Charles Rainford - WSR - Team Vertu - Brands Hatch Media Day 7th April 2026

Charles Rainford - WSR - Team Vertu - Brands Hatch Media Day 7th April 2026

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Charles, really good to see you. We're not that far off the start of the season now. You're looking forward to it. Of course I am.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Yeah. I mean, well, how great is it to be back. I've thoroughly enjoyed my uh winter testing programme with the team. Um it's I think almost the amount that I've learnt this year. At the end of the year, I knew that if I could make it happen again and we could go again for a second year, then it would be a different year. Um and that has already planned out during testing. Yeah. See, last year it's just about getting me up to speed uh with the car, and then all the changes that you can also make to the car versus now through the winter, I know exactly what I want from the car. So we've been able to hit the ground running and testing, and it's just made a huge difference. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

And you say sort of getting you up to speed, you showed a very good turn of speed uh at times last year, didn't you? I mean, uh some tremendous I mean if I might say so, some tremendous performances.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

No, thank you. But as you say, at times, and that's and that's the key word there. So you'd hope going from a rookie season to to the second season, um, I think someone called it a soccer more year, my American cousin or sophomore year, that's it. Um so you know, I'm I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping those small turns of speed, those flashes, we can kind of make a bit more consistent uh and from circuit to circuit, obviously, depending on how quick our car is around those circuits.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Uh avid fans will remember you picking up uh a little bit of debris, one of the circuits, namely a cone, a traffic cone. Yes, which that photograph's gone global.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Totally. You know what? Out of everything I've ever done in motorsport, that is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me for my career. But um, no, it was very funny, wasn't it? I mean, uh, how you could do that so perfectly. Um, and obviously during that race as well, I got turned round, I also got a bit of contact from somewhere else. So when my engineer said, you wait till you see the front of your car, and I thought, oh no, it's gonna be a massive bill, you know, how bad is it gonna be? I'm already thinking, like, okay, how are we gonna try and raise a bit more budget to pay for this and and stuff? Um, and I get out and I've just got a massive traffic cone there, and what's even better? It didn't even damage the car. Really? Yeah, I see it it blocked the uh the intercooler, so my charge temperature just went sky high. Yeah, um, but in terms of like engine and everything, it was spot on. So um yeah, it was quite entertaining, and actually the fact it didn't there was no damage from it meant that it was just quite a funny thing, really. Yeah. What was your biggest learning point from last year? Gosh, I would say it's always gonna say, isn't it, round one? It was a baptism of fire. I didn't necessarily know what I was getting myself in for. You know, you can try and prepare as best you can by doing simulator prep, or I mean, I watched so many previous seasons before going to round one, it just can't compare you for what this championship is like when you're actually behind the wheel. Um, so that was a big learning curve. I think also another aspect of it was racing from from the back in the midpoint, but also then when we came here and then some other points through through the season was then racing at the front. It's it's very different in British touring cars racing in those kind of three stages at the back or trying to come through or in the middle or at the front. They're all very different, and the race plays out in a very different style. Yeah. Obviously, we'll like to be at the front, it's the funnest place to be, but it's also where through my career where I've been for Pearl Shakura Cup and series like that, where actually I knew what I was doing. So a lot through this pre-season now has been trying to think about how I can try and you know play the game of chess that is coming from the back to the front. So there will be a time where I'll have to try and uh see how much I've learned, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Sticking with the rear-wheel drive uh and with WSR. I mean, there's a the consistency of of that relationship must be important to your season as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Yeah, exactly. I mean, as much as I have I have some good friends within West Surrey Racing anyway. I've known the team for for quite a few years when I was going through Porsches and you know, I knew a lot of the people within the team, but um you then get to meet them all, of course, and then go racing with them for a season. So um having that also that that winter where I was in the factory a lot helping try and develop the car was has has been really nice and we've all got to go know each other really, really well. Um, and yeah, as you say, the continuity is the most important thing. So um nothing anymore is gonna be a surprise. I hope we know we might be having this conversation again and go, what about that? That was a surprise.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

I'm gonna remind you of that at some point. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

So um, you know what? I'm prepared, I'm ready, I'm just excited to get going now. I really am.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Are you uh are you coming into this season a a different driver? Have you is your your head in a different place? Are you approaching it in a in a different way this year?

