Piquet Jr. looking forward to first home GP

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The ING Renault F1 Team prepares for the final round of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship: the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. Nelson Piquet Jr. is looking forward to his first ever home Grand Prix.

Nelson, just a week after your strong drive to fourth in Fuji, you scored another point for eighth place in Shanghai. Are you happy with your end to the season?

"Yes, these are encouraging results, but I’m happier about the pace that we had and the strong race performances. The car has improved a lot recently; it’s easier to drive and I therefore feel more comfortable with it. My priority now is to improve my qualifying performance to be better placed on the grid and that is what I will be concentrating on doing in Interlagos."

You’re now preparing to take part in your first home Grand Prix. What is your state of mind like at the moment?

"To be honest, I’m really looking forward to it. I know that it will feel great to drive in my own country in front of my family and my friends – it’s definitely a big source of motivation and I’m really determined to get the most from the weekend. I will do my best to remain concentrated, work hard with my engineers to try and make sure we have a really good race in Interlagos."

What are the main challenges of the Interlagos circuit?

"It’s a circuit that is renowned for being particularly bumpy and so the suspension settings will be very important. You need a car that is supple enough to ride the bumps and the curbs in the second sector, while at the same time being reactive in the tight corners and having good change of direction. We will work on the set-up of the car and the suspension during the three hours of practice on Friday."

What are your hopes for your home race?

"I’m determined to have a great race – that goes without saying. But I’m not putting more pressure on myself because it’s the Brazilian Grand Prix and my home race. Instead I’m approaching this race calmly and I will use the practice sessions to gradually improve the set-up of the car so that I am in the best shape possible for qualifying and the race. So I’m approaching the weekend one step at a time to try and deliver a great result."