Latest / Rusty's Garage / Gabriele Tarquini - Part 2

Transcript

Gabriele Tarquini - Part 2 · Rusty's Garage

0:02
A listener production.
0:20
G'day, it's Rusty here, all set for part two of my podcast with genuine touring car racing royalty, Gabriele Tarquini.
0:27
We recorded this chat with the Italian, trackside in a corporate suite at Bathurst, on his first visit to Mount Panorama.
0:35
This second part focuses on his saloon car racing career.
0:39
Make sure you check out part one in the library, especially if you haven't heard it yet.
0:44
There's his impressions of Bathurst, the early days for him in karting on the way to Italian and world titles, how he initially had no desire to go car racing, and the frustrations of F1 with minnow teams that didn't have the machinery or the budgets for us to really get a sense of his single-seater talent.
1:04
plus his move into touring cars and how it would lead to incredible success, a chapter of immense longevity that is unlikely to ever be repeated.
1:15
We begin part two by talking about the great Murray Walker, the famous, the legendary commentator who Gabrielli came across both in F1 but also when Murray was that captivating voice of the BTCC.
1:32
Lots of passion among the British fans for the BTCC.
1:35
And you came through in a period, I was very lucky in my broadcasting career, I got to work with Murray Walker twice.
1:41
Oh, good.
1:42
Only in a very small way, Gabrielle, but I remember it very fondly.
1:46
He was the voice of British touring car racing back then, and his commentary, even now, it's still iconic, isn't it?
1:53
Yeah, I mean, I knew him in Formula One and for me it was something unusual because we have some broadcasting in Italy also.
2:03
Italy is very good in motorsport.
2:06
So we have races live, Formula One live at this time, qualifying, free practice, everything live.
2:13
But I didn't expect to have him on the BTCC.
2:20
For me, I recognized immediately the voice and said, ah, he's commentating also BTCC.
2:26
So that's really unusual for the Italian style.
2:29
You did go in your career and run in the ITC as well.
2:33
You talked about the DTM cars before.
2:35
Just share with people a little bit about that.
2:38
I mean, there were Bern Schneider, Klaus Ludwig, I think Lurini was in there at that stage, Dario Franchitti, Alex Wurtz, Alfa V6, 420 horsepower.
2:49
Was it four-wheel drive?
2:51
Was it four-wheel drive?
2:51
And like 11,000 RPM.
2:53
That must have been joyous.
2:55
Was it?
2:55
Yeah.
2:56
Probably is the...
2:58
If I'm thinking back, it's the best car I've ever driven in a touring car.
3:03
Because at this time it was even more complicated than the Formula One at this time.
3:09
Because electronic was starting, but no limits.
3:13
We had traction control, ABS, the first ABS, the electronic differential.
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So you can disconnect the four-wheel drive.
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So it was a very, very complicated car.
3:28
I mean probably the best car I never drove in touring car.
3:33
Amazing.
3:34
As we said before you had that rare statistic or rare record of being a British touring car champion but still getting to race in Formula 1 for Tyrrell.
3:43
Did that almost in some ways vindicate your move to touring car that although it was special to still be driving a Formula 1 car again that you felt like that was now your pathway, your journey?
3:54
Yeah.
3:55
I don't have very good memories from my last race in Formula 1, because in 1995 I was away from Formula 1 since 1992.
4:03
I had just two tests before this race.
4:07
I was not ready and not focused, even not focused at this time.
4:12
So my race was not fantastic.
4:14
I finished the race, I can finish the race, but I was not happy about my results.
4:20
We should very quickly talk about Honda because on paper, their BTCC car, it should have won a championship, shouldn't it?
4:29
Yeah, but if I'm watching back in my long career, I won with every manufacturer except Honda.
4:39
I never won with Honda.
4:41
Also in 2001, I made the European Championship with a very good car, but unfortunately we didn't win the season.
4:50
And also in the BTCC, I mean, sometimes the car was very, very good, but unfortunately we never achieved the target.
4:59
Probably it's my fault, probably it's the team fault, but in the end we never won.
5:05
I think you had a multi-year deal, like a five-year deal, didn't you, with them?
