SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well, Daryl, a late addition to the grid for the British Dorin Car Championship for twenty twenty six. But you just said to me uh off mic there you're delighted to be back.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Of course I'm delighted to be back. It's uh it's the pinnacle of UK motorsport and um to be back on the grid for another season with WSR again. Um uh I'm over the moon and it was uh very late because it was announced yesterday, which is two days before Media Day. But again, um better late than never.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

So you've been doing quite a few things in the uh in the off season. I've seen you jumping in and out of uh of other cars. So what was the the final bit which brought the the jigsaw puzzle together to enable you to get into the BMW?

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Um as in jumping in and out of different cars.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Yeah, well no, I mean you've been doing that, but there but there must have been a process that you had to go through. Were you gonna come back? Were you not getting away? I mean, how did that all begin to fit into place?

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Well, of course, I haven't I haven't been in any other touring car, only the BMW. Over the winter I've been busy coaching, so that's you might have seen me in other cars coaching. Um, but with with the winter season, it's uh it's all about trying to gather the the budget, of course, the partnerships to to go racing. And um yeah, it all came together last minute, and um again, I'm delighted to be on the grid again.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Absolutely. You had a cracking season uh last year. In fact, it was just getting better and better for you as the season went on, wasn't it? I mean, we spoke and you had some uh well, there's some fantastic photographs doing the rounds and the TV footage of the smile on your face when you had some really really good races. You must have ended last season on a real high.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yeah, ended on a real high. I uh I finished I finished third in the uh in the qualifying standings, the Goodyear award, um with with the two polls, um back-to-back pole position at round nine and ten. Um, and of course, I didn't I felt I felt I got quite unlucky last year because a lot of the times when I qualified on the front row or was there or thereabouts, I had a few issues with with drive shafts, the engine change, and uh yeah, those those issues didn't allow me to then race for the qualifying position that I I deserve. So um I felt like I got unlucky, but overall, from where I was at the start of the year to the end of the year, not only is developing as a driver myself, but also getting the results and and you know, getting those, getting into Q1 and being at the front. So, yeah, it was quite rewarding last year, and I was definitely getting much stronger and stronger. So coming back for year two, I'm very excited to be working with WSR and my engineer and and the boys, the girls, the car crew.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Yeah, absolutely. Well, I mean, your racecraft improved last year, as I think you mentioned to me at one point. What was the the biggest learning point for you from last year then, and that you'll take into this year? Because you're you're coming back with that year of experience which is going to make a difference.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

I think as well, being the first year in real drive, um, not many people realise the differences that has. For example, in the front-wheel drive car, the opening laps you could be very aggressive, go really hard on the brakes, whereas the BMW is it's one of the weaknesses at the start of the races. So for me to uh you know learn last year and have have those races that didn't go to plan, yes, it didn't go to plan, and um you know sometimes you can wish they went differently. It's only it's only made me learn, it's only going to make me stronger for this year. Um, so of course I'll be doing everything I can to prevent the weakness of the BMW, um, to make sure that we're strong at the start of the races um and also the end of the races as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Absolutely. We've got uh a big talking point for this year, both uh for the teams and for the fans' track side, and that's the new qualifying format. What have you made of that? I mean I've read it through and I've had it explained to me, and I think I understand it now, but what have you made of it? Uh I understand there's a new qualifying format, and um and I'll find out how it works at round one.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

We've got qualifying race now, haven't we?

SPEAKER_00 4:00

So you there's race is uh one, two, and three uh the same, but but there's a qualifying race to do that now, which means it's gonna be much more intense on the Saturday, isn't it? I mean there's some big conversations to have with the team about the strategy there, isn't there?

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Of course, I think it's gonna be new to all of us this year and and us drivers as well. So um, of course, the aim of qualifying is to to go flat out and drive as fast as you physically can. Um and then after that, of course, the the new format that they're introducing will definitely uh will definitely be more interesting and exciting uh with the qualifying race. But I think for us drivers, we're I think there's gonna be a lot of people at round one to decide whether we like it or not. So uh, but we've got to deal with it anyway.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

So we do yeah, absolutely you you do indeed. And we start uh in a couple weeks' time up at Donington Park, where the spring weather can uh sometimes be unpredictable, can't it? We can end up with uh you know rain one minute and uh and beating sun the next. Uh you like Donington Park?

