Transcript:

Interviewer:
The racing season has just begun, and some of us are wondering what all the excitement is about. So this morning we're going to interview Leo Martin, who was a Formula 1 driver for many years. Leo, good morning.
Leo:
Good morning, Robin.
Interviewer:
So, Leo, what can you tell us about racing Formula 1? How does it feel?
Leo:
Well, there's no other feeling like it, when you come in first and the crowds are cheering, or even when you don't come in first! It's just so great to be out there on the track, totally involved in what you're doing, the adrenalin is just flowing through your body, and you feel fantastic! So you feel like you're flying, but at the same time, you must always maintain a high level of concentration – there's no room to think about anything else, the whole race, you just focus on the road ahead of you and the other drivers round you. And of course, you need to keep your strategy in mind – the other drivers, how many pit stops you're going to make and when ....
Interviewer:
Yes, the other drivers. And which drivers have been an inspiration to you? Who do you admire most?
Leo:
Phew, difficult question. I guess, for me, Schumacher was one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time – that's Michael Schumacher, not his brother Ralf, who won six Grands Prix himself. Michael, who is from Germany won 91 races before he retired – that's a record! He got his seventh world drivers’ title at the Grand Prix in Belgium in 2004. He drove for Ferrari for most of his career, where he was partnered with Eddie Irvine. And of course there was Ayrton Senna – from Brazil – another hero of mine. He was very influential in motor racing, and performed really well in wet weather, especially in the 1985 Grand Prix in Portugal with McLaren. His team-mate at McLaren-Honda was Alain Prost. There was a lot of rivalry between them, although they had to work together, especially in testing, in order to keep ahead of their main competitors. Good teamwork is critical. Britain’s Eddie Irvine had his most successful season in 1990 when he was at Ferrari, and that might have had something to do with Schumacher being his team-mate. Jenson Button is another very skilled driver from Britain. Button won his first Grand Prix in Hungary in 2006 and his team-mate at McLaren-Honda, Fernando Alonso, from Spain, won the year before in 2005 when he was only 24; it made him the youngest champion ever. They have the makings of a great team! You see, it's very important to talk about teams rather than individual drivers, because you have to work as a team. There are so many people involved in one event, and each one is as important as the next. The guys who change the tyres at the pit stop can make all the difference: if they take 10 seconds instead of 2, that can mean you lose the race!
Interviewer:
Right. What about the danger? Motor racing's a very dangerous sport – don't you worry about accidents?
Leo:
Sure, accidents worry me. But anything enjoyable is going to have its risks. If you take care, and maintain your concentration, the risk is reduced. And remember, we wear a lot of protective gear – clothing, gloves, helmets and stuff. I never feel like I'm really in danger.