Adam Blair is set to race in the Audi TT Cup Racing championship with EST Performance - the season kicks off this weekend here in Kent at Brands Hatch.
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00:00 First of all, tell me what practice has been like today, how's the car feeling?
00:04 You're sitting in it now, so how does it feel being there?
00:06 It's nice sitting here right now in the garage because it's kind of nice and relaxed,
00:12 but yeah, we've been struggling a little bit today actually.
00:14 We were here at Brands, I think, two weeks ago, very quick.
00:19 I think we set the fastest lap ever for an Audi TT around the circuit,
00:24 and then today we're struggling a little bit, so that's why I'm in the pit garage.
00:27 I don't know if you can hear the mechanics are doing stuff to the car at the moment
00:30 to hopefully fix the problem, but we won't know until qualifying tomorrow morning.
00:36 Yeah, I was going to ask, is it a big problem? Is it set-up changes?
00:39 Is it something that can be fixed before qualifying?
00:42 It's set-up. The weird thing is we dug the set-up in really nicely when we were last here
00:50 and possibly got a little bit too overconfident.
00:53 So today we've been a little bit shocked about all of a sudden
00:58 there's a big push understeer is the problem that we're having.
01:02 But yeah, we're working on fixing it.
01:04 It may well be possibly a faulty tyre or something like that.
01:08 It's quite severe. We've lost like a second a lap, but nothing's insolvable.
01:14 So we're on it and hopefully bring it back by the time we go to qualifying tomorrow morning.
01:21 Good, good. Staying optimistic. That's lovely.
01:23 And it's always exciting, isn't it, at the start of a new season?
01:25 But for you, it's your first full calendar of racing in more than 20 years.
01:30 So what is going through your head at this point? That excitement must be massive.
01:35 Yeah, for me it's about the challenge of winning and then actually coming through and winning.
01:43 That's the big satisfaction for me. So yeah, I was just really focused on that.
01:48 With hindsight, we possibly could have been slightly better prepared in terms of doing a little bit more testing.
01:55 But like I said, we're probably possibly slightly too overconfident.
01:59 But you know, it's going to be a long season.
02:01 And I think the most important thing, which Mike kind of said, is to try and get some good points
02:06 in the first three races, first one round here at Grands.
02:10 So yeah, I think that's probably going to happen. We may win.
02:14 It's not looking like we're going to win at the moment, but we're working on it.
02:19 Fingers crossed. Absolutely. Now you're back.
02:22 Those Audi TTs that you'll be racing in, they're lovely cars, aren't they?
02:26 What's it feeling like though, racing at Brands Hatch, at your home circuit this weekend?
02:31 Because you're from Kent originally.
02:33 I am, yeah. So I grew up in Swanley.
02:37 And yeah, I mean, I love the circuit. It is quite convenient.
02:42 I live now locally in Kent as well.
02:45 So it's nice to be near home, not having to stay in a hotel and stuff.
02:51 But more importantly, I love the circuit.
02:54 I really feel like I really click with this circuit.
02:58 I always did, even back in the day.
03:01 You know, it's kind of quite an old school circuit.
03:05 Although they've kind of introduced all this track limits and stuff now that I'm not so keen on.
03:11 But yeah, I just love the place.
03:14 I'd much prefer it to somewhere like Donington Park, for example.
03:18 It's a bit more, what's the word I'm looking for?
03:20 This is kind of a more of a natural circuit.
03:22 No, of course, of course. It's always a favourite, Brands Hatch.
03:25 Now you've had quite a long career in the past.
03:28 You've gone through the ranks of Formula Ford, Formula 3, done a lot of karting as well in your time.
03:34 I wanted to bring up one particular highlight.
03:36 Now this is at a charity event back in 2001.
03:39 You actually beat Lewis Hamilton.
03:42 Tell me that story, because the picture's great, of you on the podium and him in second.
03:46 Well, yeah, I mean, there wasn't a massive story to it.
03:49 The funnier thing was there was actually a couple of other guys.
03:54 One of whom was Anthony Davidson, who I think subsequently has won Le Mans 24 hours.
03:59 And he was in Formula 1 for a bit.
04:01 And the funny thing was, he jumped in the Al Kart before the race and rejected it.
04:07 So we kind of got the hand-me-down from Lewis and Davidson and then beat them.
04:13 So it was quite funny.
04:14 Oh, fantastic.
04:15 But yeah, it wasn't a lot to it. It was just driving fast.
04:17 And yeah, Lewis took it. Better than I would have done.
04:21 I mean, if there's one thing to have on your racing CV, having beat Lewis Hamilton,
04:25 even if it was a charity karting event, I mean, that's one to take with you forever.
04:29 Look, best of luck this weekend and for the rest of the season.
04:33 We'll be following your progress as you go.
04:35 And enjoy it.