INDYCAR MEDIA DAY

February 18, 2014

Mikhail Aleshin

THE MODERATOR:  We welcome Mikhail Aleshin.  Welcome to the IndyCar. 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  Thank you. 
THE MODERATOR:  As a background, give us a little history of your career so far in Europe and why you sought to come to the IndyCar Series. 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  Well, I've been racing Europe for a while.  I started to race in Europe from go-karts in 2000, so 14 years ago.  Then I moved to small formulas where I was champion of Italy and second in Germany.  Then I moved to World Series by Renault, where I won in 2010 the championship.  I was also third in Formula 2 championship in 2009. 
I am a part of SMP Racing driver's support program from 2013.  Basically in the middle of last year, the middle of the World Series season, we were speaking about my future, what are the solutions.  That's how we came to the same idea basically that we need to try to do IndyCar. 
I've been racing more or less every open-wheel in Europe.  Renault two leaders, GP3, GP2, World Series, Formula One testing several cars. 
I think IndyCar is definitely a very important part of the open-wheel racing in the world.  I'm really big fan of open-wheel racing, so that's one of the reasons I'm here. 
The other thing is it's a big challenge for me to be here because I'm the first Russian driver to compete in IndyCar.  For sure, yeah, it's a big challenge.  Obviously most of the drivers, they came out from Indy Lights, Mazda, any American category.  Most of them know most of the tracks, so there will be some difficulties for me because I don't know any. 
Every time I going to come to the track, every time I going to learn just in the practice and go straight to qualifying.  Sounds like fun (laughter). 
THE MODERATOR:  You tested at Sonoma and Sebring.  When you do go to the new tracks, are you an individual who can learn these different circuits quickly from your experience in Europe? 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  Well, for sure experience racing so many years going to help, definitely.  But I think here is a little bit different idea of racing.  You have much more street course.  In Europe the main street course is Grand Prix Monaco, which we race in GP2, which I did last several years.  That's the only street course we have. 
The most probably interesting part for me will be races on ovals because that's what I haven't done at all in my life.  I just did one test day in Homestead for my rookie test.  That was quite interesting actually, quite interesting and exciting. 
It's hard to expect something from something what you have never done, but actually it was much better than any of my expectations in the end, the feeling of racing on ovals. 
But the thing is, I don't know any of the tracks except Sonoma.  I will need to prepare maximum as I can before every race.  So use any information the team has from previous years, look any videos from the race previous years and so on. 
So I going to do a lot of work off the track to prepare well.  I guess the time I will spend for learning, how fast I will learn, that will be the most important part for me this year. 
THE MODERATOR:  Tell us a little bit about SMP Racing, how you became affiliated with them. 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  SMP Racing is the biggest driver support program in the world really.  This is true.  It's supports over 30 drivers.  The drivers are competing in the most interesting and the most competitive championships in the world like Le Mans series, like Blancpain series, like Formula 3. 
The point of the program is to develop the Russian drivers on the top.  So this is very ambitious program.  I'm really, really happy to be a part of it because also I'm taking part and sharing the experience with some of the young drivers.  I think this is very important because when I started my racing career, especially when I came to Europe, there was no one who could ever show me what do I need to do. 
Everything what I got through, all the mistakes I done, it was basically just because I had no one to help.  I never had any driver coach in my life.  It's funny, but it is. 
So I would say that I'm really trying to help these young guys, which already you can see the talent.  We have drivers from age like nine years old who compete in Russian go-kart championship until like really experienced guys who going to race in Le Mans.  So this program is really big. 
THE MODERATOR:  You have a teammate, Simon Pagenaud, an engineer like Allen McDonald, have those veterans been important for you or do you care to go out on your own pace? 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  Here in IndyCar, I going to have a driver coach and a spotter.  He's helping me a lot actually.  Actually, the team by itself, just all the team.  Allen McDonald, my engineer, he's a really experienced man.  He spend many years in Formula One, many years in IndyCar, last like maybe 15 years.  I'm really happy to work with him.  I think we found, yeah, basically one language I would say. 
Yes, Simon, I need to admit that he actually help me a lot with getting into the stuff fast, especially when I had my test at Homestead on the oval.  He just help me to develop the car and to understand what I need to feel on the track, because obviously oval racing is completely opposite than what I used to do and I don't know how the car need to behave. 
Normally I like aggressive car.  On ovals, this is not best way.  This is just one of the simple things I have learned there.  But Simon really helps me a lot, this is true.  I really appreciate that. 
I actually race with him in Europe as well, might be 10 years ago.  He was fast then already.  I think basically he's one more example of a driver, if he's fast, he can be fast anywhere at any time. 

