At an airport in New Jersey, during last year’s hectic Indy Car schedule, Brazilian Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves found time to chat with Mobil 1 the Grid….

First of all can you tell me about your journey into motor sport and the key steps that got you where you are today?

Oh basically I started out very young er 11, 12 years old. Go karts, you know, and normally go karts is the is the beginning for you to understand a little bit about what racing is all about you know so er, I went through the normal steps, you know Formula Vauxhall and then Formula Three and then I came in to Indy Lights here in America and then Indy cars. Erm the key for the success I would say you know you’ve got to love er the sport first of all, you’ve gotta be determined as well because for you to conquer and to accomplish all the goals that you want you’ve gotta be happy what are you doing and then the rest is going to come naturally.

Tell me about the first time you won the Indy 500. Were you expecting to? It must have been a dream come true?

Yes it was a dream come true er obviously it was the first time so for me you know going around the track, understanding about the history of the place, everything was new for me in fact, winning the race and doing the whole er, you know drinking the milk and er the incredible amount of publicity, for me everything was new. So I didn’t expect what is going to go afterwards you know, so for me it was just brand new, and it turned out to be an incredible victory and I was very happy about it.

Now having won 3 times, which is the most special win to you?

Well I mean each one is very very special. I mean the first one, is the first time. The second one it was a back to back in fact it was a long time you know until someone did that, so for me it was very special. But the third one, this year was just incredible, erm, you know after what happened in my life during the six month when I wasn’t able to see a race car, certainly it was very special.

You almost made it three back to back didn’t you? Tell me about 2003 when you finished 2nd to your team-mate and fellow country man Gil de Ferran…

That’s right er, darn it. There was only twenty laps to go when we lost the lead on that race and end up finish second, but the good news is erm, he was a good friend of mine winning the race, it was my team mate so it kept in the family, in the team, team Penske so er, end up being a great result.

This year after winning your third Indy 500 you said to Roger Penske, “Thank you for giving me my life back.” Just explain what you meant by that?

Well as I said after what happens to me in my during my rough time you know for six month I wasn’t able to be in a race car, even talking about it and that’s my life so er, you know roger never stopped believing me, the team Penske never stopped believing me, and when I came back I mean they were the ones that gave me my life back because without their support with all the partners supports, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing right now so er, so I’m so thankful for that and, I’ll never forget.

Did you feel like you had something to prove this year when you got back in the car?

Not really you know I mean I was just so happy to be in the race car. And I guess er, probably about six month of a break I would say that I was more than ready you know to go back and do what I love.

What is the secret to winning the Indy 500?

If I told you the secret, it’s not going to be a secret any more. Ha ha ha. But certainly you know erm, that place it’s magical, that place is very different than all the tracks, it’s a very tough oval, it looks like an oval, but it’s not an oval, so I would say you’ve just gotta find the right team and er, you know I just have a great team and one of the secrets is to have a great team.

And despite your success at the Indy 500 you’ve never won the championship…

I guess it wasn’t the right time or it wasn’t meant to be you know. You can’t rush, you can’t er, you can’t do anything other than work hard and put yourself in the position to win, you know one day that door will be open and hopefully it will be this year.

Coming back off an Indy 500 win and you’ve just won at Texas, you’ve moved up to fourth. It’s so close, I think 13 points in it, surely you’re in a great position this year?

Oh absolutely, I mean at the moment it’s definitely on our side, er, definitely on team Penske’s side as well so we hopefully er, carry this momentum on for the entire season, we’re still a little bit early, about halfway through the season, but er, we show great potential and er we’ve just got to continue working.

You’re known as Spider Man after climbing the fence at Indianapolis. Explain to me how that all came about and why you do this?

You know the first time I won my race er in 2000 in Detroit, I was supposed to go to the pits and I was so happy that, ha, that I actually stop in the wrong place at the race track. I er I stopped right in the middle of the race track and er, when I look on my left er, the crowd was going crazy, I’m like you know I’m just going to go there and celebrate with them. So it turned out to be a great way, er I never expect to do that, but er, I guess it was a great trademark.

It looked like at the end of the Indy 500 this year the marshals were trying to stop people from doing that. You didn’t let them obviously…

Yeah it was kind of surprising to me I mean as soon as I stopped in the middle of the straight away I understand they’re saying like I got to go to the victory lane, so er, they were kind of like er, push me back in and I’m like listen, I’m going now, I am going. There is no way that I’m not going to be able to climb the fence, so it turned out to be a great way, the fans love it, and er, it was awesome, and it was my, er it was my way to celebrate.

If you were to win the championship this year, what would come next for you? I mean Sam Hornish moved into NASCAR, could you see yourself doing that, or do you have another plan?

Well my plan right now is to reach what’s closer to me right now, and winning the championship it definitely going to create even more goals and another goal is to win another Indy 500, another championship, and you keep carrying on. Right now to be honest erm I’m very happy to be with the Penske organization you know and if there is a good opportunity to move to something else I got to be be ready and I got to be prepared but right now I’m just ready for open wheel and er that’s what I’m going to focus on.

Looking back at your career as a whole so far, what do you think is the thing that you’ve brought most to American racing?

Climbing the fence ha ha ha. I think that’s what I brought you know. Like er you know racing here they gave me a great opportunity er they are the one that er show me if you work hard it pays off. And er, I guess that’s that’s what I take from racing in America and hopefully erm, I was able to payback with er, you know the joy of winning races, and er, and having fun.

And finally, why does Brazil produce such great race car drivers?

It’s a good question. I think it’s the water! I’m not sure to be honest but er, certainly we’re passionate about soccer and racing you know so erm, you try everything you can. And when you leave at a very early age you know to different country to learn different culture, to live on your own, things like that you know and when things go bad you don’t have a shoulder to cry on, you’ve got to just compose yourself and carry on. So I guess you keep getting yourself a little stronger so, maybe that helps us to overcome the bad side of it and try to succeed.