Swiss driver Henri Moser, aged just 20, took the 2007 FIA GT3 European Championship with his team-mate Gilles Vannelet and a Kessel Racing Ferrari 430 GT3. As the faster of the two Champions in qualifying and the race, he was awarded a prize-fund from Citation, SRO and Michelin awarding him 150,000 € and up to 40 sets of tyres.
For 2008, he will move up to the GT2 category, but will remain with Kessel Racing, driving a Ferrari 430 GT2. His team-mate is yet to be named.
"Are you looking forward to the new season ?"
"Of course ! I’m really looking forward to testing and to driving the car for the first time, and to moving up to the FIA GT Championship !"
"You’re remaining with Kessel Racing and with Ferrari, so you have points of reference for the new season."
"Yes, I think that’s really good, as I’ve known Kessel Racing from the beginning, even from before I started racing. They know how I drive, how I function. I know them, and it’s kind of a family feeling.
So I’m really happy to continue with them, and also with Ferrari. My first race was with a Ferrari, I’ve never raced anything else, and I know this car is really competitive, so it’s going to be really fun."
"GT2 is looking extremely competitive this year – are you worried ?"
"I have no worries; in fact I’m looking forward to it. I know it’s going to be really tough, and I will have to work hard to be as competitive as the others. There are some really big, professional teams and some very fast drivers in GT2, so it’s going to be really demanding. But I think I’ll learn a lot."
"Were you tempted to go directly to GT1 ?"
"I did look at racing in GT1 but it didn’t work out. My choice was between an Aston Martin in GT1 and the Ferrari in GT2. But I’m really happy with my choice : this is a really good package with Ferrari and Michelin."
"What about yourself – how are you preparing for the move up to the FIA GT Championship ?"
"With the longer races in the FIA GT Championship, and the Total 24 Hours of Spa, I have to work on myself and on my physical performance, to make sure that I will not be affected by that. Psychologically the season will not be too difficult as I have no pressure.
We will do our best, our main objective is to aim for podiums but mostly to enter this circle of major level GT racing. As for my team-mate, I should know who it will be in two weeks time – but it will be a good driver."
"You are still very young, you have not been driving very long … how do you explain your rapid rise in motorsport ?"
"It’s difficult to explain. I started really young, at 14, but not with go-karts or single seaters, I started straight off with GT racing. Philippe Favre [a race winner in the FIA GT with Lister] took me from the beginning to where I am now.
My first laps in a road car were with him, and my first race was also with him. I also had some really good teachers like Philipp Peter, Iradj Alexander and Gabriele Gardel. I learned as much as I could from them all. I like racing, and it’s my passion so it’s not dfifficult to spend a lot of time on it. That is part of my success."
"You’re very tall for a driver – does that cause you any problems ?"
"I have some problems in single-seaters of course, but it’s OK in GT cars. I do have some problems with my head, but the interior of the Ferrari is quite big, so I fit in nicely."
Going back to 2008, you’ll be starting on familiar ground, where you and Gilles Vannelet won two FIA GT3 European Championship races last year."
"I love Silverstone, it’s my favourite track, along with Spa ! If it doesn’t rain, it should be good. Silverstone has always been a really good track for me. In fact, I now know every track we will visit in 2008 except for South America, so that’s good !"
- Jacquie Groom - photo SRO
