A couple of weeks ago we had an exclusive interview with Anett Kõváry, driver of the Lotus Ladies Cup competition, this time we got the chance to interview Gábor Wéber, pilot of the Zengõ Motorsport WTCC team.
Gábor was very kind to spend some time answering our questions about his career and how he sees Motorsports in general. Go ahead and read the complete interview after the jump.
Exclusive Interview with WTCC driver Gábor Wéber
MW – Being involved in professional motorsport for over 10 years now, what are your suggestions for the beginners, what is the best way to start a career in the sport?
GW – There are no magic rules, just keep on trying and if you get the chance never stop learning, even when you think you know it all.
MW – You have experience in 24 hours endurance races; what are the main challenges in that form of racing apart from sleep deprivation?
GW – Trying to keep a consistent pace without abusing the car too much, cause it has to last 24 hours. Driving at 90-95% sometimes is harder than driving close to the limit.
MW – As someone who’s spent many years racing touring cars, how do you compare them to open-wheelers in terms of driving skills?
GW – Driving an OW is much more physical, although with practice you get used to it. You have plenty of aero grip, which you normally don’t have when you drive a TC – except if you’re a DTM driver. In touring cars the heat is your main enemy, because in a closed cockpit car the temperature could reach 55º-60º Celsius.
MW – Given a second chance would you stick with Touring cars again?
GW – Looking at my birth date I have no other choice, do I?
MW – Tell us about your experience in SEAT cup racing?
GW – I’ve learned how to be fair and rude – sometimes at the same time. And of course a lot of other things, but it’s like swimming in the same pool with piranhas, in the end you turn out to be one of them.
MW – Tell us about your experience in Porsche Super Cup – never tried that again since 2003?
GW – I was rookie as hell, it was my first experience with slick tires, RWD, heel&toe etc. – you can imagine, it was too much to stomach coming from the “streets”. I’d love to do that again properly one day.
MW – Do you have any experience in other forms of the sport; rallying, formula, etc.?
GW – No, I always raced touring cars, but I wanna try prototypes later on. I drove formula cars, even an F1 car, but not in competition.
MW – Being a Formula 1 commentator on TV you certainly had F1 ambitions yourself. Tell us about that?
GW – Of course I had when I was a child, but since I started my career very-very late, in my thirties, I’ve missed that train long ago. Touring cars is a completely different business where you can continue till you are a grandfather. 🙂
MW – How do you see 2012 F1 season so far, now that the unpredictability is back? Who do you think has got the best shot this year?
GW – It’s an amazing season so far, there are at least 5-6 who can be world champion. This year you need calculate your chances very precisely and score all the points you can. That means an Alonso vs Vettel battle in the end for me. On the long run they are the best right now.
MW – What’s next for you? Are you staying in WTCC?
GW – I’ve just arrived; therefore I am here to stay. I’m still on a learning curve with the BMW and didn’t expect to beat Yvan&co. right out of the box. I have plenty of speed unlocked.
MW – What’s your favorite race track?
GW – Nürburgring-Nordschleife
MW – What’s your favorite car?
GW – Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
MW – Who’s your favorite driver?
GW – Gilles Villeneuve
MW – Do you have any story or some final words you’d like to share with Motorward.com readers?
GW – Thanks for reading this; it means you are interested in WTCC and my career. Keep it up and cheer for us at Zengõ Motorsport! 🙂
We’d like to thank Wéber Gábor for this interview and for a few pictures and videos he’s sent to us. It’s been a pleasure. Good luck for your next race… Portimão/Portugal!
Cheers!
Biography
Name: Gábor Wéber
Birth Date: 04/12/1971
City/Country: Budapest/Hungary
Profession: Commentator/Event organizer
Music: Rock and sometimes Rap
Actors: Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Tom Hanks, Claire Forlani, Demi Moore, Julian Moore, René Russo
Food: Beef, Duck, Chicken and Pasta
Drink: Red wine, Ice tea, Coke