Neel Jani: 'It will be a steep learning curve'

21/07/2010

Neel Jani will be part of the new-look Matech Competition driver line-up for the fifth round of the FIA GT1 World Championship at Spa-Francorchamps from 29-31 July.

Jani will partner fellow former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean in all-Swiss combination in the No.6 Matech Ford GT. Britain’s Richard Westbrook, the current FIA GT2 champion, will share the No.5 car with Thomas Mutsch.

Jani competed in Formula Renault and GP2 before becoming the third driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso in F1 in 2006.

After three podiums in the Champ Car World Series and winning the A1 GP title in 2007-2008, he switched to sports car racing in 2010, competing in both the Le Mans Series and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP1 category.

Jani, 26, is looking forward to the challenge of GT1, albeit a step into the unknown. “I have never driven a GT car and suspect that driving in the FIA GT1 Championship will be unlike anything I have ever competed with before now,” he said.

“With little time to learn the car I know that I will have a big job ahead of me and a steep learning curve.”

Jani and Grosjean have worked together before as members of the Swiss team in A1GP.

As for Spa, the ultimate test for a driver, Jani will not be on unfamiliar terrain. “I have raced a few times in Spa, including earlier this season with an LMP1 car, but I think it will be quite a different experience in the GT1 car. Spa is usually all about finding your rhythm.

“Eau Rouge is one of the most famous corners in racing and one I always look forward to. It will be interesting to see if I can take it flat out like in LMP1 but I think that might not end too well.

“The Matech car has already won two races this season and I feel that Romain and I have shown our abilities to drive in the rain, knowing this I think I can be fairly confident in our abilities as a team to be competitive in any weather.”

Jani is realistic about his objectives for Spa even though a win is always on his wish list. “For a driver the objective is always to win. This is why we do what we do. As I said before, I will be facing a steep learning curve (at Spa) with a new car and new team, but I will try to do my best and hope to bring home win number three for the team.”

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