Guillaume Bouzar, double pole-sitter at Nogaro: "My weak point was qualifying."

By a mere 76 thousandths of a second, Guillaume Bouzar secured pole position for the first race of this Gers weekend, part of the Nogaro Easter Cup series. Faster than the rest of the field, he notably avoided being caught out by the red flag caused by Belgian driver Thibaut Ramaekers at the start of the session. On the contrary, he managed to set his fastest time despite completing the fewest laps of the Paul-Armagnac circuit.

Congratulations Guillaume, what is your analysis of this pole position?

It was extremely tough because the conditions this morning were very cold, almost freezing. It wasn't even 7 or 8 degrees Celsius, and then it went straight to 21 degrees. The tires heated up really quickly. The problem in these qualifying sessions was track positioning. We knew that if we went out too fast, we'd just catch up to the drivers in front who would take longer to warm up. In the end, we set the fastest lap early and had a good, gradual warm-up. All these difficulties stemmed from the previous sessions, which added grip to the track in other areas where we were running. The inside lines were much more pronounced. We had to adapt everywhere. I realized that by going a little narrower, the grip was pretty good.

How did you manage this qualification in the heat?

Even while riding, it was almost unbearable. It was 21 degrees Celsius. I lifted my visor a little on the straights to get some air. After the first red flag, the heat burned the tires so badly that it was impossible to improve afterward. We saved the tires for tomorrow, for Race 1. We saw that I'm the one who did the fewest laps. The fewest laps, I have 11 laps. Frankly, I couldn't have dreamed of a double pole. The tires saved the most for tomorrow, for Race 1. So frankly, we maximized everything for tomorrow. I'll just need a good start, a good launch. Which was precisely my weak point last year.

How are you going to approach the three upcoming races?

In races, I do very well. Last year, my weak point was qualifying. I often managed to climb back up the order with podium finishes and wins, but I never qualified higher than sixth. This year, with a good start, it should go well. Plus, I have the experience from last year, but also from... kartingBecause I competed in the European and World Championships in FIA karting, and that's where karting really teaches you the basics of competitive racing. It's the best school.

ALSO READ > Nogaro – Qualifying: Bouzar takes first pole position, Ramaekers causes a red flag