Norman Nato, the next Frenchman in F1?

You have done several seasons in karting, then you moved to F4, Formula Renault 2.0, and this year in Formula Renault 3.5. Is this a year to learn, or are you aiming to be competitive right from the start since you’ve already secured a pole position?

Yes, the goal is to learn because it’s a new category for me, then it’s to play at the forefront as quickly as possible. But for that, it requires work because it’s a new car, there’s race management, much longer races, pit stops, so it’s completely different. Little by little, it’s progressing well, so that’s positive.

Are you able to learn from your teammate Kevin Magnussen, who is currently leading the championship?

Yes, it’s true that for me it’s an advantage to have a good teammate. He is lucky to be in the McLaren program, which brings him many things, so I can benefit from that, try to help myself with it, and if I progress, it’s all good for him too, because it pushes him upward and he also pulls me upward. It’s a team effort in general, so for now, it’s going well.

The Formula Renault 3.5 is generally a springboard to F1, do you think about it?

Yes, definitely, like any young driver. Once you reach this level, you think about it. But it’s still very far away, and we’re not sure if we’ll make it, so we have to work, achieve results, and then we’ll see. But even by achieving results or winning a championship, it’s not guaranteed that one day we’ll get there. You have to do what it takes, and then we’ll see, and we won’t have any regrets.

If it were to happen, do you think it would happen in 2, 3, 4 years?

I don’t think about it at all, I don’t know. I hope to go there one day. It’s a dream. It was already a dream to be able to reach this level, because getting to [Formula Renault] 3.5 … I come from a family where it’s not my parents who finance my seasons, so being in [Formula Renault] 3.5, with the budget it requires, it’s already an achievement. But I don’t want to stop there, Formula 1 is my main goal for now. If that’s not possible, then it’s to be a professional driver in the future.

In another category, Endurance, in the United States?

I don’t really think about it, I don’t focus. I need to get results, I show what I can do and then it will all fall into place, I need to work.

You were saying that Kevin Magnussen had ties with McLaren, have you had any contacts or ties with any teams?

I think there’s discussion, I know that on this matter, I’m not aware of everything. I know very well that little by little, it’s starting to be discussed because I was beginning to get closer in terms of performance to Kevin and the front runners. After that, it’s my managers who take care of it, I’m not aware. If I achieve results, there will be no reason.

For three years now you’ve been part of the FFSA Circuit team. What does it bring you on a daily basis and during race weekends?

Yes, already, it’s been three years in car racing and before that in karting. Every year, we have a physical preparation camp in Chamonix, and at the races, we have a physiotherapist who follows us throughout the year, who also creates our sports program. So it’s a good support. As I said, we have a camp at the beginning of the year, another one during summer, the Federation tries to do its maximum for the drivers, and it’s always a plus to have them behind us, to have a physiotherapist and all that.

Do you have the chance to see the veterans like Vergne, Bianchi, Grosjean, or Pic and ask them for some advice to improve yourself?

Yes, when I go [to the Grand Prix] … in Monaco for example, I’ve been able to see them all. But afterward, I don’t really have a close connection with Vergne or Grosjean for example. Jules [Bianchi] yes, he is my best friend, so yes I am often with him. Even if the fact that he’s in F1 doesn’t change much because in the end, our friendship is not based on motor racing; we try to be friends outside of that without always talking about motorsports, even if it often comes into the conversation. But of course, if I have things to ask him, he can give me advice, which is always a plus for me.

You mentioned earlier that your family doesn’t finance your career, so is it difficult to find sponsors to fund your progress through the categories and for the future?

It’s certain that nowadays, it’s difficult to find sponsors. Similarly, that’s not something I handle; it’s the people who take care of me, my managers. So far, they’ve done a good job because financing a [Formula Renault] 3.5 season is not simple. I have a sponsor like the Segond Group that has been supporting me for a while, and the [French Motorsport Federation], so they trust me, and we are slowly making progress. But it’s clear we need to find sponsors to finance the current season and the ones to come, so that’s more their job. My job is on the track, and their job is to find sponsors and try to ensure we reach the highest level.

If ever you didn’t have the opportunity to continue on the track, is managing a team or taking care of karting teams with young people something that could interest you?

Yes, of course, I’m already doing it a little bit now because my father previously had a karting team, well, he first started with rallying. Then, he made a karting team for me; he was the one who did everything for me at the beginning. Later, when I was taken under the [FFSA], he stayed involved, he looked after Mika Hakkinen’s son, so it’s something I like, and in the future, whether I succeed as a driver or not, it’s something I would love to do, taking care of young drivers, whether in karting or car racing, but more in karting, it’s something I’m passionate about.