5:08
And when they ultimately went a different direction, I thought I saw a quote from you where you said, I accept this, they need to change, and the sport is like that, you need to change it up sometimes, don't you?
5:20
Yeah, I mean, in the end of 2015, after four or five years spent with them fighting with the fastest car.
5:30
To be honest, the car was not as fast as we suppose, and they want to change, and I accept.
5:39
Even if I, in this season, I finished on top with Honda drivers, but in terms of points, but I accept this.
5:51
50, already 54.
5:54
For the Japanese driver, I remember very well the people talk to me when he let me know that I would be not with them anymore because he has the same age of me and say, I cannot drive the car.
6:11
I mean, you must lose something and that's normal because you are a...
6:18
too old to drive the car.
6:20
And it was hard words to hear, but in the end it was the reality.
6:27
I was the oldest driver in the WTCC, probably too old to drive.
6:34
And this was a sort of revenge, personal revenge, because I didn't stop.
6:39
I spent a fantastic season with Lada, winning two races the next year with a not very performant team and cars.
6:50
And in 2018, I won the world title against Honda, because Honda finished...
6:56
finished third at this championship so it was a very good uh revenge amazing amazing quickly there is a european touring car championship title on on the cv and you did it after the the demise of super touring after that that great era there are different cars admittedly but you got to do that one with alfa romeo didn't you
7:16
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
7:18
It was in 2003.
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It was a fantastic season.
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And I remember because the end of the season was in Monza.
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So my home race with a lot of spectator because it was the first race of Alex Zanardi coming back after his accident.
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So it was without legs.
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The first race, it was full of people, like a Formula One grandstand.
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I don't know, I don't remember exactly, but more than 70,000 people were watching this race.
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And there was the Italian with the Italian manufacturer fighting with the German manufacturer with German drivers.
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So it was an amazing atmosphere.
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And in the end, I mean, we won the title.
8:06
Very cool.
8:07
You did ride with Alex Sinardi at one stage, didn't you?
8:10
When they made that adaption for the car so he could come back and drive touring cars after losing his legs, as you said before.
8:17
And I think you spent much of your time in that car with him watching what he did.
8:22
I jumped with him in Imola.
8:25
I want to see how he was driving this car because I cannot believe how fast he was.
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And because I know how hard it is to drive also a touring car at the limits, I want to see.
8:38
And we had the chance to have some VIP labs and he let me jump on his seat as a passenger.
8:46
I was sitting with him watching his driving and I tell you it's amazing.
8:53
You mentioned the world crowns before, championship in 2009 at age 47, World Cup in 2018, age 56.
9:02
What are you drinking?
9:04
What's in the water?
9:05
What is the secret to this life, to this longevity?
9:09
Probably the focus.
9:11
I told you before, my focus was only motorsport.
9:14
I met a lot of fantastic drivers that become very old soon.
9:21
Sometimes I met unbelievable drivers that at 30 years old lost speed.
9:28
Some other very, I mean, for me the best and my reference was Mario Andretti.
9:33
Yes.
9:34
Drove the IndyCar until the 60s, 60 years old.
9:38
He still looks young now, doesn't he?
9:39
Yeah, he still looks young.
9:40
For me, it was my idol, I mean, at this time.
9:44
But, I mean, I have no secret.
9:47
I don't think that I have something special.
9:49
It was just the focus.
9:51
It kept you young, which I like.
9:54
Is there one satisfying moment along the way where you look back, maybe it's a World Cup or a World title, what's the one thing you look back on and go, that's...
10:03
That's the zenith, that's the pinnacle for me.
10:09
My dream was the world title in WTCC.
10:12
And I told my family in 2009 when I won the title in SEAT, because I finished second the previous year fighting with Ivan Müller.
10:22
I finish if I'm not wrong fourth of the previous year.
10:25
I was always very close but never win the title.
10:29
And before the last finale in Macau, I told my wife and my family, okay, if I win, I stop.
10:39
But fortunately, I didn't tell to anybody else.
10:43
I won the title.
10:46
And walking to the media room, I was thinking, but why I must stop?
10:53
In the end, I'm there, I enjoy, I won the world title.
10:57
Okay, I'm old, but...
