Johnny Herbert believes Superstars is the future

Johnny Herbert was the main draw as the International Superstars Series made its first visit to Britain last week. The former British Grand Prix winner was in demand from home spectators throughout the weekend at Donington, taking a podium in the opening race before an impressive drive back through the field in race two after a first corner incident with Alberto Cerqui.

TouringCarTimes spoke to Herbert following the second race at Donington and asked how he felt racing in front of his home fans once again?

“It’s nice to come back, nice to show the speed, but didn’t get the result we came here to get.

“The first race was good, although I wasn’t quite happy with the car as we had a bit of understeer, we made it a little bit better for the second one, but obviously getting knocked off at the second corner that was it. It’s annoying because the car would have been good enough to probably go one step further.

“It was nice coming back and doing some overtaking, so that bit was good.”

After finishing second, just 0.8 behind winner Andrea Bertolini in race one, Herbert started Sunday afternoon’s race from third on the grid, but progress to the front came to grief at Redgate on lap one.

“I didn’t get a good start, surprisingly I got a load of wheel spin so I didn’t get my drive and I lost out to (Luigi) Ferrara, but went round the outside as I saw Ferrara nearly take Bertolini off, he broke so late into the first turn he was pushing him round!

“So I went round the outside, no problem, a bit of understeer, but no problem, ran out wide but thought well that gives me a nice line, doesn’t squeeze in and then obviously he knew what he was doing and gave me a little touring car tap on the back, which I always hate because that’s not what racing is about.”

Herbert though is enjoying the racing in the Italian based series, which he joined in Spring 2010, at first in a Motorzone run Chevrolet Lumina.

“I like it. The concept I like because they’re all big things, they’re all flared up arches, a big wing on the back and then obviously there’s different manufacturers that are here at the moment, and hopefully that will bring in more. Audi is going to come with something new and I believe the Panamera is coming back again, which is a bit of a threat that thing when it turns up!

“It’ll be good when they join, as I said the concept is really good, and I like a touring car that has got a lot of power because I think that is what it should be. It is sort of like DTM, but DTM has got a load of aero and they never overtake, but at least with this there’s ability to do the overtaking.”

Herbert proved that the possibility of overtaking exists, coming through from 17th at the end of lap one in race two to finish 6th in his Romeo Ferraris run Mercedes.

The treble Grand Prix winner also predicts that he is part of a series with a bright future within motorsport and the touring car world.

“It’s nice and it’s all thanks to (Maurizio) Flammini, who runs the whole show, getting me involved, and it’s something that will grow. As I say the concept is much better than a World Touring Car or British Touring Car because of the power they’ve got, and the way they look, plus some of them sound really good as well. I think all those things are what people want to see, and they want to see racing at the same time, so we have all that and it’s just going to grow.

“Originally it was just an Italian thing, but slowly they’ve been pushing it in typical Flammini fashion and hopefully people will have a look. I know Ian Harrison was here the other day having a look, and I know (Fabrizio) Giovanardi really enjoyed it when he came along and told people about it, so it’s good. It’s going to be word of mouth.”

Herbert says he is in Superstars for the long term and does praise the series to friends and former colleagues of his, but key to its success he believes are the cars.

“It’d be good to get those kind of drivers, but we also need to get the manufacturers in, which we have at the moment, but we just need to build, and we build it to a certain point, and hopefully that’s when people take notice that this is something that is, hopefully, the future, because of the way they look, the power they’ve got and the noise they make.”

The International Superstars Series is back in action at Misano on 10th July. Herbert lies eighth in the international standings, which are led by Luigi Ferrara on 93 points, ahead of double Donington winner Bertolini, who is four points in arrears.