Here we are standing on the inside of Portier in a sunny Monaco. Bg-ai3, it's a truly awesome site to see f1 cars stream into the tunnel, it must be amazing for for the driver.
Bg-ai3: yea it's an amazing feeling to fly into the darkness. The best part is the sound of the engine off the walls of the tunnel, even with ear plugs and radio.. it takes your breath away the first lap.
Tell us about the race from your point of view
Bg-ai3: yea, well I was in trouble from the beginning. I made a mistake in the exit of anthony noghes because i was a little anxious on the throttle. There is a bump right at the apex and you want to go full throttle right after the bump, I hit the bump with too much wheel spin and went right into the wall. From then on I was trying to just score points. Sad really, as El Harto showed our car was really good around here.
Lets talk about that, the rumors had been flying for weeks, finally it was announced that the early season sensation El Harto would be joining the team.
Bg-ai3: Well it was an obvious choice for us, he is a hard core Mclaren fan, and has ties to Mercedes. He's dedicated and fast, what else could I want in a teammate?
You are the defending champion, but he is leading you in points.. will there be team orders?
Bg-ai3: At the moment no, we'll let it play out
Last year at this time you took the lead in the championship to never look back, what's different this year?
Bg-ai3: Lack of development really hurt us, the next few races we have some new parts coming and the car should suit the track. I feel that the closeness of the championship really hurt us this year. We had to spend more time developing last years car to the end, un like some of the leaders this year.
Is the championship over for Mclaren?
Bg-ai3: no no, for sure not. there are plenty of points still available, we will come back and win a few.
Who do you see as the three threats to you this year?
Bg-ai3: Well ExJai for sure, he is really on it this year. Good thing he didn't finish the race in Bahrain or we would be in far worse trouble. El Harto is also quick, and now that he is in a Mclaren he will only get faster. Third, I don't think Norbi is done winning this year, he was dominate in Spain.
Any last words for fans?
Bg-ai3: Don't worry, I'll be back, we are not done yet