Johnny Cocker Sebring diary

Drayson Lola LMP1

His year got off to a spectacular start at Sebring last weekend as the Drayson Racing Lola LMP1 stunned the diesel powered Peugeots in the first hour by running in 2nd place. Jonny gives his overview on a strong start to the 2010 season.

How did Sebring week start for you, Jonny?

“Well we had a few teething issues on the Saturday when we arrived at the circuit, but we got enough done to have a bit of a head-start and to feel a little bit more confident about the weekend ahead. We could tell pretty early on that the car was on the pace after all the shake down work and the development we had done at the Lola factory, particularly on the 7-post test rig there."

Was there a noticeable difference from the 2009 spec car? Were there certain things that you could feel straight away?

“Yes, initially the car felt very stable and it was also noticeable that there was more steering input needed because of the revised suspension geometry adjustments that were made as part of the 2010 updates.

“The car felt very solid in all types of corners and all the differences from a driving point of view were all positive."

What was the strategic thinking for qualifying?

“We had been running throughout the week and obviously it was always in the back of our minds who would do qualifying and who would do the race. But the decision to have Emanuele do qualifying and start the race was made purely from the point of view that I am going to have lots of opportunities to do both this year.

“Our pace was pretty comparable up to the qualifying session and we had a solid qualifying. Emanuele did a really good job at the start of the race and set us up very nicely indeed."

That was a pretty spectacular move by Emanuele on Bourdais to get second. What was your reaction?

“I was out on the pitwall and I saw it on the onboard with the GT2 Ferrari and it looked fairly dramatic. But actually when you watched it from the helicopter camera, it was a measured and well thought out move and I think he caught Bourdais completely by surprise. It was really nice to see the Drayson Lola-Judd right at the front, splitting the Peugeots. I don’t think any petrol-powered car has ever managed to do that on merit."

In terms of being so quick, is it more than the team expected, more than you expected? How do you feel about it a couple of days on?

“Well, I think we were quick from Japan last autumn, so I was going to Sebring expecting to be the fastest petrol car and we were. I feel really confident about our pace for the season ahead. It must be remembered that we are still a new team really to LMP and we have quite a few new guys that have recently joined us. I think for this first weekend of the season everybody performed fantastically well and it certainly bodes well for the future.

You can’t get more of a different track to Sebring than Long Beach I guess, there is no margin for error there. Is that something you enjoy, a street circuit?

“I really enjoyed street circuits in GT cars and actually after speaking to a few of the guys who have driven both they say that the LMP1 car is quite nimble, it’s actually real good fun to drive around a street circuit and we have massive advantage over a lot of the other P1 cars because with the Lola we have great maneuverability and it feels a lot more like an LMP2 car in the slow corners.

“So, I think that’s really going to help us at Long Beach because we have less of a disadvantage in the slow corners and we have the power on the straights, so it’s going to be interesting. I can’t really call where we are going to be against the Highcroft HPD but I think we are going to have a good shot at being fastest so yes, I am certainly looking forward to it.

And finally, in terms of your own development as a driver, working with the likes of Emanuele must be very valuable?

“I really enjoy driving with all the drivers that push me and drive me forward. Emanuele certainly helped over the weekend and it is nice as well that it builds my confidence to perform with him, so that experience is vital and I make sure that I soak it all up."