EDO, AN UP AND DOWN GP2 ASIA SEASON... HOW DO YOU SEE IT AS A WHOLE?

The first two races were really good. I did a solid job in qualifying. Starting from the front is vital if you want to have a good weekend. You need to qualify in the top eight, or else you make your life very difficult. In Malaysia and Bahrain I started at the back but showed I was competitive in the races. So, to fulfill my potential I need to understand why I struggled in the last two events and get my car into the sharp end of the grid.

DID YOU EXPECT TO MAKE SUCH A PROMISING DEBUT IN BAHRAIN?

I was not expecting anything special. I just went there to do my best. Everything worked well and I was able to achieve a great result. But I don't look backwards, I look to the future. Bahrain was in January, and now it's May. My focus is Barcelona and the GP2 Main Series championship.

QATAR WAS ANOTHER GOOD RACE WEEKEND... DID YOU EVER THINK, "HEY THIS GP2 THING IS PRETTY EASY?"

I don't underestimate the challenge of any championship. I came from the F3 EuroSeries, which is extremely competitive, and I was expecting GP2 Asia to be at least as competitive as that. But I raced well in F3, and will try to do the same in GP2.

MALAYSIA AND BAHRAIN - TWO DIFFICULT WEEKENDS. THEY SOMETIMES SAY THAT DIFFICULT RACES TEACH YOU MORE THAN EASY RACES. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

Yes and no... If you're not competitive it means you're not doing as good a job as your rivals. But it's true that there are positive things to take away from even the worst weekend. You just need to understand why you are slow, so you can improve at the next race. And the most important thing is to never give up. Find the speed, and be consistent.

LOOKING BACK, DID YOUR DEBUT AND SUCCESS IN BAHRAIN MAYBE GIVE YOU UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON, GIVEN HOW EXPERIENCED IN GP2 MOST OF YOUR RIVALS WERE?

Experience is a big advantage. But I knew all these parameters before going to race in Bahrain. I was certain that I would do a good job then, and I remain convinced that I will perform well in these upcoming races.

DID RACING IN FRONT OF THE F1 TEAMS PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON YOU?

F1 is F1, and I'm just concentrating on GP2 for the moment. I have had four races and three tests. I'm a rookie and have plenty to learn. Of course I want to race well in front of F1's decision makers. They do watch GP2. But I'm concentrated on the task in hand.

YOU SEEM TO BE VERY FAST IN PRACTICE AND THE RACES, BUT HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING IN QUALIFYING. WHAT'S GOING WRONG?

I still don't know precisely where I've lost pace in qualifying. I think maybe I am just putting too much pressure on myself. If you're too aggressive, your laptimes will be down. But I am working on this problem. And it really does show how close the competition is - in terms of time, we're not that far off the guys at the front.

GP2 ONLY ALLOWS HALF AN HOUR OF PRACTICE BEFORE QUALIFYING: HOW HARD DOES THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE IN LEARNING CIRCUITS BEFORE QUALI?

I'm not struggling to learn the circuits, where my learning curve is steep is getting used to driving such a powerful, heavy car. An F3 car feels totally different.

HOW HARD WILL IT BE THIS SEASON, COMPETING AGAINST DRIVERS WHO HAVE YEARS OF GP2 EXPERIENCE AND KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE WEEKEND FORMAT?

You have to expect tough competition at this level. Yes, there are guys this season who have been racing GP2 for years and know the circuits better than I, but you've just got to deal with it. They aren't unbeatable, and if I didn't think I could beat them I'd stay at home and watch it on TV.

ARDEN IS A TEAM WHICH HAS WON A RACE IN GP2 EVERY YEAR - HOW HOPEFUL ARE YOU OF MAINTAINING THAT TRADITION?

I'm not aiming for anything special this year. For me, it's about building up experience as quickly as possible. It's going to be tough, especially at the beginning of the season. If we can score podiums and wins I will be ecstatic. But the main thing is to learn and improve, and try to finish the season in a strong position.

BUT THEY HAVEN'T WON A TITLE SINCE 2004. IS THIS A YEAR FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, OR A BUILD UP FOR 2010?

Like I said, this is my first year and I have a lot to learn. I will do my best in 2009. And if I do a good job I hope to continue for 2010.