What happens when you put six young racers in a room and leave them to ask the questions? Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Daniil Kvyat, Alex Albon, Andrea Dovizioso and Pol Espargaró found themselves both quizmasters and under the question spotlight in a novel Q&A session in Kitzbühel before the start of their respective Formula 1 and MotoGP seasons.
Dovizioso revealed his toughest ever rival, Albon his worst habit and Gasly his biggest friend-turned-rival on the grid. Here are some of the highlights:
Max Verstappen: ”What’s your favourite circuit.”
Daniil Kvyat: “Everywhere where the car is fast is a good track. I like Monza, and I also like Mugello when I raced there in Formula Renault.”
MV: “For me, it’s Spa. I hate it when you really have to break hard and then there’s a hairpin where you accelerate again. I prefer to be in the flow and being in the fast corners. So, Spa and there’s a lot of orange there.
DK: “What’s your favourite part of training and why?”
MV: “When it’s finished! I enjoy riding a bicycle, cycling outside is good. I enjoy that.”
Pol Espargaró: “Who’s been your toughest opponent to date and what makes them so tough to beat?”
Andrea Dovizioso: “In the last few years for sure Marc [Márquez]. He won the last four, five titles, quite a lot. He likes to play on the limit and this is something for a rider that’s not so easy. Everybody wants to stay a little bit under the limit but he wants to touch and play, maybe like Max. He plays with the limit every lap so that’s his style and characteristic but I’m working on that.”
AD: “Who’s your all-time favourite sports star.”
PE: “It’s Alex Barros. When I was a child I was doing the Spanish championship and had a manager who knows Alex. I was at Catalan GP and my manager brought me to meet him. This guy let me go inside the motorhome. He was so kind with me so he treated me with so much respect being so little.”
Alex Albon: “Who’s your best friend in the paddock and what connects you?”
Pierre Gasly: “The one I know the longest time is Charles Leclerc. We used to spend holidays with each other when eight or nine years old. We started racing the same year, 2005, and after we grew more or less in the same series. He’s the one I’ve known the longest time and spend most time with after the paddock.”
PG: “What’s your worst habit? You’re perfect maybe that’s the answer!?”
AA: “I’m always overthinking, overthinking in general. Not too much else to say.”
Testing completed! Can’t believe how quick it’s gone! Lots learnt, just some final preparations now before Melbourne! ?? ? #ToroRosso #HondaRacingF1 #RedBull #AA23 pic.twitter.com/usDsAwVKzU
— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) March 1, 2019