MARIO MORAES: YOUNG, FAST AND SUCCESSFUL BRAZILIAN INDYCAR DRIVER

Brazilian Formula 1 race car drivers are among the best in the world with champions like Emerson Fittipaldi, Rubens Barichello, Nelson Piquet and of course Ayrton Senna still described today as one of the best F1 driver ever.

A new generation of brazilian pilots is for sure coming with drivers like Tony Kanaan (winner of the 2004 IRL IndyCar Series championship driving Andretti Green Racing’s 7-Eleven sponsored car) or Mario Moraes.

Mario Moraes (20, born in 1988 in Sao Paulo) is a brazilian professional race car driver, his career is short but he already showed a lot of talent and impressive performances. He is currently racing with KV racing team, car N0 5 in the Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar Series.

He spent the all day and evening at the W Hotel with Izod "In pursuit of Fast" event and the other drivers to celebrate the Indycar Series Championship Week, we took this opportunity to ask him few questions on the sunny beach of Miami Beach in between two catch and throw of volley ball.

Interview with Mario Moraes after the jump.

TS: I saw you arriving at the event in a Porsche Carrera GT, one of my favorite car, you are a race car driver so cars have almost no secret for you, can you tell me why did you choose this particular sport car ?

MM: Yes, this is a special edition and I like it, it is a Litre V10 engine and some of its characteristics of course makes it the closest to a race car possibly used on a race track, it has a a pure carbon fiber monocoque and subframe like in a race car it is very interesting car to drive.

TS: How did you get involved in the car racing?

MM: I am from Sao Paolo and my family back there was close friend with Ayrton Senna until his death, you can imagine the influence! I decided to start Go-Kart at 11 years old, very young, which I drove for few years. In 2004 I decided to go to FTR Pro Series FR1600 then to Formula 3 in my country Brazil for the Sudamericana Formula 3 Championship and I moved to the British F3 Championship where I spent a year.

TS: Is that why you do not have a brazilian singing accent?

MM: Maybe!!…

TS: Why IRL IndyCar Series and not Formula 1 competition?

MM: After competiting in Europe I had a chance to go to ChampCar with Dale Coyne Racing team and now ChampCar united with IRL Indycar Series, where I am very happy with my results *

TS: You have driven almost all over the world, what is your favorite race track?

MM: Well! I would say Spa-Francochamps in Belgium

TS: Brazil is known for its football/soccer players and afficionados, Brazilian team have won many Football World Cup, Is car racing as important in your country?

MM: Yes, it is very very important, we love car racing and the great race car champions we have, specially Ayrton Senna, we also have a Brazilian F1 Grand Prix in Sao Paolo with a very challenging race track.