JP has many points in what he sais although in the Lacetti last year he was happy to run under weight and low RH yet he didnt seem too concerned about his contemporaries then? Cheaters never prosper Jason. Better luck next year!
| Jason Plato – The marmite man of BTCC? |
 |
 |
| Monday, 23 August 2010 09:18 |
|
The former world champion seems to spark debate and divide fans in a way that few other drivers do. I sat down with the legend, after qualifying at Silverstone, to discuss a few issues and find out if, between love and hate, there is a third option… So Jason, how was qualifying for you? You have an infamous rivalry with Matt Neal who has been quoted as saying Silverstone isn’t his cars best track, however the Honda team are looking to come back at the next rounds. Are you planning upgrades to compensate for this or is it a case of grabbing what you can whilst you have a strong advantage? “We’re constantly working on it (the car), constantly looking to improve the package and we have some upgrades in the pipeline. Possibly for Knockhill, we’ll have some new suspension bits and bobs so we’re pushing hard, the team are pushing hard.” Of course I couldn’t speak to Jason without bringing up the ‘topic du jour’ Team Aon and those three little letters, L.P.G…. “The difference they have, it’s massive. If you look back, my team-mate (Alex MacDowall) is 7 tenths from pole, if you look back 7 tenths from him it’s 16th on the grid. So the bloke in 16th is closer to us in P3 than we are to P1. “They have a massive engine, in the last 25 years of Touring Cars the field has all been very close, now they are sticking out like a sore thumb - It is not what Touring Cars is about. “The turbo is there to make up the slight deficit they have in performance in LPG fuel, not to give a performance advantage. I would be more than happy for them to have the same torque and power as me however it’s not going to happen.” Aon aside, what does Jason think was the golden age of BTCC? And how does it compare to today? “I think the golden era was the mid-90s, nine independent manufacturers and a lot of European drivers, arguably some of the greatest drivers in the world. Having said that do you think there are enough opportunities for young drivers coming through the field? “It’s very hard for young drivers to come in and make it and that’s for a variety of reasons, not many manufacturers are involved now, moneys tight, it’s expensive to get into the right team.
The majority of drivers have duties away from the BTCC that still involve four wheels and a considerable amount of horsepower; for Jason it’s helping present TV’s Fifth Gear. What influence, if any, does this have on his driving style? “Driving wise it makes no difference. Arguably the experience I’ve had in Fifth Gear is very different, we push those cars past their limit, we drive them sideways etc. What it does do is give you exposure and the opportunity to hone your car control skills however you never use those skills in racing cars as you never go sideward’s! Having said that I’m sure that last year, when I had the big off at Paddock Bend, some of my Fifth Gear skills helped in the situation! “The big thing about it is that it’s good for profile, for my own exposure and therefore the exposure and level of publicity I can offer to sponsors and for the team, the two dove tail together nicely.” Speaking of publicity, as arguably the most well-known driver on the pit lane what pressures does the increased exposure bring? “It does bring some pressures; I pick up a fair bit of flack and criticism. Thankfully 99.9% of people understand that the drivers are here to do jobs. Sometimes people are very persistent and you have to say no. That gets a little tedious as I really don’t want to say no but realistically if I stopped every time I got asked between here (Chevrolet hospitality) and the garage I’d never get anything else done. “By and large people are really understanding and realise you have a job to do so mostly it’s fine but that’s the devil of the job.” Finally, as we fast approach the end of the season, how are you feeling about the championship? “Yeah, we’re in a very good position in the championship so I’m feeling happy.” There we have it; I have a sneaking suspicion that, like everything else about Plato this article will be debated. Therefore I’ll leave it for you to decide - love, hate or option three? By Samantha Wilcox Girlracer Magazine
Worth checking - Motorsport news - F1 news
Comments (3)
Powered by !JoomlaComment 4.0 beta1
!joomlacomment 4.0 Copyright (C) 2009 Compojoom.com . All rights reserved." |