Nikita Mazepin Q&A: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
April 13, 2021
Nikita Mazepin looks ahead to his second Grand Prix weekend, as he looks to bounce back at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in Italy.
Having had time to digest and reflect on your debut Formula 1 weekend in Bahrain – what specifically stands out as a key learning you can take from that event and apply moving forward?
“I feel like the biggest thing to get used to is learning the schedule, and the weekend is much more intense with all that’s going on and the sessions on-track. It’s about keeping concentration and learning the schedule – that’s the biggest thing.”
With the intensity of pre-season testing followed almost immediately by the Bahrain Grand Prix, there’s now been a longer than usual two-week break between races. How have you used this time both professionally and personally to recharge ahead of Imola?
“For me personally it was very important to use these two weeks to go away and reflect back on the weekend to see the things I need to improve – and obviously there’s a lot of things being a rookie. Also, it was very nice to go back home and see my family. Knowing there’s a very busy schedule ahead during the year, these two weeks were very important.”
What are your memories of racing at Imola in your junior career?
“I raced at Imola back in Formula 3 in 2016. It’s a very old school circuit and it was very special to race there with the memories of Ayrton Senna. Going into Formula 1 there’s obviously going to be a lot of changes but I’m looking forward to being out there again.”
What preparations have your undertaken before racing at Imola for the first time in a Formula 1 car?
“Some simulator driving has been very important as I haven’t raced at the circuit in five years. It’s a circuit where the qualifying lap is very important because there are very little overtaking opportunities. So, getting that one push – that good qualifying lap, it’s key. Being on it from the first minute, that’s the key factor for the race weekend.”