Q.  What is the degree of interest in Russian racing from Russian citizens?
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  In the moment before this year, IndyCar was not shown in Russia.  This year we going to change the situation in a good way. 
People likes racing in Russia.  I'm pretty sure it will be popular.  Russia is getting bigger and bigger every year in motorsport.  Now for last like five years, they built like five or seven good tracks in Russia. 
In the end of this year, we're going to have our first Grand Prix, Formula One, in Russia, in Sochi, as you know.  I think all these things shows that Russia is interested in motorsport as one of the main sports in the world. 

Q.  Other than the tracks on which you've tested, have you driven on any of the tracks you're going to race this year?
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  I've tested in Sonoma and I tested in Homestead.  I don't know how could I forget the name, but the one we test the most.  Sebring (laughter). 
Obviously we going to race in Sonoma.  Yeah, that's about it.  That's only track I know at the moment.  Actually, I quite enjoy.  It's a great track.  A lot of ups and downs, great blind corners.  I like this stuff really.  It makes racing interesting. 
In Europe now you don't have a lot of tracks like this anymore.  There's a lot of safety issues.  Now many tracks in Europe it's impossible to crash, to get the wall.  This is good and bad.  Obviously good for safety, but when you drive a car, I think if you do mistake, you need to pay for this. 

Q.  Could you talk about when this deal came together, if you've moved to the United States, where you plan on living. 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  As I've said, we had the important conversation with SMP Racing in the middle of last year.  That's when we finally decided what we want to do this year.  From then we started to work on getting here. 
Basically I think we end up signing end of November.  I might be mistake, but it was announced.  Yeah, that's when we start working already seriously, when I start working in the team.  That's when I came for my first test in Sebring for first time. 
I going to spend all my time in U.S. definitely during the season.  As you know, the season is so tight.  I think there is no reason for me to leave U.S. at this time because the jetlag, in Moscow it's nine hours difference.  I think if you want to be successful, if you want to be in shape, you shouldn't leave.  That's what I going to do.  I going to stay in Indy all the year between races. 

Q.  With St. Petersburg you'll have a difference.  Aside from Monaco, have you ever driven anything with barriers on the outside?
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  Some years ago we had a race in the center of Moscow.  When I started to do my open-wheel career, I did race in Russia as well, Formula 3.  I was the youngest driver in Formula 3.  I was 14 years old this time. 
We had a track, yeah, as I said, just in the center of Moscow.  There was even no barriers, as I remember.  There was only trees, yeah.  That was kind of tough.  That was great experience.  So you guys here have some safety definitely compared to that.  But beside that I didn't drive any street course.
Monaco I drive maybe seven years, so I know the track well.  I quite like it.  Also for the reason because you do mistake, you're finished.  You crash the car.  I think that's how racing should be. 

Q.  What are some of the eye-opening experiences you've had since you've been behind the wheel?
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  The question was about the actual car, right? 

Q.  Yes. 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  I think most of the cars which was manufactured by Dallara is very good.  It was my experience.  I can say this.  The cars that we have here in IndyCar, it's not exception, it's a good car. 
The main difference for me when I sit behind the steering wheel in Sebring is the size.  The car is different than I used to, it's bigger.  But apart from that, I wouldn't say that I find something completely different than what I used to. 
As I said, I used to big cars with big engines.  I drive them for a long time already.  So, yeah, carbon brakes, nothing new.  But I enjoyed a lot the oval test because that was something that I was not expecting that I would like it so much. 
THE MODERATOR:  Thank you. 
MIKHAIL ALESHIN:  Thank you.