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Yeah, I am actually. Um it's quite interesting. Obviously, there was also the point we've just spoken about where I didn't know I didn't know what to expect really. I now know what to expect, so that's already different. I've grown up a lot the last year, if I'm honest, um, you know, just in getting terms of the kind of commercial side of the business within within British During Cars, you know, it's such a fantastic platform, uh, and making sure that my partners get good value out of it. Um, but also I always used to get quite kind of like I don't know, an immature version of sponsorship and you know, uh partnerships with companies and that kind of thing. So this year it's all structured very differently as well, which has been a really nice point for me to kind of learn that side of it. Um, in terms of the driving, which is obviously what we're here to do. Um, yeah, I've grown up a lot. I think I've got a an older, older head on my shoulders now, hopefully, um, with the same speed from last year, and we should be thereabouts, I would hope.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

An interesting point that you make uh there about what it means to be a racing driver now. It isn't just how quick you are and how consistent you are on the track. You have to be good with sponsors, you have to be, you know, the shining face in hospitality, don't you? There's so much to do that goes on before you even get your backside in a seat.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Yeah, 100%. I mean, you've got to be quick in the car. That's fundamentally it, isn't it, really, initially. But so many people are now so quick, you know, like for instance, modern simulators and technology and such as that, it's it's actually not that hard to learn to become a very, very quick racing driver. So you need to have that that that bit extra, you know. Um, and that is the the the commercial side of of what we do. Um, arguably, it could be more important. Obviously, if you can't do the job in the car, then it all falls apart. But um there are some fantastic racing drivers uh just in the UK, you know, let alone around the rest of the world, that don't get the opportunities that we get in in this championship uh to be able to race these fabulous cars in front of you know uh over the year and millions of people. So um, yeah, I'm very I'm very lucky. I know I'm very lucky and privileged in that position. Obviously, I worked very hard for it. Um, but you can't ever let anything anything rest, you know. You you work day and night to get onto the grid. So when it comes to a race weekend, yeah, you you you're the jack of all trades, but um you've got to enjoy the journey.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

The big talking point for everybody, not unsurprisingly, is the new qualifying uh format. What have you made so far of how this is going to work?

SPEAKER_00 6:50

You know what? Through all the research I've done and thinking about you know what people may do, there are some very, very clever people in this championship, so my plan may not be the cleverest, but it's a plan. It is a plan. So anybody needs a plan. Yes, we have a plan. You know what? A lot of people said it might, it might, you know, our car might not suit it being real-wheel drive, but actually I think I think it might suit it quite well. Um, because we can run quite aggressive setups where front wheel drives can't, and we can probably get away with it with for half a race. We know our car's strong in qualifying. Um obviously on really hot days we can get the fronts up and that's fine. That's gonna be the little downside for us is throughout the race, we'd always be strong at the end of the race because it takes a couple of laps to get the front tires up. So I have a plan to change that. So we'll see how that goes. And we might have the conversation again. I go, I need a new plan, but right now I have a good plan. I'm excited about it. Um, I think it's gonna suit my driving style quite well because I'd always go last year, I always go really well in FP1, or on a test day, you know, normally, I would go quite well in the first couple of sessions. I do loads of prep. Absolutely, I love the prep and you know being prepared for what we're doing. Whereas some drivers like to build to things a bit more. I kind of get to a point, probably do, I don't know, if it was like if we've got uh normally on a on a on a uh Saturday morning we have uh free practice one and two. No, normally free practice one, I'd be really quite quick compared to other people, and then almost don't find that extra step, and then everyone kind of catches up a little bit, which it's only so fast you can drive a car really, so um that's good. But the fact that I can hit the ground running hopefully means with that one practice session straight into a qualifying run, that should suit me. Uh, I'm looking forward to that aspect. And obviously, another race is always good. The more fans we can get on a Saturday, it helps all of us really. Um, especially the fans. Hopefully, the only downside to it is obviously for some people it's a bit more of a commitment. Something becomes hotel bills and things like that. A lot of people travel around to all the circuits. Um, so as long as you know, as long as it doesn't affect people too much, I think having a race on a Saturday is only gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