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There is no reason to stop.
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I want to enjoy more.
11:03
I mean, the fire inside me is my passion.
11:07
I have nothing to do, what I can do without racing.
11:10
And fortunately, I mean, walking to there, I never announced my stop.
11:16
Just speaking about next year.
11:18
What did you tell your wife?
11:20
Yeah, but she understood.
11:23
You had, and probably still do, have a great relationship with Ivan Muller.
11:26
I mean, he's another example of someone who's had a long career, isn't he?
11:31
Yeah, we had...
11:32
I spent a lot of time with him in the same team, especially the SEAT time.
11:37
Always fighting very, very, very hard, but always fair.
11:44
And we never lose the control of each other.
11:47
We can speak...
11:49
on track and out of the track.
11:52
I fight with him and lost on 2008, he won the title, and I fight and win on 2009.
12:00
But always, I mean, also in 2018, so nine years later, my...
12:08
worst opponent was Ivan on same car because he was driving a Hyundai i30 and TCR so my car fighting in Macau nine years later me and him and we was the oldest guy in the grid.
12:24
Amazing, so November 2021 you're 59
12:31
you decide to announce your retirement.
12:34
When did you arrive at that decision?
12:36
Can you remember the moment and how hard was that decision to make?
12:39
Because it had been your life.
12:40
I mean, you're still involved now, which I think is terrific and we will get to that.
12:44
But how hard was it to stop?
12:46
It was very hard, to be honest.
12:49
I announced, in the middle of the season, it was COVID time.
12:54
It was very hard.
12:55
Car was not fantastic.
12:58
I lost performance in qualifying.
13:00
I was struggling a lot since 2019.
13:04
Just a little bit, like a few tenths?
13:06
What did you notice?
13:07
Yeah, a few things.
13:08
I mean, when you compare with your teammate, I had Norby as a teammate.
13:15
I was struggling a little bit, starting from 2019.
13:18
In race, no.
13:19
In race, sometimes I was much faster than him.
13:23
Until the last race, I was probably the fastest guy on race, but in qualifying, I had something missing.
13:31
And for me, I didn't accept.
13:34
I don't want to have the same moment of on the time that somebody comes to me and say, you are too old.
13:41
On your terms.
13:42
That was my decision.
13:44
And I decide in the middle of the season, I inform all the Hyundai people that in the end of the... And I announce in Italy on my... in Adria, in my own Seoul, that that's the last season.
14:10
Another star of touring car racing in the 90s is Paul Radisic.
14:14
The quietly spoken Kiwi won the World Cup twice in a Ford Mondeo, and a legendary commentator helped to really put him on the map.
14:22
Murray Walker, Radiceach.
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So everyone's calling me Radiceach, which is fine.
14:26
They can call me what they want.
14:28
And I tell you, around the world, it didn't matter if I'd come here.
14:32
I went to South Africa, through Europe, Australia.
14:35
You know, people knew me as British touring cars, touring car driver.
14:41
And I reckon it took about 20 years for that to really die away.
14:48
Hall had some shirts made to celebrate the quirky pronunciation of his surname that fans snapped up.
14:53
He chatted for over an hour with Rusty on the garage.
14:57
The pair recording the episode as they literally sat in a race car, at the Leadfoot Festival.
15:02
Here's another touring car Leadfoot, let's continue the convo with Gabriele Tarquini.
15:09
The Hyundai boss, Andrea Adamo, paid tribute to you, saying it's very hard to put into words the contribution that you've made and you're still doing that.
15:17
You developed the i30N.
15:19
That really was your baby in many ways, wasn't it?
15:22
Yeah.
15:22
Also the Alantra.
15:24
The Alantra, yes, but I was getting to that.
15:26
Yeah, it was my baby.
15:28
We started together.
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But also Andrea, I mean, bet on me because I was, I mean, not, I was old in the beginning.
15:37
It was just to developing the car.
15:39
My first deal with him was, okay, you are old.
15:42
I need you just to develop the car.
15:44
We know each other.
15:45
I trust on Andrea.
15:46
He trust on me.
15:48
because I met Andrea in Alfa Romeo time in 1995, so a long time ago.
