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Jānis Baumanis Photo: Tom Banks Photography
Jānis Baumanis is one of the most versatile rallycross riders in the world. During his career, he visited the podium of the World Championship, became the European champion in front-wheel drive cars, but last year he started in Biķernieki with an electric car. This season Baumanis has accepted a new challenge. By joining forces with the ESMotorsport team, their abilities are tested in the fast-growing European Championship, the all-wheel drive Euro RX1. In order to get a deeper idea of the course of this season, the organizers of the competition have taken Bauman to a conversation.
What is the mood before the competition?
Better than other years. Compared to previous years, psychologically a little calmer. Perhaps the European Championship does not put as much burden on the shoulders as the World Championship. The fights in the European Championship are even a little more complicated. I know that speed is enough, it remains to put a couple of things in order to leave the first turn as a leader. It would make life much easier.
What exactly makes the fights of the European Championship more difficult compared to the World Cup?
In the first two stages, but especially in France, he had problems with the starts himself, at the same time not even the fastest drivers often manage very well. They make this race more interesting, forcing them to choose a slightly different joker circle strategy. The top 6 riders can show very good results in one race, but not so good in another. As a result, the overall results are thoroughly mixed. The semi-finals or the finals could be the most interesting for the spectators in the European Championship. There are many collisions, accidents and technical problems, much more than the World Cup, and it is these aspects that make them more interesting.
Has it been possible to fix the startup problem that hindered the first stages?
The car returned to base only on Thursday. The mechanics have started working. There are suspicions that may be at fault, but a test day is needed before the race to check it all out. Hopefully we will be able to understand where the fault is and deal with it.
But is everything right for teammate Bakeruda’s car?
Yes, there’s the thing that his car is fine. There is a problem with my machine. Let’s hope this is a technical defect that can be fixed quickly.
How did you feel about the team in general? This will be the third start with ESMotorsport.
You could say very positively. Professional attitude from all team members, mechanics, engineers and team leader Ernest Staponkus, who is very ambitious. His love for sports can be felt very well within the team, how he keeps everything in order, took care of everyone with a great attitude towards riders, mechanics and engineers. He perceives everyone equally. The goal is one – to win. In the first two races, a couple of things didn’t allow us to do it, but both Andreas and I proved his speed. Hopefully now, in the second half of the season, we will be able to please the whole team.
Such a more family team comes together?
Yes exactly. We are not only Latvians and Lithuanians. We also have people from France, England, Belgium and the Czech Republic, but the team is very cohesive. Everyone works with one goal and it is very noticeable. Also in the communication between the drivers, with the engineers and mechanics, everyone is very positive, so it is a pleasure to go to the race.
How many people in the team go to each stage?
Each of the four mechanics… Meets about 17 or 18 people for each race for two cars.
What cooperation has developed with Bakeruda as a team member. Have you been friendly before?
We had a rather friendly relationship during the World Cup. And now in one team in the European Championship nothing has changed. You could even say that you get to know him even more in the team tent, not only outside it or in the pre-start area. Everything is very good. We can learn from each other, because both in the Swedish and French stages on specific things related to driving analysis, I can learn from him how to make a better turn, and he also takes information from me. It is passed on. It is not that someone does not say something that a team member should consider. We have had several trips together. We also have a great deal of mutual respect in them. Everything is planned to help each other and improve the team’s overall result. It is not that ‘I have to be ahead and I will only drive my race’. Maybe the plans don’t always come true, but we help each other.
If you compare the Biķernieki track with Lojaka and Holjes, will it be more convenient or complicated for your Škoda Fabia?
I would very much like to say that it will be more convenient. How can it be in life, you can ask me after the race, but it seems that after the Swedish and French stages it should be good here, because Sweden had less grip, so it was more difficult, but in France with more grip we had much better results. There is a lot of grip in Riga as well, so I think that everything should be fine here.
Last year you drove an electric car, now you are back in your usual car with an internal combustion engine. Liked to return, do you still want their future with electric cars?
Watching an electric car from the side is several times more boring than sitting at its wheel. Of course, you can’t compare an electric motor to an internal combustion engine – they are two different things. The petrol car has to shift gears, start thinking about the different nuances that need to be done. An electric car is much simpler with an automatic gearbox. More emphasis is placed on the choice of trajectories on the track. There is no room for error. Of course, petrol cars can’t go wrong, too, because accuracy is also important, but it’s much more complicated. You have to think about gear shifting, parking brake, speed, how much gas to press, but it is also interesting to drive an electric car.
Entrance tickets for 18-19. Ferratum World RX of Rīga, which takes place on the Biķernieki track in September, can be purchased at Biļešu Paradīze sales points, as well as on the Internet. www.bilesuparadize.lv.
