Name one track you dreamed of driving when you were a child.
“Spa-Francorchamps! It’s a legendary, historic track. I drove there for the first time when I was 15, in F4. It was absolutely amazing. I had my foot to the floor the first couple of times I went through the Raidillon. Luckily for me there was a run-off area at the top. It’s a seven-kilometre track and you feel like you’re all on your own in the forest.”

What would be your dream track now?
“Silverstone, which I think looks pretty similar to Spa, with long turns and quite a few esses. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance, but I’d really love to drive there.”

A driver who made you dream when you were a boy.
“I supported Michael Schumacher. He was the idol of Formula One and he did some magical things. I saw him once, when I was driving in a karting race in Las Vegas. He had all these people around him and I realised that it can’t be easy to deal with all the demands on you when you climb your way up to the top.”

A driver you dream of beating today?
“I want to test myself against F1 drivers right away because that’s where I want to be, in F1. I also want to see what I’m capable of against them. Nico Rosberg’s my favourite driver, but if I ever make it to F1 he’ll be just another rival, like Oliver [Rowland], Roberto [Merhi] and Carlos [Sainz] are today.”

A job you dreamed of doing when you were young.
“When I was six I asked my parents what I needed to study to become an F1 driver. They told me to start by working hard at school and then taking it from there!”

What was their dream for you?
“For me to be happy and to lead the live I wanted. I know it hasn’t been easy for them, but they did all they could to help me compete in karting and to support me in this adventure. They’ve always been there for me.”

A race you’ve dreamed of watching.
“The 1979 French Grand Prix in Dijon, which produced a memorable battle between Gilles Villeneuve and René Arnoux on the last lap. I also would have liked to have been around for the F1 grands prix in the 1980s, when the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than it is today and the whole approach was completely different.”

Your happiest memory of World Series by Renault.
“My Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 title win, no question. That’s what made the biggest impression on me and it’s the most important thing I’ve won yet. I’ve also had some great tussles in Formula Renault 3.5 Series this year. The battle I had on the last two laps with Will Stevens and Carlos Sainz at Motorland Aragon is one that stands out.”

It’s World Series by Renault’s tenth season this year. Can you tell us what you were doing ten years ago?
“I was eight. I played football then and I wanted to be the best. I was in the first team at my club but they dropped me and put me in the B team because I was karting and missing too many training sessions. That was when I decided to focus on karting. If I’m going to play a sport, then I want to be in the best team and give it my all.”

And what will you be doing in ten years’ time?
“I’d be very happy with a seat in a Red Bull car, fighting it out for the F1 title. I’ll be 28 and that would be perfect.”

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