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Introduction: Hungry for his first career CART FedEx Championship Series win in 1999,
Max Papis, driver of the #7 Miller Lite Ford-Cosworth for Team Rahal,
is banking on the professionalism of Team Rahal, the experience of Bobby
Rahal, the support of Bryan Herta, and the past success of the
Ford-Cosworth engine to propel him to victory lane.
Papis, who has high expectations of himself, considers a season of
consistent strong showings more impressive than one of sporadic
successes and relishes the opportunity to prove that he has what it
takes to be a champion.
He has also employed a personal trainer whose resume reads as a who's
who of European sport celebrities to help him train physically for the
rigorous twenty race season that spans three continents.
Question: You raised quite a few eyebrows with the times you turned
in Spring Training. Not many people picked you to be the fastest Ford?
Max Papis: I was excited to be back in the car
in a competitive environment. I am glad we raised some attention for
ourselves by people who may not have thought we would have shown as much
as we did. This is just the beginning and there is a lot more to come.
We are going to surprise a lot of people this year in the Miller Lite
car. We have a good package with the team, my engineer and Bobby
(Rahal) supporting us. But, we are not even close to our potential. We
still have to find the right chemistry. If you looked at the times in
Spring Training, I was the only guy in the top-five with a new car, a
new team and a new environment. If I surprised some people, just wait a
while. We are going to surprise many.
Question: The only variable that has changed in the "package" you
ran last year is the engine. How does the Ford compare to the Toyota?
Max Papis: It is difficult
to compare the two programs. The Toyota was a development program and I
was very pleased with the progress we made over the last two-and-a-half
years. Now, with Ford, I have a winning package. The Ford engine has
been developed and has won races before, it's a proven package.
Question: How did the Rahal guys welcome you to the team?
Max Papis: What makes me the most
proud of the ride I have now is that Bobby welcomed me to the team by
giving me his seat. This was a great honor for me. It shows me that he
has great faith in my abilities. Everyone at Team Rahal is hungry for
success and hopefully I can lead them to that success very shortly.
Question: How is Bobby as a team owner?
Max Papis: It's difficult to answer that question.
I don't think he knows himself as a team owner yet. He is still
experimenting and feeling out the new position he has on the team. Up
until now he has been very, very, patient. I think he is trying to get
a better understanding of what is happening within the team and in the
ways the team operates while still offering up valuable input as a
driver in order to improve car setups. He is still learning his new
position with the team.
Question: In what ways can Team Rahal help you become a better driver?
Max Papis: By giving
me winning equipment and believing in my hunger to win. I think that is
one of the reasons Bobby employed me. When I am in the car I am giving
110-percent. Bobby has assembled a great group of people that all have
the same desire and will to win as I do and that is important.
Question: What do you bring to Team Rahal?
Max Papis: I bring the will to succeed. I have
only one gear in the way I think, all-out 110-percent in any situation.
Both on the team side and on the engine side because first I push myself
to the next limit.
Question: How is Bryan Herta as a teammate?
Max Papis: What I really appreciate with Bryan
as a teammate is up until now he has been a very honest person. Of
course he is working for himself just like everyone else, but, he does
not forget that his success and my success are tied together. He
realizes that we need to work to push Team Rahal forward, not the Miller
Lite car or the Shell car, but Team Rahal. If we fail to work together
the atmosphere within the team will not move forward. What I appreciate
of him is that up until now he has been a very honest person. I have no
problem working with people who are sincere and honest and that what he
is. But, every time I hear people ask how Bryan feels in the new lead
role at Team Rahal, I have to remind them that before they give the lead
role to Bryan they better take a look at the Miller Lite car.
Question: What would you consider a successful first season with Team Rahal?
Max Papis: For
me it would be being a consistent front runner rather than a sporadic
winner. I want to be racing up front all the time. I know we have the
tools to be successful so I put no limits on what we can achieve this
year, but, what I feel is that we have great potential in our hand.
Realistically I would like to see Team Rahal consistently up front,
hopefully that will be with the Miller Lite car. The goal will be to
build the right confidence in the team to become a consistent winner
very shortly.
Question: A lot of people are picking you to make a big impact this year. Is this your
breakout year?
Max Papis:
I am really happy to know people think highly of
me. People are always asking me what we have changed or what I am doing
differently when I have success and I have to remind them that this has
always been me, I have not changed. I am proud of our accomplishments
over the last three years. We took Toyota from being last on the grid
to qualifying in the top-ten to finishing the race in the top-five.
That was a great accomplishment for me. So now, I will drive with the
same will to succeed but with a different package and I think the
finishes will come out much better because the Ford is a winning
package.
Question: What have you planned prior to the first race in Miami? Any last minute
vacations you want to get in?
Max Papis: Actually, I have no vacations
planned. What I am planning to do is train real hard prior to the first
race both physically and mentally. I am going to have my trainer and
good friend come out from Europe. He trains some of the best athletes in
the world from world-champion skier Alberto Tomba, Formula One driver
Jean Alesi and the soccer team, Milan AC.
Question: You mentioned training mentally. How do you go about doing that?
Max Papis: It's
funny. I think I train mentally everyday. Every time I am relaxing I
am thinking about motor racing. For example, on a plane trip to West
Palm Beach, Ca., on Sunday I had a clear picture in my mind of going
through turns one and two at Homestead during Spring Training on my fast
lap and thinking of how I could have improved it. I am also
consistently thinking of my weaknesses and how I can improve them. But,
I am not going to tell you what they are.
Question: I hear you are looking for a new home, perhaps closer to Rahal's shop in
Hillary, Ohio?
Max Papis: I have not decided yet. I think I am definitely going
to come to the East coast, perhaps Miami. I had a house in California,
but right now I am living in Los Angeles with a friend of mine.
Question: What can we expect from Max in the season opener in Miami?
Max Papis: I am very
happy to be linked with such big names like Bobby Rahal, Ford and
Miller. I think the combination of the professionalism and the will to
succeed by all of us will make us consistent winners. You will see me
in Miami stronger than ever. Hungry to kick everyone else in the butt.
Transcript provided by Ford Motorsports
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