SPEAKER_01 5:02

I do, I like I like all the tracks. When I the my NFP one, whenever I drive a new track, it's always it's always fun to do, and I really enjoy it. And um in terms of the weather, I I'm very surprised that it today is lovely. It's lovely, isn't it? Blue sky and sunshine, blue sky, sunshine, and uh hopefully it's like this for the rest of the year. But with the UK, you can just never predict anything because it could be like this ten minutes before qualifying or race, and then during the race it will be you know chucking it down, like we saw uh at round seven, round seven, round eight, round eight at Donnington and race two.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

So yeah, changes quickly, doesn't it? Uh now you've had some uh some testing time, haven't you? Um and put in some pretty quick times.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Yes, um with testing, you can never you can never go off the back of that. Um and you can never read into it too much. Um however it was nice to end the fastest at Croft after the two days and have all the articles and press releases and media about myself. Um and um I wish there was a camera in my car because the onboard was it was flat out. So um, but yeah, of course, it's it's nice to to to currently be the fastest driver on the grid, but um again, you can never read too much into it until until round one.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

No, but it's always it's always nice to sort of uh quietly have the bragging rights, isn't it? Exactly. But also must give you a sense of of what you can achieve this season, if if that's what you can do in testing, as the season goes on. I mean, uh you set your sights higher and higher.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Yeah, of course. Uh like every driver, we all want to win, and um and being the fastest at craft testing is is only reinforcing my my ambitions for this year. I I I race to win. Um, and uh although I'm young and I definitely have a lot to learn, um, I'm gonna be fighting to win. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

So, what is that ambition? How does that that look in your mind? I mean, if we if we talk about perhaps the the the first four uh weekends before we get to the break, where would you like to be? I know, yeah, at the front, I'll take that as a given. Where would I like to be? Yeah, where where would you? I mean, you would all like you every driver wants to win the championship, every driver wants to do well. But in your own mind, you must be saying, right, okay, I I want to be at least at this point by that we get to the summer break.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Ideally, I'd I'd be leading the championship. Okay, fair enough. But hopefully I'd I I would be happy if I was in the top three because I want to I want to be there or thereabouts to to to contend for the title.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yeah, there's there's podiums in mind. You want to be on that podium.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

Yeah, uh we all like the success, but of course, uh it's a very competitive championship, so not every weekend you can you can go out there and blitz the field because it's just not a championship where you can do that. So um, but yeah, if I'm there or thereabouts, then I'd I'd be happy.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Fantastic. Let's keep our fingers crossed that that's the case. Really good uh late announcement, but better late than never. Good to see you back, Daryl. Uh I hope you have a cracking season uh this year. Um the uh kick the season off at the end of these interviews. We'd like to have a little bit of fun. Uh so we've got some a couple of questions which come, and I the this might be in your favour because I know you only passed your driving test a couple of years ago, didn't you? So these are from the highway code. Okay. You haven't panicked yet. Some people have. Um there are three questions. You need to answer two, so pick one, two, or three, first of all.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Two.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

What shape is a stop sign? Red.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

That's not a shape, that's a colour. Um you know when you have a brain fog, yeah. It's a very easy answer. That's what I'm having right now. Um this is really bad. Uh at this one, this one.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Yeah, yes, you've gestured to me the shape of a hexagon. We'll take that. I'll take that. That's okay. Well done. Uh and finally, one or three. Uh one. Forty mile an hour. Yeah. What's the stopping distance? In either car lengths, feet, or metres.

SPEAKER_01 9:16

20 metres?

SPEAKER_00 9:18

It's uh it's 118 feet, nine car lengths, apparently.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Okay, so I wasn't too far off.

SPEAKER_00 9:25

You did quite well.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

If it was me, it would be twenty metres.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Of course it would. Of course it would, especially with the huge disc brakes. Absolutely marvellous. Daryl, really good to uh see you back. Have a fantastic season.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.