Good morning and welcome to Mexico City, Mexico for the Team Principal’s Thursday press conference ahead of this weekend’s Mexican V-Prix – round fifteen of the 2021 Formula Virtual World Championship. Joining us today, from left to right, are; Jamie Franklin of JFPT Franklin Honda, Arthur Lapierre from Coca-Cola Porsche Team Mathershaw, Bradley Downton from Downton FV Team and, making her first appearance in a press conference; Emma Wilson from Johnnie Walker Lucas V-Prix. Welcome to you all. Scott Parkin – FVTV: We’ll start today’s press conference with you, Bradley. Congratulations on sealing your fourth Constructors’ World Championship last time out, becoming the first team in history to do so. It’s been somewhat of a formality for some time now, but it must feel incredible to finally have it wrapped up? Bradley Downton: I think we've looked good, but I'm not sure it was ever a formality until recently. We've thrown away so many points this season with bad strategy calls, driver errors and technical issues, frankly it's ridiculous we've won it this early. Despite having far greater time to prepare for this season - with the exception of Mathershaw who were locked in a title battle with us last season - our competition just wasn't on the same level, save for the odd race. It also definitely aided us that they kept taking points off of each other. But to actually answer your question, yes - it feels fantastic to have it squared away. We're now guaranteed both titles too, so it's simply a case of doing as well as we can, and allowing the drivers the chance to battle it out. It takes the pressure off the drivers a little I'd say. We're very clear at Downton that we are team focused. The team come first, always. But now we have taken the title, they can take risks a little more. SP – FVTV: The last two races promise to be brilliant then, watching your pair. Hello Emma, first of all I’d like to welcome you to the Team Principals’ Press Conference for the first ever time! The team had a fantastic race at Indianapolis with Maxi claiming his first ever win, and the team’s first since way back in 2013! What was the experience like for you and the team as a whole? Emma Wilson: Well thanks for having me! I know my brother is quite good and tries to be eccentric with these, I'm not sure I'm as good as him on that front but I'll try haha. The team is doing really well. When Maxi crossed the finish line, the garage where I was watching the race, just erupted with applause and high fives. It was such a magical experience. I looked over at the pitwall and Lucas had thrown off his headset and was standing out and congratulating and hugging Andy [Davies, Lucas Technical Director]. Plus seeing him running down the pitlane just cheering was quite a sight to see I must say! Maxi was obviously just thrilled. He was exhausted after the race but you could tell that he was just on cloud nine. We had a bottle of vintage wine that we have kept and brought to every race since 2014. It is saved for the next winner for the team and Maxi finally got to open it. So everyone was very happy and by the end very merry haha. But yeah it was every single member of the team. Everyone has a part to play and we all worked so hard to make this win a reality. SP – FVTV: The scenes were absolutely fantastic to see, well done again. Jamie; it has been confirmed in the last week that Will Hoskins will be driving for Franklin for the first time since 2014, after seven seasons away. After a poor 2021 for the Brit, what has prompted this move? Jamie Franklin: We got to spend some time with Will when we competed in the inaugural Virtual 24 hours last year. It had been a while since I'd worked that closely with him, but we both really enjoyed it, and it was evident that he was still hungry for success, if not more so than we last worked together. We had an unconfirmed space and I decided that he should be in a better car. Since being with Franklin, he's not really had the machinery capable of properly challenging, and I think from working with us again, he has realised what a team with proper drive and conviction can do. I can assure you that the blip this year is not down to his lack of talent. SP – FVTV: I, for one, am so excited to see what he can do back in a Franklin. Your form recently has been absolutely fantastic, Arthur, scoring considerably more points over the last three races than any other team. What do you put this sudden upturn in fortunes down to? Arthur Lapierre: I think we’ve hit our stride of late, and some key development for the 2022 car has definitely helped us with aspects that have enabled us to get the most out of the 2021 package. This pace has always been in the car, but we’ve just needed to find out the best way to unlock it and maximise the performance. SP – FVTV: It’s great to see, thanks Arthur. Okay, the Team Principals will now take questions from the floor. Hugues Antoinette – Canal+: Arthur, you would have