How Well Do You Know Your Teammate? ART / Bird / Bianchi

Sam, Jules has told us that you are the “mommy” in your relationship?
Sam laughs
Jules: Sometimes we switch...
Sam: I hope we are not here to talk about that! It’s off the record! Off the record!

It's too late, you have to say “off the record” before... But alright, first question: what did you know about each other before you became teammate?
Jules: We were in the same championship the past two years. I know him, but not as a teammate because he was in another team. We were not really friends. I’m a bit shy so it is hard for me to be friends with other drivers. Now it is different because we are in the same team. It’s a lot better.
Sam: Jules and I competed against each other in 2008 and 2009 in F3 Euroseries. Like he said, we didn’t speak much then. Obviously through the Asia Series and testing with ART we got to know each other and I think we have fund a good and stable relationship. We are friends off the track and when on the track, we push each other really hard.

How did you view Jules in 08 and 09?
Sam: Hard to beat. Especially in 09. We weren’t close friends, but he was the one to beat. We come back here and oh, Bianchi is on pole! Again! Oh my God! But it’s great to be teammates now.

And Jules, how did you view Sam?
Jules: I knew he was a very good driver. I didn’t really know his team. In Macao, he was very strong when we were together in the same team. I knew he would be fast in the GP2 Series.

What are his greatest strengths?
Sam: I think his pace is pretty damn good. I feel like I’m still learning and improving quite a lot and it’s helped by the fact that I’m teamed with Jules. We bounce each other pretty well.
Jules: Sam is very strong. Sometimes I’m slower and looking at his data helps me work with my engineer. It’s really good because we are quite close in terms of performance and we can improve a lot together.

Any weaknesses?
Sam: Um... Ok, Jules, you go first!
Jules: No, no, please, go on.
Sam: Um... You know what? I don’t think Jules has one at the moment: he is confident, he is driving really well. Everybody around him is relaxed and good and friendly. I don’t see a weakness at the moment. We’ll see your start this afternoon mate!
Jules laughs...
Jules: Same for me!
Sam laughs

Who gets to the circuit last?
Jules: Me... I like to sleep!
Sam: I always get up really early. I’m usually down at breakfast before the team! I can’t help it. I like to get up. It’s just something that I do. I go to bed at 10-10:30pm.
Jules: Me too. But I don’t get up early!

Who is the wildest one on track and off the track?
Sam: Jules, you answer that...
Jules: Maybe it’s me on the track.
Sam: We could ask Sergio what he thought of Turn 7 Lap 1 during free practice...!
Jules: Maybe... But off the track, it’s you.
Sam: Me? Crazy? No... Come on... I like to have a bit of fun with the team, poke and annoy Jules a little bit, but it’s just silly little things. Nothing too wild. Not like I cut his suit in half or anything! But I’m a joker and it helps take the edge off and not nervously wait before the next session thinking that we have to go quicker and quicker. I love my job and I intent to enjoy it as much as possible. Do you get nervous Jules?
Jules: Sometimes, yeah. Today, a bit...
Sam: On the pedals at the start right?!
(Jules laughs... nervously)

Who is the most successful with the ladies?
Sam: I’ve been in a relationship for two and a half years so...
Jules: I’m single now... But I don’t know. I am free. But I don’t need you to help me with the blog
Sam: We could do an add on the blog with your phone number if you’d like
Jules: Thanks, I’m good!

Are you superstitious?
Jules: yes.
Sam: Yes.
Jules: Yesterday, I put on new gloves for the free practice and for qualy, I put the old ones because free practice was not so good. And I changed the visor also for the one I used in the pre-season tests.
Sam: Last year, when I had good results, I remembered certain things that I put on in the morning like lucky underwear or lucky jeans and I had to wear them for the next round. They had to be in the suitcase. I had to wear them on the Saturday or on the Sunday. And when they didn’t work, I would be like “I’m never wearing them again”. I always get in from the right hand side of the car. If I get in from the left, it’s over. I’ve never tried! I put on my right sock before my left sock. It’s really silly things like that. I stroke my car before I go out. I pat her. She is called Mary. So I tell Mary to look after me and be good to me...

Who will have the best road car in 10 years time?
Sam: It’s so far away... He will have something like a Ferrari. I’ll have a really wide Lamborghini!
Jules: Yeah, I’ll have a Ferrari.

Who will have the most beautiful wife?
Jules: Me.
Sam: Why? Why? And I’m not being your wife.
Jules: Of course you’ll be my wife! I am the man in the relationship.
Sam: That’s not what you said last night!
(Both laugh)

How would you describe your teammate?
Sam: Speedy Gonzalez
Sam whispers in Jules’s ear “I can be the Road-runner”
Jules: The little Bird
Sam: Oh yeah “Le petit oiseau”. On my tyres they write “piou-piou”. I’ve asked them to change it to “L.P.O.” If I were to sum-up Jules in a couple of words it would be fast and focused to be honest. That’s what he is. That’s kind of a dull answer, I know...
Jules: And you look like Beckham.
Sam: Cheers dude! I can handle that!

Who has the best fashion-sense?
Sam: We always see each other wearing team clothes. The only time we’ve seen each other in normal clothes was in Macao on the night-out. But I can’t even remember what I was wearing.
Jules: Me neither...

Who is the shyest?
Sam: Do we need to answer that one?
Jules: Well, it’s not you for sure...

Who is your favourite sportsman or sportswoman?
Jules: Zidane. He was so great...
Sam: Massive iconic figures that inspire me – you have Lance Armstrong, what he came through and what he achieved. Mohammad Ali, he was the best. You got Michael Schumacher, such a machine. Hopefully he will come back and do it again. Messi in football, I don’t know how he does some of the things he does. If I re-enacted it in the garden, I would probably trip over. They are my idols. And Tiger Woods and Usain Bolt! I’ve seen Tiger Woods in training in America. I was with James Jakes and we saw him in the gym. The guy has a massive upper-body. He is absolutely massive.

Who tells the most jokes?
Sam raises his hand
Sam: Here we go.

Jules, if you were going to invite Sam for dinner, what would you cook? Same question for Sam...
Sam: Again, a very gay question!
Jules: Pasta. It’s very easy. Pasta with oil.
Sam: That sounds exciting mate! That really turns me on... What about Bolognese sauce?
Jules: No.
Sam: I would add a Bolognese sauce with that with some fettuccini.
Jules: I can’t do that.
Sam: I’d make my own Bolognese sauce with some garlic, add a bit of bacon in there, some carrots. Throw it all in with some fresh fettuccini in the pan and then serve it up.
Jules: So you are the wife, really!
Sam: You can only cook toast and pasta...

Who has the most contacts in their phone?
Sam: I got a new phone recently and I haven’t had the time to add all of my contacts yet. Otherwise it would be a close match.
Jules: I have over 100.
Sam: I don’t know that many people...!

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