SpeedCar Series-Q and A with Claudio Berro

Claudio Berro, former member of the Ferrari Formula One team, is now director of operations for the new Speedcar series, which is now in only its second season. The season got underway at Dubai last month and as such Claudio has given his initial assessment of the series itself to the official website….

What do you think of the concept of Speedcar Series category of racing?

Speedcar Series is the right concept for the future. Every driver has the exact same car in everyway with no aerodynamics, no electronic aids and not much downforce. It’s a hard car to drive and it comes down to the driver’s mettle. It makes the race on the track more exciting for the drivers and just as exciting in the stands for spectators to watch.

What are your goals for 2008/2009 season?

Our main objective for Speedcar Series Season 2 is to have 9 high caliber professional teams on the roster and 18 cars on the grid.

Why will Speedcar be a success in the long term?

Speedcar Series is new and exciting to this part of the world. We also offer a lot to both professional and non-professional teams and drivers for an affordable price. An added draw is the 3 million dollar prize pot and the fact that our TV production and broadcast is handled by Formula One Management.

What is the criteria for drivers and teams to enter Speedcar?

We look for professionalism, quality and reliability from teams. Drivers should be strong and competitive, but they should also fit in to the Speedcar family atmosphere – battling on the track but friends when they get out of their cars.

What are your thoughts on Sheikh Hasher?

From what I’ve seen of Hasher in the last month or so since I’ve been in Speedcar Series – although he’s young, he is very professional and very quick! If you compare him to all the international talent we had in Season 1, he had no trouble competing with the best of them. I think the young man has tremendous potential and I think he is very important to the essence and the future of Speedcar Series. Hasher will prove to the region that motor sport is within everyone’s grasp and the culture will grow year by year. We hope he will be an inspiration and a draw to other untapped racing talent in the Middle East.