claimed the win in Indianapolis without the idiot backmarker. Is this proof that we should not see 30 cars on the grid any time in the future? AL: I think we can all draw our own conclusions from that Hugues - we’ve sat down enough times for you to know I’m not going to say anything too controversial here. What I will say, is that while we wholeheartedly support having more teams in the sport, we have to draw a line in the sand somewhere where we say it’s either simply unsafe, or it removes the fair sporting spectacle - where that line is may not be for me to say, but I think we’re close to it. Leyton Smith – Thegrid.net: The last race was one of the worst performances from Franklin in the history of FV, how did it go so badly wrong, and what will you do to prevent a repeat? JF: It was the wrong strategy call. Simple as that. Everyone else can take solace in the fact that even the best team can get it wrong sometimes. As for what we'll do, it's really none of your business. We aren't about to divulge secrets to other teams. Theo Parker – VM Magazine: Emma; it was revealed a few days ago that your brother – and boss – Lucas, is missing the Mexican V-Prix presumably due to some issues with Wilson Oils, could you shed a little more light on the situation? Is this a serious issue that could jeopardise the future of Lucas’ business ventures, inside and outside FV? EW: I can't comment on the business dealings that have been reported in the press. As you heard in our statement, Lucas is a busy man. And sometimes other business matters take priority. I think that a lot of news outlets have made more out of this than I think needs to be. He remains committed to FV and the team as a whole. Rebecca Parnell – XtremeV: My question is to Bradley. Nathaniel only needs one top seven finish from the last two races in order to claim his fifth title. It is sometimes overlooked, or taken for granted, but could you just put into words how incredible it is, the formidable consistency of Powers and Downton as a combination to statistically dominate the sport in the way in which he has up to this point in his career? BD: I'm not actually sure I can. The level that the team, Nathaniel - and Klaas too of course - have performed at over the past five years is simply phenomenal. I knew we had a fantastic team, but they continue to go above and beyond and exceed my expectations. Klaus Ammermuller – RTV: A question to you all, gentlemen and woman. Here we are, the final two races of the ninth year in Formula Virtual, it has been a ride and great adventure for all of us. In some short months, we will be celebrating a decade of FV. So I ask you, what would you like to see from the next ten years? Changes or improvements to the way the series is on track, or off track, as a competition or business. BD: I think the biggest thing we probably all want to see is growth. It'd be fantastic to have more people involved in and around the paddock - not necessarily as team principals but just as fans. Overall though, the series works incredibly well as it is; there are always changes and tweaks that are made and are always ones that could be made - but it's worked great for nine years, so why meddle with a winning formula? If you'll pardon the pun... JF: I want to see a formula where failure isn't rewarded. Simple as that. Unfortunately that won't change previous transgressions. AL: The next ten years I hope will bring plenty of action and intrigue, but most of all I just want to see the series continuing with the strength it currently is. We’ve been privileged over the years to align with some major brands, and their presence is also testament to the commercial success that runs alongside the sport. EW: I think mine and Lucas' position is the same as Bradley's. We want to see more people involved in the sport. More fans and more fan engagement. I think we have a great product so I think promotion of the sport is something we need to tackle. SP – FVTV: Thanks guys, we now have a fan question for each of you which will appear on the screen. To Jamie. You've made your feelings clear about being constantly impeded in qualifying this year, and it appeared to happen again in Canada. Are you surprised that the FVA have done nothing to rectify this? JF: It's not surprising, no. You look up and down this paddock and you can see an array of teams, ranging from sponsorship whores, corporate greed, and downright cheaters. Hence why we're in this situation where people can impede us and not pay a penalty, and yet people look at me like I'm the bad guy. The FVA don't like the fact that we are self sustaining. We use our own money to build our own cars, and then through our successes promote ourselves, which in turn allows us to continue spending. The FVA don't like that. They want more money coming in from alternative places, so why would they care if we are impeded? They want us to look bad so that we are forced into the same situation as everyone else. But