Wojtek Paprota: You are the youngest driver in this year’s GP3 series, but you already have the experience from 3 previous seasons spent in other single seater categories – Formula BMW and ADAC Formula Masters. Do you think that you are in the right place in the right time?
Ralph Boschung: “I think so, definitely. I also got the information today that I am the youngest GP3 driver to stand on the podium in history. For sure the step from ADAC to GP3 is quite big, but in ADAC and Formula BMW I have always been the youngest, so it was good to make another step and still be the youngest, so it doesn’t really affect me. Answering your questions – yes it is a good place”.
Wojtek: This weekend at Silverstone you scored the best result this season, first podium, 3rd place in sprint race. Was it a target for you for this season, or you have been concentrating only on learning. Did you have any targets when it comes to point or results?
Ralph: “Well, actually no. Before the season I didn’t put on myself too much pressure, to finish at any particular place. For me it is important to see the constant progression throughout the season and that I always make the most out of the car and out of myself at the weekend and then I see where I will finish. For sure it is important to try finish in the top 8 in the race one, so you have good points and the reverse for the race two, but there is no particular target”.
Wojtek: Your team mates from Jenzer Motorsport are significantly more experienced than you. Does it also mean that they don’t about your opinion during the tests when you are checking up the set ups?
Ralph: “Well, actually work really hard as a team. Especially Pal Varhaug is very very experienced, and also Matheo. We do share the set ups and we do the same set ups in the weekend, so in that aspect there are no many differences. It is also about having a bit of luck and doing the best you can in your car. We had some issues at the start and we still do, but I hope that we will solve them soon”.
Wojtek: How much time you want to spend in GP3?
Ralph: “This all really depends on that how season is going to finish, where I am going to finish. I already have some discussions for the future and I hope that good things are coming up. For this moment – I will finish this year and we will see. If I finish better that expected, I will not need to make one more year, but when I will think that I still have to learn more, I will stay here and fight for the title with top team. It is also possible, but everything is open”.
Wojtek: Ralph, you are 17 and in a few weeks’ time you are coming of age. What is your plan for the future in terms of education? Do you want to go to any University?
Ralph: “No, I stopped school one and half year ago, when I decided to focus fully on racing. I did the obligatory school in Switzerland and I am really determined to go fully into racing and if it not work out in a few years’ time, I will go back to studying, but for now my focus is on racing”.
Wojtek: I think that racing driver never stops learning, especially when he changes the category he races in, but what about the team? Do you think that year by year teams are getting stronger, especially in those categories where all of the teams are given the same car?
Ralph: “Yes, I think so. In GP3 we have the same car for everyone, but the set ups make a very big difference. It is a bit like in Formula 1 in GP2 and GP3 now. If there is now enough money in the team, there is a big disadvantage. Having said that, if there are some good sponsors, or drivers bring some money the team can progress. If not, then the team cannot progress”.
Wojtek: What can you say about the level of competitiveness in GP3 series this season?
Ralph: “To me is probably the highest level, compare to Formula 3 European Championship, or Formula Renault. If you look at the drivers, it is the highest you possibly get. You have Formula 1 test drivers, you have reserve drivers, you have very experienced drivers who already raced in GP2 or Formula Renault 3.5 and the average age is about 20-21. To me it is the highest rank, what has ever been”.
Wojtek: When you move from one category to another, where you driver completely different car, what is the most difficult thing to learn? I heard many opinions that braking technique is to most tough one. Is it true?
Ralph: “Yes, compare to this, what I drove last year, the GP3 car already have 300 horse power more. Definitely the braking is much different. You can brake very very late. Also the aerodynamic you get is much different. We have about 800kg aerodynamic force, and last year I had maybe 150kg, so my car is sticking much more to the ground. The biggest differences are corner speed and braking”.
Wojtek: Do you still something what you have to learn to improve your pace?
Ralph: “Yes, definitely. I think that I will still learn till the end of last race. You never have enough. You always have new things to learn, you always have stuff that comes in and is new to learn. It is also for the team – we change the set up quite a lot. Together we learn step by step everything what we need to improve and there are many factors”.
Wojtek: What was the key to such a good result at Silverstone this weekend?
Ralph: “I think the key was to keep pull. For me Silverstone was also new. I have never race at this track before during my whole career. It was important to stay calm whatever happens and try to be very consistent and keep away from the mistakes. We have done all of that and here is the result of that”.
Wojtek: You scored points in last 4 races, what is pretty good result and last Sunday you were at the podium for the first time, so race by race your results are much better. Does it mean that we will see you winning races in the second part of the season?
Ralph: “I think that it is possible. It is a good thing that we scored points, I want to continue like that. There is still a long way to go in terms of winning races. As I said, every weekend for Jenzer is different, because the car is very inconsistent and we have to find our base-line set up. I think that wining is definitely possible if we get everything right but I don’t know when it will come. We have to stay calm and do the best job we can and then we will see”.
Wojtek: At your website I read that one of your hobbies is cooking. What is your favorite dish?
Ralph: “My favorite dish is spaghetti bolognese, but homemade. The pre-cooked sauce really make the meat. You have to make onion and tomato on your own and it all makes it my favorite dish”.
Wojtek: Do you see yourself as a cooker, when you wouldn’t have been a racing driver?
Ralph: “Maybe, I actually think about opening a restaurant in the future but it is just a small project now. Probably I will not be a cooker there. I could be also a pilot, because I am doing my pilot license now. That allows me to be pilot in the future as well”.
