It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix, and I learned a huge amount. I’ve been to both countries before, but never back-to-back!
Singapore was just as hot and humid as I remembered it: I think the GP2 race that I did there was one of the physically toughest races of my career. But the smog that everyone talked about before the race was really not too bad.
As a third driver, you try to be a bit like a human sponge: absorbing all the information that comes your way from the engineers, drivers and other team members. Everyday is a school day and there’s always something to learn…
One of the things I learned in Singapore was how to be a catwalk model. OK, that’s maybe an exaggeration but I got to take part in the Amber Lounge fashion parade, which was a lot of fun. I don’t think I’m quite ready to switch jobs yet though. It was a really nice suit, but I still reckon I look better in a helmet and overalls.
From Singapore it was straight to Japan, which was pretty strange as you were into a new time zone, staying awake during the day as opposed to sleeping. Because Singapore is a night race, the evening became the morning and so on. A bit like being a student!
Japan was another great experience: Suzuka is an awesome circuit and it was a strong race from Manor. I flew straight back on the Sunday night, as my next job was to sort out my Russian visa for the grand prix at Sochi next week…