Please welcome your top three qualifiers for the Malaysian Grand Prix. In pole position Karl Beckenbauer driving for Liverpool Grand Prix. In second Will Hoskins of the Franklin Formula One Team. And in third Enrique Ruiz, also from the Franklin Formula One Team. Q: Firstly Karl, pole sitter for the Malaysian Grand Prix. Congratulations on the performance in qualifying, how did the car feel out there?
Karl Beckenbauer: The car felt amazing, really good fun to drive. The dry session meant I could really unleash the power, and we had a lot of grip in the slow to medium speed corners, which meant I could chase the throttle really early on turn in. The Vauxhall engine really pushes the car along the two straights well, there is a bit more low end torque than the Mercedes had, the acceleration really is noticeably different. I am hoping the race will be the same, and I can look in my mirrors in the first corner and shout Auf Wiedersehen! Q: Will, congratulations, you've got a great second place here in qualifying. The Franklin car looks very strong, seemingly the closest challenger to Beckenbauer this weekend. Did you feel an improvement today? Will Hoskins: Thanks. Yeah, it did feel great out there today. You know, it hasn't been too long since Australia, but the car definitely feels faster. That might just be due to the nature of the track, but I think if you look at the difference in times, then we look to have closed the gap a little to these guys, and that’s a real positive. The first half of the job is done, but we still need a strong race if we’re going to have any chance of beating this man right here. Q: Enrique, you must be delighted with such a good performance, third on the grid in only your third race for Franklin, and second of this season. How do you feel it went out there and how different is the Franklin car in qualifying trim compared to the Ingram you drove last season? Enrique Ruiz: For sure, it was a really good session. In Australia, I struggled a bit with the setup of the car, so couldn't quite do the maximum in qualifying, but today it was definitely there. For Ingram, it was always a bit like…you push, and the car fights you, you change the setup…nothing really happens. With Franklin, the car responds more to the changes we make, and when you push, it just feels smoother. It gives you the confidence you need to get those few extra tenths from yourself. But, as Will said, second and third is good for us, but we need to continue pushing for the race Q: Karl, back to you. You've now taken pole both times we've visited Malaysia, do you have some sort of affinity with the track or do you train extra hard beforehand, what's your secret? Karl Beckenbauer: I've always loved Malaysia, the Sepang circuit really gets me excited, especially the middle of the lap. Training hard? Not really, of course I have been keeping myself fit and preparing for the heat and humidity, but I think the secret to my driving is that I am happy at Liverpool. I love Bayern Munchen and we had a big game against some ‘second-rate’ English team that my contract won’t let me talk about otherwise Robert would sack me, so myself and him went to watch the game, even though we had a long journey on Wednesday, he still had the faith that I could perform, and I’m just glad I could repay him with a pole position.
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