15:56
I had Andrea on that time in WTCC.
16:02
When he joined Hyundai, the first person called
16:08
The first call he made was me saying, okay, if you're free, next year we start developing the racing car because it was the first racing car for Hyundai because he was just involved in railing.
16:22
And I mean, I signed, if I'm not wrong, three or four months deal just to develop the car.
16:28
I said, yeah, why not, Andrea?
16:30
It's my job.
16:32
I like to develop the car.
16:34
My first image of the i30 NTCR was on the computer.
16:40
I worked with the engineer starting from the computer, the cockpit, the position, the seat position, everything was chosen by me and the engineer.
16:51
He had fantastic people working around the car, to be honest.
16:55
And after a few months, he let drive this car to other drivers.
17:02
Young driver, also professional driver.
17:05
And in the test, I was always the fastest.
17:07
And Andrea said, okay, now we must choose the two drivers enter the end of the 2017 in China.
17:16
So you are one of these.
17:18
You, ah, okay, good, good.
17:19
It was me and Alan Menou.
17:21
That's it, was not a young driver.
17:24
And later on, I mean, we won the very first race ever for Hyundai.
17:30
And I signed, personally, I signed after the race the deal for the 2018.
17:36
It was for one year because, I mean, at this age, you cannot expect to sign a three years or four years deal.
17:44
I always accept the Andrea decision and after the 2018 he won me for another two seasons.
17:52
Probably it's too much, I'm old.
17:54
So that's, but I mean Andrea, I have a really good relationship with him.
17:59
This is a new era and when you meet some of the end customers, lots of passion in that performance side of the brand isn't there?
18:10
Yeah, I mean, my relationship with Hyundai was fantastic because I went to Korea many times.
18:20
I met a lot of enthusiastic people because Hyundai is very young.
18:26
as a racing manufacturer.
18:27
They start very late to be involved in motorsport.
18:31
Ten years' history on motorsport coming only from rally.
18:36
The first season on track was 2017, so they are very young.
18:42
And the first time I went to Korea, I saw the automobile story of Hyundai is younger than me.
18:49
They start on 1967.
18:50
I'm 1962.
18:51
I was older than...
18:55
The manufacturer.
18:56
The manufacturer.
18:56
Yeah, unbelievable.
18:59
Are you proud of the Elantra?
19:02
I mean, we have one running, I mean, we have an i30N in Australia leading our championship.
19:08
The Elantra is running second.
19:09
You have Norbert Michalas, who you mentioned before, and Michalath Kona, both incredibly good drivers driving for your team.
19:17
You're now team manager.
19:18
Are you enjoying that?
19:20
Yeah, I enjoy.
19:21
I mean, the adrenaline is not like before, to be honest.
19:28
But sometimes, I mean, it's not easy.
19:30
It's not an easy job because you must take a decision at the very last minutes.
19:35
You must have under control a lot of people beside you.
19:39
And that's not a, I mean, an easy job.
19:44
Now I...
19:45
I can understand also much more than a normal team manager because I was sitting on this car two years ago, three years ago.
19:56
So I can understand also the driver point of view and sometimes they can listen to me much more because they
20:04
they are speaking with a driver because I never I mean driver you are forever I mean you never I stop racing but driving is forever and we can speak like a driver together and say I can understand you the feeling you had with this car sometimes with acid I can understand much more because I was sitting on
20:30
behind the steering wheel until two years ago.
20:32
You understand very well.
20:34
A quick comment on both of your drivers.
20:36
What is Norbert like?
20:38
I mean, he's leading this championship as you and I sit and talk here.
20:41
And Athcona is incredibly good too.
20:43
I mean, they're both very good drivers to have in your stable.
20:47
Yeah, I must admit that Norby, I forced Andrea to choose Norby in 2018 because he was free of contract with Honda and I spent five or six seasons with him.
21:04
For me, he's the best teammate we can have.
21:09
and it was true.
21:10
He helped me a lot in 2018.
21:13
Not because we don't have the first driver and the second driver, but in the middle of the championship I was far away, I was fighting for the title, I mean, not fighting for the title, and I trust on him very.
21:26
I mean, he helped me, especially on the last race, he did a fantastic job.
