Johnny and karting

Johnny was interviewed by Nick Gordon, for the May 1999 issue of Kart Racing.

NG: Tell us about your kart racing career, how did it start?

JH: Well, it started here at Buckmore Park. At the time I was a scout and back then you actually had to be a scout to get onto the track. It was good, it was always quiet, we came mainly on a Saturday or Sunday and it just gave me the opportunity to derive around, learning all the things that I could use in the future.

NG: What did you learn from Kart racing?

JH: When I first came along to Buckmore it was a case of using the basic techniques, things I can still use now. And I can still jump into a kart now and use the skills I learnt back then, as well as trying new things which will still come in useful. Left foot braking in Formula 1 has become a little bit of a trend and in karts you obviously have to left foot brake, so again, karts give you a bit of an insight into how to drive. Also, the technique of racing a kart is pretty similar to that of a Formula I car, you don't have the kart sliding around when it's handling properly In a Formula 1 car its exactly the same, you don't want the back end sliding around. So you get the basic grounding at a very young age and its something you can go on to use and develop.

NG: Did you race in karts against any of the drivers you race against now?

JH: Currently in Fl ? I don't think so. Both Zanardi and Schumacher came along a little bit later than me. Mika too. The only guys that I can remember racing against are Stefano Modena and Ivan Cappella. They were a little bit ahead of me, but I remember that in my first Junior World Championship they were actually around. And I did race with Ayrton once, in Sweden, when we had 'one free fight' as it were.

NG: What do you think makes the difference between a driver who gets to the top and the others who fall away, is it simply dedication?

JH: I think the dedication is there, even for the guys who don't make it, they're trying the best they can. But it's the guys who slow everything down in their mind who are the ones that will succeed. I think you get an element of it in kart racing, then in Formula 3000 and definitely in F1. It's the ones who can be travelling at, say 300kph, and make it feel as if they're doing 100kph. If you've got 100 metres till the corner you've got do all your shifting, braking and turning in that short space of time. So if you can make it seem like 200 metres in your mind, slow it all down, then you've got more time to do everything. I think the guys who can't do that don't have enough time because they can't do everything quick enough. I notice that when I've been driving an F1 car, or even a little with karts, a car seems so much slower Because my brain is reacting more quickly. I'm driving faster, but I feel as if it's much slower.

NG: Do you think car control is something that you learn, or is it a natural ability?

JH: I think that you can certainly have one driver who is more naturally gifted than somebody else, but there's no reason why the less talented driver can't work harder at it to achieve the same goals. But if the 'natural' guy also works harder, I think his talent would be beneficial. Also, physical training has now become very, very important in Fl and it should be the same in karts. You've got to be as physically fit as you can and that should lead onto being mentally fit too.

NG: Compared to when you were racing karts, what do you think are the differences in the kart world now?

JH: The big difference now is that kart racing is much more recognised and far more professional than it was. There's a lot more teams involved. When I was doing it you just had the factory teams that were basically coming from Italy, Now there's a bit more of a spread. There are teams in England who now have better connections with teams, say in Italy, and they have the opportunity to get the best engines, the best carburettors and the best tyres. It makes it easier for them to achieve more things. There are now more opportunities for the British drivers. If they prove themselves over here then they can get a drive in a European race and the chance to 'prove a point' there. I think Jensen Button is maybe the best young driver we have at the moment. But he showed that back when he was in kart racing and a couple of managers spotted him before he got into Formula Ford, so kart racing helped him there. People are now much more aware of karts, even with just the indoor machines. They didn't exist when I started and nobody really knew what a kart was back then. They thought it was just a go-kart, to use for fun with a lawn-mower engine strapped on the back - not the high speed, hi-tech pieces of equipment you see today.

NG: Do you still actually race karts?

JH: Well I did Bercy at the end of last year for a bit of fun. There are lots of drivers who go there and take it very seriously testing and so on, but I just do it just for the enjoyment. My family comes along as well and we make a weekend in Paris of it - it's our bit of fun. I've now also got a couple of Swiss Hutless karts that I keep at a track in Italy; its something I've been planning to do for years, again more as a fun thing, but it keeps you 'sharp' too.

NG: Does that mean that you will you be taking Bercy more seriously?

JH: Maybe!" was his answer, with a very big grin. And off he went for the next round of interviews.

This article appeared in the May issue of Kart Racing.
This page prepared 29th May 1999.