Are you excited about competing in the GP2 Main Series this summer?
Extremely excited. GP2 is the series you want to be in to get into Formula One, and I’m very happy to continue with Arden International also. It will make stepping up to the Main Series easier, I think. I plan to get as much mileage under my belt at the upcoming tests and Asia Series races so when the Main Series starts, on the weekend of 8-10 May in Barcelona, I’ll be right on the pace.

Why did you decide to go to Arden, when you could have gone to any team?
Arden is a very professional team that knows how to win races. After finishing runner-up in the F3 Euroseries I was invited by a number of teams to test. My Arden test was particularly successful, and I enjoyed working with the team. So I signed a contract with them for the Asia Series, to get mileage and experience at this level, and prepare myself for the Main Series this summer in the best possible style. On my race debut I managed to achieve a podium, which was a fantastic start to my relationship with the team. They were really pleased. I’ve got a fantastic rapport with my mechanics, and my engineers Mick and Campbell. They’re as hungry to win as I am.

What are your expectations for the year?
I don’t have any expectations, but I intend to do the best job I can, to learn as much as I can, and score as many points as possible. My goal is to be fast and consistent.

How is the car to drive?
The first time I drove a GP2 car it blew my mind. So powerful… it was a big step up from the Formula 3 Euroseries, in which I finished second in the championship in 2008. But I’m getting very comfortable about it and, touch wood, I haven’t gone off or spun once yet!

What’s it like working with Christian Horner?
Christian’s great, and really encouraging. We all benefit from his experience, because obviously he’s also on the front line of Formula One and I found it quite flattering that he was so keen to sign me. I really value his guidance. Once the GP2 season joins the F1 weekend, from Malaysia onwards, he’ll be in the garage with us more often and I look forward to that.

They’re a very professional and well-funded team, and they have major backing from Red Bull – was that part of the appeal of joining Arden?
Arden is a well-funded team, which is quite rare in these challenging economic times, and I wanted to drive for a team that has the resources in place to win the championship. Red Bull have done so much in the last 15 years to support motorsport, and I hope we can achieve results that will impress Mr Mateschitz.

Why have you decided to race under the Italian flag, when you could also race under French and Swiss nationality?
I started my racing career in karts in Italy. Italy is not only the best, most competitive nation for karting – and I was a works driver for their legendary Toni Kart team – but to my mind it’s also where motor racing’s DNA was discovered. So I love Italy, my father is Italian, I consider myself to be an Italian, and Italy was a great place to race. But I’m a very international man – my mother is French, and I was born in Switzerland. I am a native speaker in both French and Italian. I could register for a licence in France or Switzerland, and if a situation arose where that might make more sense, then I could switch. But I’m very happy to race under the Italian flag and, at the end of last year, it earned me the coveted Casco d’Oro award for being the best Italian driver of 2008.

How old were you when you started racing?
Ten, because that was the youngest you could race in cadet karts in Italy. I started driving rental go-karts at eight, and was racing at 10. At 13 I was invited to join the official Tony Kart team, where I raced for the majority of my karting years, against guys like Robert Kubica, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Has there ever been a point when you considered giving up?
Never. Once I caught the bug, aged 10, that was it. Motor racing is a difficult business, and talent isn’t enough – you need to work hard at it, and you need luck. I have always been fast, I have always been committed, but luck is harder to control. You have problems, you can’t win every time. But I have always been competitive and never thought to stop.

Was there any pressure on you to go to university?
Yes, I finished school and went to university for two years to study economics. It was difficult because in Switzerland you have to be present during your exams. If you’re not there you have to give a valid justification for your absence. In the second year I told the Dean that I had a race and I couldn’t attend the exam, because I had already signed some contracts. He told me I had to do the exam, but I couldn’t, so they threw me out of the university. Back when I started the course I could balance both racing and studies, but now I have to focus on racing if I’m going to be successful.

What is your goal? Is it Formula One?
I’m in GP2, I’m able to achieve some strong results I think, and I am one step away from F1. This is a good place to be. My goal is F1, absolutely. I will do whatever it takes and seize every opportunity to make that happen. This year, I hope to win races, but it’s a reconnaissance year in many ways. It will take a little time to extract the maximum for my car, my team and myself. But I’m only in my first season of GP2 Asia and, at 22, I still have plenty of time to talk to F1 teams.

You know Sebastien Buemi not just from the race track, but also your home town of Geneva. Are you happy he’s in F1 now?
Yes, he’s a nice guy and we were always very competitive together, we had some great fights, so I’m very happy for him. He has fantastic backing from Red Bull. He deserves it, and I hope we get to race each other again soon.

Where do your main strengths lie as a driver, and do you have any weaknesses?
I have natural speed, I’m a fast learner and can get to grips with new tracks and set-ups quite quickly, I have a good technical dialogue with my team, a strong work ethic, and good defensive driving skills. I’m new to GP2 so there’s still a lot to learn, but it’s going well, I’m building in confidence and getting great support from the team.