How did you start racing?
I started racing in go karts in Italy in the 60cc class.

What was the most important moment for you in your career? And the most difficult?
The most important moment in my career is always the next race because you have to always make a better job than the last one. The most difficult was in 2002 to be racing in a team where I could not make a relationship with the boss, so that I could not achieve my potential in Formula 3.

Who is your idol as a driver?
Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell because they both loved to race.

Which is your favorite track?
Nurburgring – Monaco – Silverstone. All of these tracks have a special challenge. I liked Nurburgring from the first time I went there and the climbs and fall of the track surface are very interesting. Silverstone I like because the Becketts section is really, really fast when you have the technique to do it and you can make up time. Monaco is fantastic because you must be precise, controlled and aggressive and the atmosphere is special.

You were the Rookie of The Year last year and you were on the battle for 2nd place in the Championship. How would you analyse your performance during the 2003 season?
I think it was really good, but for sure it could have been better. We made a big improvement in the way I could drive the car after Hockenheim so if we had been able to do this earlier I think 2003 season could have been even better. I am happy with the job, but second in the championship would have been really nice.

Do you think the pressure will be bigger in 2004 due to your brilhant performance in 2003?
No I don’t think there is bigger pressure. I don’t feel extra pressure; pressure is just part of the job.

What do you expect for this season?
I want to be competitive in every race and to win, but my target is always to win the championship. You can never know how strong your opposition will be and nothing stays the same very long so I want to win a lot of races, but so do all the other guys and we are all trying really hard.

In 2003 you lost a victory after you got a pole and stayed in the lead until a slow pitstop. This must have made the victory in the first race this year special?
It was a big disappointment not to win Hungary last year, but to have pole at Imola and to win my first race in Italy was very special. The results this year come from the experience from last year and the hard work in the winter with my physical training and the testing.

You won the first two races of the 2004 season with a big advantage over the others drivers. What do you think contributed to this?
I think the Arden team is very well organized and we did a really good job in winter testing so that we were really well prepared for the start of the season. Mick Cook knows the car very well and I really enjoy to work with him, and Christian Horner is very concentrated on winning the championship.

Who are your main rivals to get the Championship this year?
The main rivals for the F3000 championship this year are Toccacello, Friesacher and Gianmaria. They all have a lot of experience and can be very fast. I think my teammate Robert Doornbos is going to be very strong and the British F3 champion Alan van der Merwe is going to be competitive. Also Jose Maria Lopez has a reputation for being very fast and Paolo Coloni says their car has improved a lot from last year.

What do you think about the introdution of pit stops in F3000?
I think it is good training for F1 and maybe it adds some more interest. It makes it a little easier for the teams for the set up because the tyre performance life is easier to control because you can use two sets for the race.

Is F1 the only goal that you have or would you consider to run in Champ Cars or IRL too?
At the moment my goal is Formula 1 so I don’t want to think about other things at the moment. If I find I cannot make Formula 1 happen then I would look at other categories to race in, because I love to race.