CHAMP CAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 25, 2005

Sebastien Bourdais

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Thanks Eric

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, definitely it was a long flight but not longer than yours, I guess. It's just a great feeling. Again, as you said, I clinched the Championship and to top it off with a win is always good to wrap it up with a style and was very exciting race with a lot of engagement from everybody on the track. Pretty frantic pace up front, the qualifying lap three or four times in a row was pretty amazing and just a great run from the McDonald's car again

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, it was a slow start and I guess we had instructions not to kick things too early. We all kind of respected that; maybe a little too much and really backed everybody and I was extremely worried for the first braking and apparently justly so because when I looked just before hitting the brakes I was a little in front of Oriol and just braked extremely late because I could see the bad thing coming. And I was just lucky not to be in the middle of it. But the bad point was that Oriol was fighting for the Championship for the second place, got hit by behind and definitely didn't put the Newman/Haas 1, 2 in a very good situation. So from there on when Tracy (inaudible) inside the first start of the chicane, he was in the lead and I really had to push very hard to kind of get to it and pass him in the pit cycle.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, I guess there's a lot of hard work behind it. Oriol had this difficult test this year jumping from the Coyne car to the Newman/Haas car and taking over a brilliant driver, Bruno, my teammate, who got hurt in Indy. And he definitely stood up for the challenge very good and just had a very good season and enjoyed every bit of it. I think out of the four, last four seasons, Newman/Haas won three championships and it just shows really well how strong this organization is and how good it feels to be involved within it.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: It's obviously, these days, the best road course we have on the schedule, long, it's got just about any corners, slow, medium, nice speed and as long as it is go faster and faster, it's really enjoyable to drive over there and just the whole venue is just a great success, huge crowd, big enthusiasm from the fans and just all the recipe for a great event really.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, it was obviously a great experience for me. First time in the stock car and just had a great time with one win; especially a great moment in my career of the win in Texas. So just a long quite a few things on ovals and was a great ambience, thanks to Crown Royal and the Signore family. I just had a blast and hopefully we could do it again next year. We'll see and we will see if the schedule allows us to do that.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Yeah, a little. First, because obviously, I am from France and I have quite a different background and completely different culture so I really didn't know what to expect. I have to say they have been great guys, just huge respect between all the racers, you know, each way, and I was extremely pleased with the way that things went with Mark. He's been extremely good to me, very complimentary and obviously a great opponent to fight against. I found it a little tough, to be very honest, but just the experience really was an enjoyable one and had a lot of fun altogether

