How would you assess your first season with Toyota?
I’d give myself eight or nine out of ten. I think I raced well and qualified very well and always did my maximum out of the car as well.

What would it take to get a maximum score?

The last part of the season was not so good and I had a few problems mid-season when I lost at least three or four potential podiums. If I had achieved those podiums I think I could probably mark myself at 9.9. It’s only 10 if you win the championship!

Have you been positively surprised by Toyota this season?
Moving to this team is the best thing I have done in my life. I found new people with a lot of commitment, very hard working and really passionate about the sport. I could never have expected such a high profile from this team and such good performance in general from the car and such good attitude. Starting the season so well I thought that if we were able to use all our potential we were going to blow everybody away, but unfortunately experience plays an important role in Formula 1. The resources are there but we are still a young team and we have to learn to use them properly. By mid season other teams had caught us up. It was a difficult end of the season, I’d say, but nevertheless I was always fighting to qualify in the top five positions. That was extremely good and I could never have dreamed of doing that at the beginning of the season.

What were the biggest issues to overcome?
There were no big problems to be honest. The team was new and we settled down quite quickly together. The car was okay and the main problem was bad luck in several races. Spa was a big disappointment, then in Canada with just seven laps to go I had the brake problem when the podium was there for the taking, at Nürburgring I could have fought for a win if we hadn’t had the problem starting the car, and at Monaco I think I could have been on the podium as well.

What would you say was your best race this year?

It’s difficult. Obviously when you get on the podium it is a good race but I’ve done so many good races this year that it’s hard to pick out the best. At Barcelona I had a very good race, at Spa I was going very, very well, and then there was Malaysia and Bahrain. Nurburgring and Canada would have been good. The problem is that the result is important for the people but as a driver you have to analyse the race. The result is just a number.

Where can Toyota improve? Is it just experience?
I think with research and development the team has been good but you can always be harder working and quicker reacting. On the aerodynamics we can be better too. It’s important that reaction rates throughout the season get quicker and quicker because although it’s important to build a good car at the beginning, it’s also important to maintain strong development throughout the year if you want to win the championship.

After Japan though, didn’t you praise the new parts in time for China?

Absolutely. That’s what’s great and I really appreciate that. It makes a driver feel good when the team listens to him and reacts in just two days. They couldn’t have done more than they did and that’s the mentality that I want and appreciate.

Why are you so fast in qualifying ? is it instinctive feel for grip levels?

I don’t actually know! I think the car itself is extremely quick in qualifying. But I think in qualifying I can sometimes produce a bit more than the others because I am better able to use the new tyres. It is just small things and perhaps only drivers who are as sensitive as I am to the car can find those limits. I feel normal when I drive, I don’t feel I am doing anything different, but it looks like I am a little better.