Q & A With Adrian Fernandez

Posted on February 3rd, 2010 by Stephen Rhodes in American LeMans Series - News/Rumors - Le Mans Series - News/Rumors

Following the closure of his Fernandez Racing team last October, veteran open-wheel and sportscar racer Adrian Fernandez was left without a ride. But it didn’t take long for the 46-year old Mexican star to land back on his feet and with another championship-winning organization.

On Monday, Fernandez was confirmed as Aston Martin Racing’s newest recruit, joining the British manufacturer as an official works driver for 2010. He will compete behind the wheel of one of the team’s Lola-Aston Martins in a selection of international races this year, including the first two American Le Mans Series rounds at Sebring and Long Beach, the European-based Le Mans Series season-opener at Paul Ricard in April, and the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Fernandez, who has signed a three-year contract with AMR, will get his first taste of the V12-powered LMP1 machine in just under three weeks’ time at the ALMS official Winter Test in Sebring on Feb. 22-23. Coupled with a recent move to Switzerland with his family, Fernandez has been a busy man preparing for his new chapter in his illustrious career.

John Dagys of SPEED TV caught up with Adrian to discuss these developments.

DAGYS: Three months ago, you were forced to shut down operations at Fernandez Racing. Now you’re back in the sport and with the 2009 Le Mans Series LMP1 championship-winning squad. How did the relationship with Aston Martin Racing come about?

FERNANDEZ: I didn’t want to retire and couldn’t find a replacement sponsor for Lowe’s at the level we were racing, so I started talking to some of the top teams. After a few months of searching and waiting, this opportunity with Aston Martin Racing came about. I talked to Lowe’s with the possibility of their partnership and helping me. In the end, I managed to put the whole thing together.

I’m very excited. It’s a new challenge and a new chapter in my career. I have had a few different ones through my entire career, and this is definitely one of them. I’ll not only be driving for a top team like Aston Martin Racing, but also being able to move my family to Europe, which has always been a dream to come here, especially while my kids are still young. Everything fits the way I had dreamed it to be. It also extends my career, even though I’m 46, I feel like I can race for another 10 years.

DAGYS: How long has the deal with AMR been in the works?

FERNANDEZ: I’ve been working on this since last July. I knew Lowe’s wasn’t coming back with my team, so I started searching for other opportunities. Obviously the main goal was to keep the team and find a sponsor, but I had plan B’s and C’s in-case that didn’t happen. When sponsorship never came, I started following the other leads. This was the one. The good thing is that I still stay with Lowe’s and the relationship we’ve established in the Latin America market. They’re going to benefit from the name and prestige of name Aston Martin brand in America.

DAGYS: You’re slated to compete in three races prior to Le Mans – the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Eight Hours of Le Castellet Le Mans Series season-opener and the ALMS round at Long Beach. Was there any specific reason to choose Long Beach over another race such as the six-hour enduro at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca?

FERNANDEZ: Long Beach is an important market for Lowe’s, so we definitely wanted to see a way to make it happen. The impact Aston Martin will have in Long Beach will be quite large compared to other tracks. It was a combination of what was good for the brand and for our sponsors.

DAGYS: While you haven’t yet turned a wheel in the Lola-Aston Martin, you do have a grasp of the competition in the prototype categories in ALMS, having won the P2 championship last year. Where do you think AMR will fit in for its ALMS P1 debut next month?

FERNANDEZ: It’s tough competition. This year still, the diesel cars will have an advantage over the gasoline-powered cars, so it’s definitely still going to be an advantage for them. But I know Prodrive and Aston Martin have done a lot of work on the cars on the aero, mechanical and engine side of things. Hopefully that deficit they had last year will be reduced and we’ll be better. The preparation for Le Mans will put us in a better situation to fight with them.

DAGYS: After making your Le Mans debut in 2007, how important was it for you to return as a driver, and to be with a team that has a chance for the overall victory?

FERNANDEZ: I absolutely loved it when I went to Le Mans a few years ago. It was the best experience I had in racing for a long time. I was fortunate enough to qualify on the pole and managed to learn the track quite quickly and drive many hours in the race. We finished second after having some mechanical problems. But the whole experience was absolutely magical to me. One of my priorities was to get back with a top team to be able to be in a position to win the race. I feel Aston Martin provides that for me.

DAGYS: Now without the ownership role of a team, will it be easier for you to focus solely on the driving aspect?

FERNANDEZ: Yes and no. My team wasn’t very much of a headache anymore. Tom Anderson, my partner, did such a fantastic job that it was easy for me in that respect. So I never had any issues there. Now I may have some challenges in the beginning as I’m learning to be with a new team. Things like getting new uniforms, new helmets, etc.

But at the end of the day, not having the ownership role does take some pressure off. You’re working for a team with different drivers and you personally don’t have to worry about the development. You just worry about how to improve the team and work with your teammates to improve the whole package. In that respect, it will leave me with more time to focus on my driving.

DAGYS: Right now, AMR has four races planned for 2010, but it has left the door open to add more after Le Mans. Could the new Le Mans Intercontinental Cup, encompassing races at Silverstone, Petit Le Mans and Asia, be on the radar screen?

FERNANDEZ: I think they’re considering all of them. The LMS races, maybe some more in America, like Petit Le Mans as well as the Intercontinental Cup. Like the other top teams, Aston Martin Racing isn’t exactly in the same position right now. They’re considering adding more races and will make a decision pretty soon.

DAGYS: With you becoming an official works driver, would there be a possibility for participation in the GT ranks with Aston Martin, potentially in other European endurance races?

FERNANDEZ: Yes, there’s an opportunity that I may do some races in GT1 or GT2. That’s all open for Aston Martin to decide, but we’ve agreed that I’m available. It really all depends as it’s their call. Obviously we yet haven’t worked together on the race track. They know about me as much as I know about them. Once we start working together, I think things will start shaping up.

DAGYS: Your longtime co-driver Luis Diaz is currently without a ride for 2010. Have you been keeping in touch with him and other former Fernandez crew members still looking for work?

FERNANDEZ: I speak to him all of the time. It’s sad. Most of my guys have gotten jobs, but three of them haven’t yet. I’m happy for the ones that have gotten jobs, but I must feel sad and concerned about the other ones. They’re top notch guys, just like Luis, and they haven’t been able to find a job. Luis is such an asset to a team, but it’s a tough environment right now. I just hope they all find a home for the future.

DAGYS: Finally, we’ve heard that you’ve been helping some up-and-coming open-wheel stars in the sport. With your move to Europe, you’ll obviously be closer to them to give a helping hand in their quest to make it to Formula One. Can you tell us more about this initiative?

FERNANDEZ: There’s three Mexican drivers, Sergio Perez, Pablo Sanchez and Esteban Gutierrez, that are close to making it into Formula One. I’m very close to these drivers in helping guide them. It would be fantastic to see one of these guys in F1 and be the first Mexican driver there in nearly 30 years. I never reached that goal. Once I wanted to go to F1, I didn’t have the age and really had a bright future in CART. So I decided to stay there. I hope to help them along the path and will be at some of their GP2 and GP3 races throughout the year.