezuela GP Lazarus, a team competing in their second season in the GP2 Series. With several weeks before the next race weekend around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, I caught up with Rene Binder to discuss his career so far in the GP2 Series.

Q: First of all Rene, many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. You made you debut in the GP2 Series towards the end of last year at the Belgian Grand Prix replacing Giancarlo Serenelli. Did you feel any added pressure entering a new series with a new team at such a late stage in the season?

Rene Binder: It was a difficult decision as I had no idea what was going to happen in Spa. We are talking about the official feeder series of Formula 1 and I arrived from a national German F3 series, but right from the beginning I had a good feeling with the powerful car and with the Pirelli tyres.

Q: You are now in your first full season in the category and Venezuela GP Lazarus are in their second season. Although you only contested in six races together last year, have you noticed any improvements within the outfit as they become accustomed to life in the support category to Formula 1?

RB: You should not forget that Tancredi Pagiaro and his engineers have won races in GP2 before, therefore I have never questioned the competitiveness of Venezuela GP Lazarus. It is a young but very professional team and we are growing together, which is good.

Q: This season you have so far scored your first point in the GP2 Series with 8th during the Malaysian Grand Prix sprint race. Do you feel more confident this season, or are you still learning as the year progresses?

Rene Binder on his way to his first point in the GP2 Series.

RB: Of course, I am much better prepared but you never stop learning in GP2. It is a very tough challenge to prepare for a qualifying in only two/three flying laps of free practice and it is even harder if you don’t know the tracks like Sepang, Bahrain or Monte-Carlo. Anyway, I feel in good shape and I am confident that we can achieve some good results already this season.

Q: At Bahrain you were struck with a drive-thru penalty for allegedly forcing Mitch Evans off of the track. Do you think this penalty was justified, or do you think your battle with Evans was just close and exciting racing?

RB: The penalty was definitely not justified and a few hours later there was exactly the same situation between Jenson Button and Sergio Perez without any consequences.

Q: Although it has been several years since an Austrian driver competed in a Formula 1 race, the nation has remained at the top of the sport with the success of Red Bull. Has the team’s dominance of recent years sparked more interest in the sport back home in Austria?

RB: Austria is a country with a strong historical background in F1, going back to Jochen Rindt and Niki Lauda, and it’s definitely positive for the fans that we now have a team that is sporting our flags in the top class of motorsport. But, needless to say, that the fans are also hoping for an Austrian driver in Formula 1 again.

Q: Finally, how do you see the remainder of the 2013 season panning out for both yourself and Venezuela GP Lazarus? Do you think you can fight for podium finishes as the season progresses?

RB: My goals haven’t changed yet. I want to be in a position to be fighting for points as often as possible. I don’t know if I can fight for podiums later this season, we will see. It doesn’t make sense to think about results now, I prefer to focus on my set-up work together with my engineer, on my physical training and on my mental preparation. The most important thing for me was that we showed a good race pace in Bahrain with the 3rd fastest lap time in race two and the 4th fastest lap in race one. We are moving to the right direction.

Many thanks to Rene Binder and Venezuela GP Lazarus for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.

Picture(s) Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

Rene Binder Retained At Venezuela GP Lazarus For 2013 GP2 Season

Venezuela GP Lazarus have decided to retain Austrian driver Rene Binder for the 2013 GP2 season, after the 21-year-old impressed the Italian outfit during his period with the team throughout the latter half of the 2012 season. Binder replaced Giancarlo Serenelli at the team at the Belgian Grand Prix alongside Sergio Canamasas.

After a tough debut season in the Series, where Venezuela GP Lazarus only managed to score one World Championship point, the Italian outfit will be hoping Rene Binder will be able to spearhead a more competitive season in 2013. Although the Austrian driver is still relatively new to the GP2 Series, he is hopeful that his first full season will be both productive and rewarding.

“I am sure we have made the right decision to sign for Venezuela GP Lazarus so I want to thank Tancredi Pagiaro and all our partners who have made that step possible.” Explained Rene Binder, “The GP2 Series will be very competitive this year with some strong drivers arriving from other junior categories but I want to fully concentrate on my own preparations and get the maximum from the car and, of course, from the tyres. This will be my first full season and I cannot wait for the pre-season tests to get underway.”

Rene Binder will naturally endure a tough start to the season in March, when the GP2 Series visits venues such as Malaysia and Bahrain, two of many circuits which Rene Binder will have to quickly learn during free practice ahead of qualifying and the two races. It is as of yet unknown who will team-mate the Austrian driver at Venezuela GP Lazarus for the forthcoming season, however it’s clear that Rene Binder is already itching to return to the track.

Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP2 Series Media Service