Charles Pic: « Prove that I have the talent to be in F1 »

While Romain Grosjean, Jean-Eric Vergne, and even Jules Bianchi, despite being only the third driver at Force India, have already been able to get to work on track during the private tests in Jerez, Charles Pic is currently biding his time, eagerly awaiting the Barcelona tests. A guest on the Moscato Show on RMC, the young Frenchman reflected on the conditions of his arrival in Formula One and his ambitions for this first season in the premier category of motorsport: « I’m very lucky to be able to do my passion and to be where I am, but then, we’re so much into it and we have so much to do that it’s hard to take a step back and realize.

First French driver officially announced for 2012, with Marussia, Charles Pic seemed to be the last French contender possible behind a trio of drivers already engaged as reserves at Red Bull, Ferrari, and Lotus. However, with the support of Lagardère and well-assisted by a very active Olivier Panis, the Montélimar native clinched the pole position in the race for the seat and reminds us that entering Formula One requires meeting different criteria: « To get into Formula One today, several things are needed, and that’s what makes it very difficult. The first thing is the performance one achieves in their category, but afterwards, that’s not enough; one also needs the support of a Formula One team, a manufacturer, or a major French group. […] We found the support of Lagardère, which certainly helped us a lot. »

From then on, the Marussia driver, who allegedly brought several million euros with him, finds himself labeled, often pejoratively, as a pay driver: « Everyone has support: Grosjean has the support of his team, Lotus, and Jean-Eric that of Red Bull. In F1, you can’t succeed without support. Of course, I want to prove to everyone that I have the talent to be in Formula One and I will work hard to show it », the French driver declares.

Absent during the Jerez tests – « because there were some small delays on certain parts » he admits – the Marussia team will still not have KERS, as in the last two seasons, whereas Caterham, one of its rivals, will be equipped with it: « Not using KERS is a disadvantage, it is estimated to be between 6 and 8 tenths per lap, depending on the circuits. However, it’s not the priority for a small team like ours » explains the Frenchman. « We have many things to improve that are much more important than KERS, starting with the aero, and we need to improve those things first and then KERS will come naturally. »

In the meantime, like Jérôme d’Ambrosio, whom he replaces, Olivier Panis’ protégé will need to stand out against his teammate to envision a longer-term future in Formula One, and the goal is to beat Timo Glock: « For sure, that would be great. Timo has a lot of experience in F1, he’s been on the podium, he’s reputed to be very fast, whereas I’m coming in this year with everything to learn, so my goal is to learn quickly and be able to beat him as soon as possible in the season. »

But the road is still long, if only from now until the first race, for the godson of former Formula One driver, Eric Bernard, who will in turn defend, and for the first time, the colors of France in a Grand Prix, an event that the young Frenchman already knows will be filled with emotions: « Even though, for now, I’m trying to stay focused on testing to prepare for Melbourne, with the two sets of four-day sessions coming up in Barcelona, but it’s certain that it will be my first race in F1, so there will be a bit of pressure and a lot of emotions. »

In the meantime, Charles Pic will celebrate his 22nd birthday tomorrow in England, in the simulator, in order to best prepare for the Barcelona tests, which will start next Tuesday.