on air diary...
QUESTION TIME!
posted by Lee McKenzie on 17/07/2009
MY main role on a race weekend is driver interviews – to get the best answers, reactions and information for all of you sitting at home. It is not as easy as it sounds though and the relationships I have with the drivers have been built up over a period of time, in some cases several years.
Some drivers are better than others, and you always have people who you like to speak to, although the system can be quite simple – winners like to talk, crashers are a bit more of a worry! And on Sunday there was Rubens Barrichello – an interviewer’s dream!
I decided to give you all an insight to my world after some comments on Twitter @leemck. It seemed you all loved the Rubens outburst when he was upset with his team after the German Grand Prix and yet when I told you that I had asked Sebastien Bourdais after he stopped during the race with a hydraulics failure, whether this would be the last time we saw him for Toro Rosso, it was met with disapproval.
The line is a thin one – the reactions were the difference. Rubens saw me as the opportunity to sound off about Brawn losing him the race – he is a lovely guy and whether things are good or bad he gives great interviews and always wears his heart on his sleeve. Sunday’s interview though was perfect television as it was so raw, honest and spontaneous and if you missed it then you can click here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8146717.stm
The difference with the Bourdais “attempt” was that he stormed off – the pressure had got too much and despite him saying on Thursday that he was “shocked, frustrated and disappointed” by Toro Rosso’s decision to replace him, I expect on Sunday he knew what was about to come. My question, and other journalists, just tipped him over the edge.
Although many of you thought my Bourdais question was “kicking a man when he was down”, as one of you said, I do think if I had got him saying ‘actually yes this is my last race, the team have been dreadful to work with and not given me a chance etc etc’, then it would have been seen as a triumph! You win some and lose some!
I am fortunate in that I know many of the drivers from working on other series such as GP2 so relationships had been forged before any of us got in to F1. The other main thing for me is doing my homework! If the drivers, team bosses and PR’s know that I know my stuff then it is a massive help.
In motor sport I have only ever had one person (who will remain nameless) walk out on an interview, the strange thing was that I had asked him quite a nice question, nothing controversial. He is now in F1 and only now are we getting back to a ‘decent’ level of conversation in the minutes before and after interviews.
My surprise of the season I must say has been Fernando Alonso. I didn’t know him before Melbourne and for some reason I had it in my head that he would be tricky to interview. I was completely wrong. I love interviewing him although, as people keep pointing out, he does laugh a lot during my questioning. I have asked him some funny questions but I didn’t know I was quite so entertaining; I am getting a complex now!
It is also important than even if I do know drivers on personal level, that it does not affect my questioning because as soon as that happens, then quite simply, I am not doing my job properly. And sometimes you might know the answer to a question, i.e.: why a driver is out of the race, but you still have to ask a basic question for him to say it. People want to hear drivers, not me!
I also read someone criticising a question I asked to Lewis about the first time he had been lapped. I asked him “When Jenson lapped you, what went through your mind” – he replied “nothing, nothing at all”. Other journalists thought it was a brave question as he could have said it was an example of how bad his car was, a complete reversal of last year, the world champion getting lapped by Britain’s “latest” star. The thing is that you just never know how drivers will react. The corporate mask seems to be getting further removed which is great for me and for you guys at home. Let’s hope for more excitement in Hungary.
You see me standing at the ‘pen’ where all the drivers come to give interviews to the world’s broadcast media. There are about 50 crews, sometimes more or less depending on which country we are in. It is always a scrum to get the drivers, although English speakers always come to me first, Jenson, Lewis and Mark Webber and after that you have to fight your corner! Sometimes literally!
I hope this has given you a little taste of my weekend on the interview front. It is a complete adrenalin rush, this is ‘my race’ where sometimes things go well, Rubens, and sometimes not, Bourdais. But when they do go well – look what happens – someone made me a song! Now I know I have made it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBYd9UVBGTs
Thanks for popping by, as always.
Lee x
