On selected Thursdays across Formula 1’s European season, GPUpdate.net shares an insight into the up and coming stars of tomorrow. We begin with Londoner Alexander Sims, 23, who clinched victory in the second GP3 race in Turkey on Sunday.
Name Alexander Sims
Born 15 March 1988, London, UK
Age 23
Twitter @simsracing
Current series GP3
Team Status GP
Career in a nut shell Karting -> British Formula Renault 2.0 Winter Cup -> British Formula Renault 2.0 -> Formula 3 Euro Series -> GP3
Did you know? Sims won the 2008 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, receiving a McLaren Formula 1 test drive as a reward last November. He is looked after by Gravity Sport Management, of which Renault Team Principal Eric Boullier is CEO.
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Two minutes with Alexander Sims...
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How did you get interested in racing?
I was never that interested in karting, actually. I had no passion for it. One of my father’s colleagues bought a go-kart for a bit of fun, had a go and enjoyed it. Then they bought my brother a go-kart and my brother did it for a year. I had a go and enjoyed it, but I never thought, ‘Wow! This is what I want to do!’ It was a buzz but it wasn’t like, ‘I’ve found my passion’ or anything.
When I was starting to go racing, numerous times I’d be lying in bed and Dad would get me up! I wasn’t a teenager at that point, but I guess it was like that. But then I got more serious when I was about 16.
What's your greatest achievement so far?
There were a few karting races that were very, very good. In fairness, I haven’t had a massive amount of success yet in car racing, in terms of dominating, but the year of karting in 2002 was very good. And obviously winning the Autosport BRDC Award in 2008 was a pretty awesome experience.
Do you have any racing heroes?
Not really, no. When I was growing up, doing karting and watching F1 occasionally, it was probably Schumacher because he was winning all the time.
Who excites you most on the current F1 grid?
I’m not really that fussed anymore! I have massive respect for all the drivers because I realise what they’ve gone through to get there, as I’m going through at the moment, but I don’t think you can really say one person has done better to get there. I like Button, he seems like a very nice guy, but there’s qualities of lots of drivers that I like.
And finally…tell us something ridiculous about yourself please…
Well…my girlfriend is a racing driver as well. She has raced Radicals in the past and sometimes we race together, sharing the car. It’s quite chilled out, it’s a bit of fun really. There’s a mandatory pit-stop window of three laps, during which you have to change driver.
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Alexander Sims was talking to GPUpdate.net’s Gregory Haines
Twitter: @GregoryHainesF1
Volume 2 of GPUpdate’s One 2 Watch will be available on Thursday 26 May
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