It's gonna shake it all up a bit, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Which is which is what uh well Mr. Gow and uh uh and all of us like to be fair, of course, which is good as well. Also, more fun as a driver though, if you don't know what's gonna happen necessarily. Um obviously, as was just saying, a baptism of fire when you're first coming into it. So um yeah, like for Lewis, for instance, you know, it's that is really gonna be a baptism of fire, that first Sass at Donnington. So um I remember my one. I wish him all the best for it. Um but yeah, he's gonna love it, and I'm sure we're all gonna love the qualifying race.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

And Donnington is one of those circuits at the beginning of the season when you can end up with all four seasons in the space of a couple of hours, can't you? So all the plans that you've been making could go out of the window when it's coming into Leicestershire.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

You know what? If it's wet, I wouldn't mind that. Our car's quick in the wet, and I love absolutely love the wet weather. Um so if it is wet, that could help us. Um, but yeah, we'll see. You know, for for us, it's um we either want really wet or really hot, either one.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

So, and then this this isn't uh it meant to be a sort of a loaded question. What's the goal this season? I mean, I'm taking it for granted you would love to be champion, of course. Of course. That goes without saying, yeah. But but in your mind, you must have uh an idea of perhaps by the time we get to the to the summer break, four rounds in, where you'd like to be.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Yeah, 100%. I mean, I want to be challenging, of course. You know, I I've not come into this championship just to just to be one of the making and up numbers and oh look, I've got a win or a poll position. Yeah, that's that's lovely, but that's not what I'm here for. Eventually, I want to win this championship. I know I can win this championship, and it's possible, you know. As I said, there's only so fast you can drive a car, and you know, if you can be at the front, then you're gonna be in with a shout. I still need to learn a lot, obviously, not taking that. It's it's the little bits like we're just talking about coming from the back to the front or having to race with less TTB or whatever. Like that's that's something I'm gonna need to learn, and hopefully, we'll continue to learn that through this season. Um, my main goal is to be there's a there's a championship photo at Silverstone, um, which is the actually go they take the photo at Silverstone for then the drivers that go into the the last round of the championship, mathematically possible. Yeah. My goal is to be in that photo and we'll see where we are from there. Excellent. Take it to Silverstone, and then if it's mathematically possible, we then work out how much it's possible and go here.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

We'll keep an eye on that one. And if you are in that photo, we'll tick that vote. We'll take that. That should be good. Um Charles, uh really good to see you back. It's always a pleasure to chat to you, and uh and I wish you the very best for for this season. Um, as you as you may know, at this uh part of the season, we like to have a little bit of fun uh at the end of these interviews and ask a couple of sidebar questions. Wonderful. There we go. So uh there are three questions you need to answer. Two choose one, two, or three. Um I will choose two.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

Two, what shape is a stop sign? A stop sign is it's not an oval, is it? It's uh is it a hectagon that has multiple different shapes?

SPEAKER_01 11:38

I'll give you that one a hexagon. Hexagon. Just these are all the these questions are all from the highway code, which I thought was quite funny. Um so you've done number two, number one or number three.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Uh I'll go for number three.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Number three, uh, you've uh had to stop in an emergency area uh on a UK road. Before you leave that emergency area, what must you do? Put on your hazards, put on your headlights, uh, use the emergency phone, or slowly wave your arm out of the window.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Oh, the waving out the window is interesting. I would say it's emergency uh hazards because uh otherwise people aren't going to see you.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

I'm sorry you failed. Oh dear. Uh the answer is you have to use the emergency phone to tell the operator about your situation in case they need to close a carriageway so that you can return to it safely. Very good.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

So before you put the hazards on, is this when I must have misheard the question. I thought you're still in the case.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

When you're leaving the the So you've pulled over and you put your hazards on, but before you leave the emergency area, you're supposed to use the emergency phone?

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Well, there we go. Do you want to know what the other question was? Yes, what was the other one? At 40 miles an hour, what's the stopping distance, either in metres, feet, or car lengths? Oh my word.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

You know, I'm gonna try and answer this anyway, because it's a bit of fun, isn't it? Okay. 40 miles an hour. Um, obviously, there's a lot of variables. Is it wet? Is it greasy? What car are we in? In the drive. In the drive. Um I'm gonna say it is about 40 miles an hour. It's going to be 75 metres.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

It's 30 metres, 180 feet and um nine car lengths. Very good. Nice modern brakes. There we go. I'm sure you could stop a lot quicker than that. Charles, really good to see you. Have a great season. Thank you very much.