21:32
When I...
21:33
retired, the Hyundai told me what's for you the best choice on the driver.
21:42
And I say, for me, the man to take is Ascona.
21:46
And fortunately, Andrea was there, even if he didn't sign the contract because he was not anymore in Hyundai at this time.
21:55
But I mean, both drivers were chosen by Andrea Damo, and that's very good also.
22:00
You mentioned before about sorting the car and how much you enjoy that process, even from starting with a computer with a clean sheet of paper.
22:09
They tell me, I don't know how true this is, but they tell me you are really good at knowing straight away a change that the mechanics and the engineers have made.
22:19
You can almost feel it when you leave the pit lane before you even go out on the track.
22:23
Is that true?
22:24
Yes, but this comes from karting.
22:27
Doesn't it?
22:28
Yeah.
22:29
I mean, this...
22:31
Feeling.
22:31
Feeling and sensibility.
22:32
Because karting gives you an extra feeling because you don't have shock absorber.
22:37
It's a direct feeling.
22:38
You have the tyres with asphalt and nothing more.
22:41
Just the flexibility of the chassis.
22:44
But this comes from karting.
22:47
And after I...
22:49
I was a mechanic as well, so I can dismount and mount a gearbox, differential or suspension.
22:58
I was, I mean, I'm interested in mechanics and I was always curious to work around the engineer and that's helped me also to understand how it works.
23:10
You have to go soon for dinner with the team, I know.
23:11
So a couple to finish here.
23:12
Thank you very much for talking to us.
23:14
Firstly, what's the standard like of our Australian drivers?
23:19
What have you seen them last week at Sydney Motorsport Park?
23:21
A little bit of practice here at Bathurst.
23:23
Will Brown was very strong in Sydney there.
23:27
What do you think of our Australian drivers?
23:28
Level is very high.
23:29
I mean, the result shows this.
23:32
I mean, we raced with the European Championship in Europe.
23:37
We raced with South America in South America, but we had a tough time in Sydney.
23:43
I mean, we didn't expect this, to be honest.
23:45
because I know the car, I know the i30, I know the Elantra, and since the first lap, I need to admit that the level was very, very good.
23:57
And everybody was surprised.
24:01
We expected this more in Bathurst, but not in a normal track like Sydney.
24:08
And the job that Brown showed in Sydney was fantastic.
24:14
I mean, for me, he's a very good driver.
24:17
He's got a very bright future and he's got a great drive next year.
24:19
Yeah, I know.
24:20
I know everything about this.
24:21
After you, after you.
24:23
Okay.
24:24
You talked before about the ITC car and how special that was for you, the DTM car.
24:29
What about the track?
24:30
I mean, you've driven some unbelievable tracks all around the world.
24:34
Is there one that you go, that place is something else?
24:37
I have no doubt.
24:39
Suzuka.
24:40
Suzuka.
24:41
Yeah, for me, it's the best track ever.
24:44
Do you have something in the garage at home?
24:46
A little restoration project, a race car, an old car?
24:50
Is there a classic car in Gabriele Tarquini's garage?
24:54
But I had until last year my BTCC 155 Alfa Romeo.
25:01
Did you sell it?
25:02
Yeah, I sold last year.
25:06
It was in my garage since 1994, the end of 1994.
25:09
Because I had a bet with Giorgio Pianta in the beginning of the season.
25:15
He came for the pre-season test, that championship is very hard and you will have a hard time.
25:22
And say, no, I feel that I can win this championship.
25:25
Okay, make a bet.
25:26
If you win, I give you the car.
25:31
And you honored it.
25:35
Amazing.
25:36
British Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car titles.
25:39
You drove in Formula One.
25:40
You love it today as much as that youngster that went karting in the early 70s.
25:45
Congratulations on a stellar career.
25:48
Thank you so much for talking to us.
25:49
My Italian is not great, but grazie.
25:52
Thank you.
25:53
It's a pleasure to speak with somebody who also knows racing because you had some info that I totally forgot sometimes.
26:08
Rusty's Garage is written and presented by me, Greg Rust.
26:12
Series editor and producer is Thomas Dullard.
26:16
Audio production by Link Kelly.
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