Interview: Conor Daly

Formula 1 has recently had a lack of American presence on the grid but Conor Daly is looking to stop that and has his sights firmly set on a drive in the sport.

 

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Daly comes from a racing family, his Father raced in Formula 1 for teams like Tyrrell and Williams whilst his Mother raced jet ski's, but was never pushed into a career in motorsport by his parents. However he chose to on his own accord and has certainly proved that he has the racing gene. Click "read more" to see an exclusive chat to Conor ahead of his Indy 500 debut and his first season in GP2.

The 21-year-old has driven a wide range of machinery and had an eventful 2012 season. He drove predominantly in the highly competitive GP3 series and stood on the podium five times, once for a race win. He also tested a Force India F1 car, won the MRF Challenge series in India and tested an IndyCar. Quite a year for the American which meant he had plenty to talk about when answering my questions.

Jack Leslie: Hi Conor, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. So obviously your father raced in Formula 1, was he one of the main reasons why you got interested in the sport and started Karting?

Conor Daly: Well that definitely had something to do with it, haha! My Dad never pushed me into it though, it was actually a neighbor of ours who wanted to go karting and sure enough I tagged along and had a go at it myself and was hooked. 

JL: Was there anyone who you idolised or looked up to whilst you were racing in the lower ranks? 

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CD: It's hard not to look up to Michael Schumacher. He was dominating the sport as I grew up and I wanted to be like him. But also, growing up in the States meant I attended a lot of Champ car and IndyCar races and became friends with some of the drivers there. I really enjoyed looking up to guys like AJ Allmendinger and Bourdais in Champ Car and more recently Will Power in IndyCar.

JL: Now more focus is put on your fathers racing career but I know your mother also had the need for speed, so racing is in your blood and was something you pretty much grew up with?

CD: That is for sure my Mom raced jet ski's when I was young and was really good! She has also worked at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway longer than I've been alive so that meant I was always at the track with my family. My family truly lives and breathes racing!

JL: Going through Karting and the junior formula did you get any advice or tips from your Dad, and what was the best piece of advice he gave you if he did?

CD: My Dad has always been very good at helping drivers develop. It's not always about what I need to do differently on track but how I can become a better driver overall. Whether that be learning about the car technically or something completely different like handling media situations. 

JL: Now the move from Karting to single seaters is quite a jump, what were the main differences and maybe difficulties that you as a young driver faced making that step?

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CD: It is a very exciting time in a driver's career and I really enjoyed it. I was actually much more comfortable driving race cars than I was in karts. I was quick in karts and won races but I wouldn't say I was the best karter out there. When you get into cars you have to learn so much every time on track and be able to use that information to perform better the next time you get in a car. 

JL: After racing in the junior formula you raced in the Indy Lights series, how did you find racing in the series and that next step up the ladder?

CD: Well I only did 5 road course races in Indy Lights because 2011 was also my first season in GP3. I led the championship after the first 3 rounds before going to Turkey for the first GP3 round. Indy Lights is right below IndyCar and they are big cars to drive. A good amount of horsepower but kind of old school gear box. 

JL: You raced in both the GP3 and Indy Light series during 2011, which did you prefer and what were the challenges from racing in two series throughout the year?

CD: As I mentioned earlier my main focus was GP3 and only did a few Indy Lights races but it was a good experience for me. It was extremely difficult getting used to the GP3 car and race season but by the end of the year we were competing for podium positions in Monza when I was taken out by Bottas. Doing a lot of racing throughout the year definitely kept me busy but I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. 

JL: Obviously you raced in GP3 last season, how happy were you with the year as a whole? 

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CD: I was pretty happy honestly. It was a year of high's and low's that's for sure. To get a win and several podiums was really nice but unfortunately we had Monaco and Valencia that really ruined my championship run. I made some mistakes during the year that I've worked on over this off season so I'm really hoping to come out strong in 2013 using the lessons I learned last year.

JL: Talking of Monaco you had that scary crash there, what was going through your mind during and after the crash? Were you scared at all by it, or is it something race drivers learn to deal with? 

CD: It was definitely an unfortunate experience caused by dangerous driving. It's not something I'd like to be involved with again but something like that doesn't scare you as a driver, it's just part of the sport!

JL: Now you move up to GP2, we have had one round already (well done on the brilliant sprint race by the way), how do you think you performed in Malaysia? 

CD: I think it went extremely well! I only had an afternoon of testing in the dry to get to grips with the car in Barcelona so to come out of the weekend with points was extremely satisfying. I had never been to the track and only knew I was going to be racing the Monday night before I flew out Tuesday so it was definitely an interesting deal. It was really unfortunate to get a questionable drive through penalty with 5 other drivers in the race on Saturday because if we hadn't had that I could have been starting on the front row for race two… 

JL: So what are your main aims and objectives for the season ahead?

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CD: I want to continue winning races in Europe. I want to improve as a driver and develop as best I can. I think the goal would be to try and end up in the F1 young driver test by the end of the year.

JL: Formula 1 is currently a hive of activity surrounding the team orders in Malaysia, what was your racers view of both the Red Bull and Mercedes examples?

CD: I did not like the call from either team honestly. I think BOTH situations were sad to see because it basically meant there wasn't real racing going on. I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing as I watched it. 

JL: F1 and the feeder series are hugely expensive. I was talking to Nick Yelloly about it and he said that the lower ranks are far too expensive and that the quality of the talent on the grid is decreasing. Would you agree, what do you make of the current debate on costs?

CD: It is staggering how expensive it is getting and I do believe some really good drivers are missing chances to succeed as professionals just because of funding. I think something big needs to happen to change the game if Formula 1 wants to continue to say they have the best drivers in the world. 

JL: You recently announced that you will race in the Indy 500, how did that deal come about and how excited are you for this challenge?

CD: I tested with AJ Foyt Racing in December and it went really well. I was able to develop a great relationship with the team and they chose me to drive their second car at Indy and I have never been happier. It is an incredible opportunity to drive in my home race where I grew up for such a legendary name like AJ Foyt. I absolutely cannot wait!

JL: Finally thanks for answering my questions Conor, good luck for this season. One last question, a prediction, who will take both the GP2 and F1 championships?

CD: GP2, Fabio Leimer and F1,Vettel.

Thanks to Conor for answering my questions, check out his website, follow him on Twitter and like his Facebook page.

Images courtesy of Octane Photographic and GP3 Series