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, Race of Champions is again on the list. Just received the invitation and I will be back in Paris the 3rd of December. Baja is on the list if we can make it stick with all the after-season, I guess, obligations we'll have, and just again, when you win a series, you have to be up for the chance. There's a lot of things to do and it's not as demanding as the season itself, but not very far from it.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: I guess I can't comment on what Bruno went through. It's a very tough thing he was up against, obviously, and probably the toughest thing a race car driver can be up against. Actually you get back in shape and after a huge accident like the one he suffered in Indy, but definitely shook things up for Newman/Haas. We had to find someone to replace Bruno until the end of the season. Obviously when Oriol presented himself as a possible replacement, it was great news because he's the friend of both of us and we just got along very well. I think achieved a very good job for the team. Obviously it's not completely official yet, but clinch another one in two for Newman/Haas. And overall, even with Bruno's accident, it stayed just a great season.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, there's always more to come, I hope to believe. So we won two straight and it's never really been done before. I think only once 45, 46 and 47, something like that, to have a triple consecutive winner in the championship, so I guess it would be pretty cool to put my name on this very, very short list of drivers who win three in a row. But, no, every time you win, you know, the season ends and you just have another one in front of you. As long as you are motivated to try and� -- because you just want to win races and Championships, I will be back. We signed a deal for 2006 with Newman/Haas Racing and so far I think there's been a great relationship with the team. I have enjoyed every bit of it and so far really looking forward to another one. I know it's going to be extremely tough and we will just start to work on it as soon as this 2005 season ends.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: I guess that's the trickiest question so far. There's not much I can comment about it. If you want some comments about what he -- why he doesn't consider me, I guess you need to ask him. But realistically, all I can say he's done a great job. He has got a great organization, a great driver, world Champion team and driver, and there's nothing you can really bitch at, really. It's just the way it is. They picked another driver and they have been successful. So you can't argue with that choice. Obviously, Renault is a French company, but it's also a multi-national company. It's got markets all over the world and they probably have interest to have non-French drivers. So far I think they showed that they were right. Would I have been to be able achieve that? I have no idea, I have never been handed the chance. All I can ask for right now is to try and start the relationship in 2006 with the team, try to (inaudible) a few times which is going to be a lot in my contract, and to start in 2007. So far nothing really happened and all I can say is I am pretty successful and happy in Champ Cars, and there's not much I can do about not being handed an opportunity in F-1. So we'll see what the future comes up with.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Yes, it did.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Yeah, we're home.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Not in this area, definitely, no sign of hurricane. When we flew back yesterday it was blue sky and the wind definitely was strong, but nowhere near hurricane fall season. Just keep our fingers crossed and hope it's going to stay that way. But you can't be sure of that.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, that's obviously something you care about as a driver. Since the beginning every time you win, you kind of go a step higher. The truth is, apart of Formula 1, there's not many things over Champ Cars. I am a professional and all I can do is try and make the history book, I guess, winning races and Championships and things like that. But it's just� -- I am just having a lot of fun doing it. So there's no real sense in debating all these things. So far I have just enjoyed a lot what I did and as long as I will be racing in Champ Cars, I go to try and win races and as a consequence as you know when you win races most of the time, you are a contender for the Championship. So we have a very competitive ride right now and just a great organization, a great atmosphere within the team; everybody is trying to win a third one and we'll definitely try to achieve that

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: It's obviously really tough to anticipate that. I was definitely extremely pleased if that happened in 2006 because it is a great challenge. You start from scratch with a new car that you have to develop with the team, and that's very much something I enjoy doing. I have done it a few times in Formula 3 and Formula 2000, both cars, and I have always really enjoyed that part. I really like the development part with the engineers and the relationship and it feels very much like a baby that you kind of look at growing and watch growing and that's something very special. So there are two feelings really about it. In 2007 obviously it will probably be my last chance to make it to F-1 and I'd very much like to make the jump, but in the meantime, if I don't, that's going to be a great challenge ahead of me and a lot of teams to try and develop this car and win something different and the beginning of probably a new era. Both scenarios are going to be a great challenge for me in 2007.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: That's not that tricky. They have different personalities. Oriol is just taking it really easy but being very professional and Bruno is just very professional in what he's doing and 100% focused. Sometimes I guess people take it the wrong way, but I guess it was actually -- quite a shame because in 2005 we spent quite a bit of time with the Indy 500 and all that together and definitely our relationship stepped to another level and we're just having a lot of good times together and it was just a big setback obviously when he kind of was taken away from us. Just they are both good friends and very good drivers. They have achieved a lot of things with Newmann/Haas Racing and I guess the thing that would make a lot of sense would be to try and keep them in the organization so I know I am pretty sure Bruno will be back because obviously he got hurt in Newman/Haas car and it makes all the sense in the world to have him back to show how good he is and to do kind of, you know, go over and try to win the Championship in 2006 and Oriol has done a fantastic job to take over what was in front of him. I guess, again, it also makes a lot of sense for him to stay with us. So obviously the target was to try and put a third car and I know that Jimmy is working really, really hard. It's a financial problem now, and obviously it would be awesome to have a title sponsor for a third car and to make it happen. So we won't have to debate who to keep and who to work with. That would be just the best thing that can happen to Newmann/Haas Racing.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Thanks a lot, Eric.