2020zoom On The Road

2020zoom's Matt Neal exclusive interview. Pt 2.

2020zoom: There have been some well documented wheel-to-wheel incidents involving yourself and Jason Plato. Does that stay on the track? Do you go for a beer afterwards?

MN: Er, no. We really don’t like each other. Jason and I have got on over the years and then we’ve really not got on. I just keep on pissing him off for some reason, I think I must have nicked his chocolates as a kid and not realised or something.

2020zoom: Where do you stand on the moves currently taking place in motor sport regarding environmental issues? F1 have made noises that this is a subject they intend to address. On the hill climb scene we’ve had a bio ethanol car and this coming season sees an electric hill climb car. Are there moves on the way to take touring cars along this route?

MN: Clearly, we need to as there’s only so much oil left in the ground but I’m a bit sceptical. Some of these bio ethanol things use vegetable fat but you use twice as much of it to do the same job. It seems as though F1’s governing body are trying to be proactive: being seen as eco friendly. We had Honda doing this Earth thing last year but they’ve still got four motor homes doing six miles to the gallon driving thousands of miles round the world which is hedonistic. A driver needs his own motor home? What’s that about? On one of the motor homes they even had solar panels that weren’t even connected up and they’d got a silent generator in the front hidden away. You’ve got to look at it but I don’t fancy driving electric cars, they’d be too quiet. The diesel cars in BTC come past you so quietly you can’t even hear them but the noise of motor sport is half the attraction.

2020zoom: Do you have off days?

MN: Sure. Everybody can. Hey, this is one of my old things. Some drivers can’t get it in their heads that you do get off days. I’ve had hypnotherapy and sports psychology when I was younger and I do think it’s a brilliant thing for focus and concentration.

2020zoom: What’s been your most frustrating point or your career low?

MN: The mid 90s because now the rules are very fair, in fact, now they’re almost stacked in favour of the independent drivers because if we’re winning the championship we get weight laid on us and it’s the same tyres, same engine same cars so anybody’s got a chance of winning. When I came into it, you’d got the factory cars and you’d get the private run cars. The privately run cars weren’t allowed the same tyres and you know how important tyres are: they can make the difference between the front and the back of the grid. I had a couple of really tough years in the early to mid 90s. I barrel-rolled a Mazda in my first factory drive at Silverstone and that put me out for the rest of the year. The first time I raced at the Silverstone National circuit again was when I arrived 12 years later in ’06 to try and win the championship so I was a bit nervous that day.

2020zoom: So which is your favourite circuit?

MN: I like Silverstone but I don’t like the National circuit we run on. I just think its tedious – three corners and three straights. It produces close racing and carnage, which I don’t get off on – despite what Jason, says. The other circuits at Silverstone – the International, the Grand Prix – are fabulous. You like circuits you go well on but certain cars suit certain circuits. I’ve always gone pretty well on Brands Hatch so that’s a favourite of mine in the UK and my first big win was for £250,000 at Donington so that’s a pretty special to me as well.

2020zoom: So where do you see yourself going eventually. I’m not asking for you to give us a date when you’re going to hang your overalls up but what do you see yourself doing? Team manager or something?


MN: Yes possible. I've loved the sport since I can remember and doing what I’ve been doing has been a dream throughout these last 15 years. I was actually asking myself about this over Christmas: wondering how long I’m going to be involved driving wise because I still feel as competitive as I’ve ever been. I don’t think I’m slower, I’ve got a good understanding and knowledge of development and I think I know 2 litre front wheel drive pretty well but I don’t want to be an old has-been. Andrew Jordan’s young enough to be my son: he’s half my age!

2020zoom: You’ve got to hate him, haven’t you?

MN (Laughing his head off) I don’t hate him yet but if he’s quicker than me this year………

2020zoom: …..you could really get to hate him?

(Interview dissolves into gales of laughter)