instead, we'll rise above it. To Emma. Congratulations on your first win since 2013. It's no secret that Lucas is one of the richest teams on the grid and throws an obscene amount of money at the sport. Surely you see this as a failure to have only taken two wins in all that time? EW: I certainly think that is an angle you can look at it. However I would say that FV is about developing a great team, having a good team culture. Getting the best talent and making them work together in the best way possible. And that, I feel, is something that money can't buy. If you remember, to use a different series as an example, Toyota in F1 spent a lot of money and never won a race. So just because you chuck money at something doesn't necessarily mean that you will be successful. To Bradley. Our sources tell us that Klaas is disgruntled within the team for you guys shedding out a huge amount of money to retain Powers and then being forced out of the team for an inexperienced rookie. Comments? BD: Oh yeah, he's absolutely furious. Doors have been smashed, tables flipped - it's unbelievable... rolls eyes You only need to see Klaas around the paddock to know that's not true. You really need to reassess the quality of your sources. Both Klaas and Nathaniel are relaxed and still giving 100% for the team. Yes, one of them will not be driving a Downton next season. Yes, they both know who that is, and yes, they both know what they will be doing next season and where they will be driving and they are both happy about it. When the time is right for all parties, we will confirm our plans. To Arthur. You were quite clear that you weren't expecting to be fighting at the front this year, yet here you are. How much are the drivers carrying the team and the results? AL: We all work together - without these drivers we wouldn’t have the feedback and speed they bring, and without the team we have we wouldn’t have the capability to bring ourselves forward from where we started the year based on their work. Unless you ask Enrique, he’ll say it’s all him! [laughs] SP – FVTV: Final question of the press conference, to all of you. Between you all sitting here today, we have nine – or, all – Constructors’ titles, 126 wins, 324 podiums, and over 9,000 points scored. Downton, Franklin, and Porsche Mathershaw are, of course, light years ahead of any other team, with Lucas experiencing periods of success in their time too, meanwhile Arrow have only recently started their journey and so far have two points on the board. So, with such a contrast in successes, I’m intrigued to know where you see each of your teams in five years time? A lot can happen in half a decade! BD: Easy, right here but with some more titles and numbers on the stats. We're here to win, whether that's this season, next season or in 5 or 10 years time. Do we expect we'll win every year? Of course not. Rules change, teams change, the order changes - it's a consequence of the rules and finance structure we have in place. But we will always aim to be competitive and so in five years time, I'd expect us to be sat here talking about more wins, and hopefully discussing our sixth, seventh or even eighth title! JF: 5 years ago we saw something happen which should have never been allowed to happen. Right now, many teams are having to pay the price for that. So in 5 years time I will be sat here reminiscing about how I rectified the greatest mistake the FVA ever made. I will be sat here having overcome all of the obstacles thrown at us to keep us down. I will be sat here having changed the course of FV history, having painted it in my likeness. I will be sat here basking in the knowledge that there will no longer be a shadow of a doubt that Franklin are the greatest team to have ever graced Motorsport. AL: Well the first prediction is that Jamie’s prediction, despite being very flowery and evocative, will be wrong… my second is that we’ll be where we’ve always been towards the front, hopefully with some more success, but ultimately race victories are where we always aim, so I want us to be a significant way above the half century of wins, and heading towards the magic 100. Personally, I’m not a young man, so I may just be sitting in my beach house in St Tropez in five years! EW: I think we want to continue our current trajectory. Like you have mentioned, our success in the past has been sporadic. We want to change that and be consistently at the top of the grid. We want to be going into weekends wanting to challenge the top guys and get the podiums and the wins. That's where we want to be in the near future. But it's a difficult sport and we need to keep sharp and on our A-game to make that a reality. SP – FVTV: Fantastic answers from everyone today, thank you. Thank you to the fans for the fan questions and for the Team Principals for attending, make sure you join us tomorrow for Friday Practice ahead of the Mexican V-Prix!
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