What the Drivers said on Friday at Fuji....
Check out what the stars of the show said at the pre-event Press Conference on Friday....
Fernando Alonso – Toyota Gazoo Racing
“We were a bit concerned about the damp in Free Practice One but we went out on dry tyres immediately and worked on the set-up. We have had no real surprises so far
“I am happy to be back here at Fuji because it is a circuit where I have really good memories from Formula One times and the last time I was here was in 2008 and it was a good race for us so let us see if we can get a nice result here and also some nice weather for the fans as well so they can see six hours full of action.”
Jenson Button – SMP Racing
“It is great to be here and it is definitely my second home. This is where I have been racing all season in Super GT so unlike most of the guys here it is not my first race here this year and it is actually my third time here in 2018.
“I am enjoying being here with an LMP1 car as it is really interesting to have that comparison in terms of the times and where you gain and lose time too.
“We had an issue in first free practice which cut our track time short which was a shame but it looks like we are similar to the Rebellions which is really where our focus is.”
Bruno Senna – Rebellion Racing
“It was really nice to be back in the car and it felt different from Silverstone straight away but for me it was just a question of getting a feel for it.
“It is really a pleasure to be driving an LMP1 car again and physically it was like nothing had happened and there was no pain, no nothing, so I am looking forward to getting back in the car and doing the race.”
Antonio Felix da Costa – BMW Team MTEK
“I’m a big fan of motorsport in general so I know that the sport is really big over here. I actually raced at Suzuka in the Karting World Cup back in 2007 and now I am back.
“It is an auto BoP adjustment so there is not much we can do but we have been learning as much as we can about the car. We have a really good group of guys and they need to help us out a little bit for the race on Sunday so hopefully we can give the Porsches and Fords a run for their money.”
Nyck de Vries – Racing Team Nederland
“If you look at all these guys here then the level of competitiveness in the championship is really high.
“It is going to be tough but I think the practice session went better than we could have expected as it is my first time at the track but we got some good track time.
“Hopefully we can have a good fight but in LMP2 it is always quite tough.”
Giancarlo Fisichella – Spirit of Race
“It is nice to be back in Japan and especially Fuji as I raced here in Formula One too.
“We need to find a good set-up and get some consistency. I am quite positive for a good result and like at Le Mans where we got a fantastic second place so I am quite confident.”
