KCMG have gone from chasing G-Drive in the LMP2 championship standings, to defending a lead and then chasing once again. You could forgive a driver for becoming fixated on the point-score, but Bradley’s game plan has been unswerving from the opening round at Silverstone/
“We haven’t really had the lead until Le Mans and at Austin we had to come from the back, so I’m not so worried about it” admits a nonplussed Bradley. “At the end of the day, you win every race, you win the championship. That’s my way of looking at it.”
Being based in between Bangkok and London, Richard has probably clocked up as many miles as his GT contemporary Fernando Rees, but as Richard explains, Asia is becoming more and more important for drivers hoping to make a career out of the sport.
“Touring the world is very small now. I’m constantly hoping on aeroplanes. If I stayed in Europe I wouldn’t be racing” Richard soberly admits. “Asia’s becoming much more of an opportunity and I think it should be looked at very seriously given that’s where the money is and where the manufacturers are heading. In Europe if you win you have to take the next step which costs around a million more dollars. Some people in Europe could live their entire life on a single season budget for GP2. That’s a serious amount of money.”
The recent Rookie test announced by the WEC had a number of glaring omissions – most notably Bradley. Given the test is designed to reward regular WEC competitors performing at a higher level, the fact that this year’s Le Mans winner and a few other high achievers like Alex Brundle were left off the running sheet does raise a few questions on how important it is to a major manufacturer connection. It’s a factor not lost on the young Englishman.
“In the future it will be very, very important, but I’m in a wonderful position now where I’m earning a good living and don’t have to worry about the finances of racing anymore” says Richard. “The good thing I have on my side is that I’ve only just turned 24. I’ve only been racing cars since 2010 and this is only my second year of LMP2, so I’ve got a lot of time to learn. If I was thirty years older I’d be a bit more worried. Winning Le Mans this year has been incredibly helpful [in my development], so I’m lucky to have time on my side.”
Nicolas Lapierre has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance since joining KCMG. The veteran Frenchman has lost none of his speed since moving to the LMP2 ranks, but has learned to apply said speed with a newfound maturity – a trait he has been able to impart onto Bradley.
“The good thing with Nicolas is that I’ve made a very good friend. He’s a great team mate and helped me a lot, especially at Le Mans” says Richard. “The speed you don’t really have to worry about, because we’re all operating at a high level. But he have me some great advice on how to start the race – which I won’t repeat! But he helped a lot with his experience. I miss him when he’s not here just as much as I miss Nick [Tandy] when he’s not here.“
To have two team mates who are so experienced have been great because I’ve made a massive step this year. Last year I made some mistakes, but since Austin last year I’ve made a pretty big jump and now I’m making the most of that. I’ve definitely noticed a change in people’s approach towards me this year. I haven’t got any faster; I’ve just learned to apply it better.”
Team environment is a component that