America's F1 hopes are bright, and they play Pokemon on the plane Young Americans trying to make a career out of F1 meet in Monaco. By May 28, 2014 / Photos by Over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, photographer and RoadandTrack.com contributor sat down with America's brightest F1 hopes, Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi, to ask them all about their lives in and out of the cockpit. We've transcribed the interview here. R&T: Look, you guys get asked the same questions over and over. But let s take
a different approach to this. If you were going to have an opportunity in another series, which series might it be? And forget GP2 and Formula 1. Alexander Rossi: [Laughing] GP3? Conor Daly: Well me, IndyCar for sure. Running in the Indy 500 was fun. I love IndyCar. If not F1, Indycar. Or NASCAR! Those guys make a lot of money! AR: To be honest, I don t have any experience outside of this. Everything is very interesting. For me the only other platform outside of European single seaters, is World Endurance Championship. I did le mans last year and it was amazing thing. Doing it again is on my to do list. But this is all that I know to be honest. R&T: So how has this weekend been so far? Conor, it s been your first time running GP2 in Monaco. Have you enjoyed it? CD: I have. It s been a very difficult weekend for us, but man it s really cool driving these cars around this track. It s so brutal. It really feels like you re wrestling a beast out there. I enjoy the pure driving side of it. AR: I have enjoyed it. Any opportunity to run race cars like these around Monaco is pretty amazing. And a car of this magnitude, I mean it s almost as quick as some of the F1 cars!
R&T: Poor Marussia, and Sauber... CD: I haven t actually seen the F1 times yet this weekend, what are they doing? AR: Yeah quicker. They re doing :23s. CD: They re doing :23 s? No way! that s their fastest time? AR: Caterham ran a 1:22.1. CD: Oh man that s funny. [Laughing] R&T: Being Americans in a largely European sport, has it helped or hurt your cause in getting drives and potential sponsors? AR: I think the whole stigma that Americans can t drive and American s can t compete went away many years ago. I ve never experienced any kind of unfair treatment in being an American. If anything, it s opened a lot of doors for me because there aren t really any other Americans involved in F1. So for me, I ve been able to provide access, or the hope of access.
CD:I think we ve more than been able to prove that we can do it too. We ve both won at our different levels. And here we are! R&T: Will you be watching the Indy 500 on Sunday? CD: I will be there! Leaving Saturday night on my British Airways middle seat, and I ll be happy as can be. AR: Yeah, I ll watch it. My roommate is massively into Indycar and ever since I ve been living with him, I ve been watching the races quite a bit more. R&T: Do either of you have any opportunities to drive the new F1 cars and the new engine platform in the near future? CD: Ah. No. No, I really don t. All I have is what s in front of me, and that s the next GP2 race. I hope. We re still trying to string together the remaining budget pieces, so technically the announcement was that I m signed for the season and all that. But there commitments we need to make, and that s a challenge! R&T: Who has the best hospitality setup in Formula 1?
AR and CD: [Without hesitation] Red Bull! CD: They brought a barge for this weekend! R&T: But you don t have a paddock pass do you, Conor? I guess you don t need a paddock pass to get in Red Bull? AR: I do. CD: But to be fair, why are GP2 drivers not allowed in the F1 paddock? AR and R&T: [Both waving paddock passes in front of Conor] CD: But seriously. That s a problem. R&T: Have F1 s massive power-unit changes made you less inclined to chase a seat in the series? CD:F1 is still F1. It s still the top of the world. We re essentially almost as quick as F1 in GP2. It s not like it s a huge jump. But of course there is everything else you need to know and learn and have to be involved. It s still the main goal.
R&T: What s the wildest thing you ve seen in Monaco? On track or off track? AR: Wildest thing I ve ever seen in Monaco was Conor Daly flying through the air in a GP3 car, two years ago. CD: Ha. That was pretty wild. I saw that, too [laughs]. R&T: I heard a rumor they have divers in the harbor to recover any drivers that might end up over the fence. True? CD: They do now! AR: I don t think that s true. You can t go over the fence now. I mean, Conor tried and couldn t do it [laughs]. CD: I ve seen crazy things in Monaco. I mean, just look at all the boats! That s the craziest thing ever. R&T: Are you gamers?
CD: YES! I m a huge gamer! I m the biggest nerd you ll find. Xbox One is my stuff. I live and breathe Xbox. I love it. R&T: Big Forza fan, then? CD: I mean, yeah. But I love first-person shooters more. AR: Nope. I just don t play video games. R&T: Does the Codemasters Formula 1 Series replicate Monaco pretty well? CD: The thing is you can only simulate so much. And when you actually get on the track and there are bumps, walls and getting thrashed around. I mean, their most recent one is obviously better but the old ones.
R&T: If you were going to create a new street race anywhere in the US, where would you want it to be run? AR: Vegas. CD: Vegas for sure. AR: Or New York. Like Times Square. R&T: Formula E, what are your thoughts? CD: Um. Well? It could be cool if it all comes into play. I managed to get myself on the driver s list which I don t know exactly what that means yet.but could be cool. I love engines and the sound of engines. This could be something new that we could experience! AR: [Silence]
R&T: Did you play any sports in high school? AR: Skiing was my thing. CD: I played everything. Football. Basketball. Soccer. Lacrosse. R&T: Conor, you carry the American flag with you at every race. Is there a story behind the flag? CD: I got it in GP3 in 2012. AR: [Laughing] It has brown stains and everything! CD: That s champagne! I had it on the podium with me in Valencia last year.
R&T: What s your favorite place you visited for a race? AR: Austin, Texas! CD: Austin is awesome. AR: Singapore is very, very, very, cool R&T: Austin F1 weekend is Halloween weekend this year! CD: Austin is on Halloween weekend? AR: He s going as Hermoine. CD: I am so pumped. I have missed Halloween since I was in high school. R&T: Travel essentials? What s in your bag when you fly on a plane? CD: My headphones. Basically, just my laptop, helmet and headphones. And you, Alexander? [Laughing] What s in your purse when you fly?
AR: A book. And my Nintendo DS with Pokémon! CD: Oh, no! Me, too! Are you serious? AR: Yeah! CD: We are embarrassing. R&T: What are your top 3 songs on your playlist? CD: Hardwell. My buddy, Mackenzie Johnson. Some hip hop. I like Rick Ross. Those are the main tunes. I like Hardwell. AR: Randy Houston, it s country. It s good. Man, I love country. Mr. Probs. Sam Hunt. Keith Urban. Luke Bryan. R&T:What s your guilty pleasure, food-wise? CD: Pizza.
AR: In-N-Out Burger. Animal Style fries. It s the best. R&T: What would be your dream car? CD: A Lamborghini Aventador. Wrapped neon green with black rims. Like the green from my helmet. AR: Aston Martin ONE-77. White. CD: If we re being really dreamy, I want a Zonda F. It could be purple with flowers on it. I just want a Zonda F. R&T: Who is your best friend in the GP2 paddock? CD: Alexander Rossi. We re American. [Laughing] These colors don t run! Freedom! R&T: Well, I m not sure we could add much more on top of that! Thanks for your time, guys. Really enjoyed chatting with you. Good luck this season!