Gym, sim and microwave meals: Getting to know the ART Grand Prix teammates

The break is underway but before the drivers got to head off on their holidays, we put the ART Grand Prix trio to the test about how well they know each other.

From jobs outside of racing to who is on their phone the most and who is the longest to reply, all three had their own take on each of the subjects we put to them.

Here’s how the trio got on…

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEAMMATES?

James Wharton: I would describe Tuukka as chill, and Laurens as adventurous.

Laurens van Hoepen: I would also say chill for Tuukka and for James I’ll go with energetic.

Wharton: That is horrendous.

Tuukka Taponen: I think I would say for both, easy and simple. Funny. Wharton: We’re funny? Thank you.

WHAT WOULD THEY DO FOR WORK IF THEY WEREN’T A RACING DRIVER?

Wharton: Tuukka would be a team owner.

Taponen: I think that’s true.

Wharton: Laurens would be…what would you be? He’d spend money.

Taponen: I think Laurens would be flying his own jet everywhere –

Van Hoepen: No way! I would do motorcross for sure.

Wharton: But you can’t be a racing driver.

Van Hoepen: I know, I’m a motorcross rider. Or a tennis player.

Taponen: James would be playing golf.

WHO’S THE FUNNIEST?

Wharton: Me.

Van Hoepen: I don’t like to speak about myself that way.

WHO’S THE BEST LOOKING?

Wharton: Mate look at the haircut he’s got!

Van Hoepen: Unfair. Unfair. You’ve got me at my weakest point right now. I think Tuukka.

Wharton: I think Tuukka as well.

Van Hoepen: Tuukka by far.

IF YOU HAD TO COOK A MEAL FOR THE OTHERS, WHAT WOULD YOU COOK?

Wharton: Probably… what would be easy to make?

Van Hoepen: A microwave meal.

Wharton: That’s what you would cook me? I would make them a nice lasagna.

Taponen: I don’t know. I’m not a professional at this.

Van Hoepen: I think I could make a good steak.

Wharton: You can’t cook…

Van Hoepen: I do! I’m not stupid.

Wharton: So if Tuukka’s cooking we’re going to starve.

WHO KNOWS THE MOST ABOUT CARS?

Taponen: I think I know a lot.

Wharton: Probably Tuukka.

WHO’S ON THEIR PHONE THE MOST AND WHO TAKES THE LONGEST TO REPLY?

Taponen: On the phone is James.

Van Hoepen: Yeah on their phone is definitely James. But then longest to reply… I don’t think so.

Wharton: Laurens is quite bad at replying. And he’s on his phone just as much as me.

Van Hoepen: No way!

Wharton: I’m absolutely on my phone the most but that’s because I’ve got friends!

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST THING YOU’VE LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER THIS YEAR?

Taponen: I didn’t learn anything this year.

Wharton: Yeah but we’ve been teammates before so. I’ve understood that Laurens, when he wants to be, is really fast in high-speed corners. Only when he chooses to be.

Van Hoepen: I think it’s that you can be fast with just your driving style as well. There’s more than one way you can have a driving style to be fast.

WHO IS IN THE GYM THE MOST AND WHO IS ON THE SIM THE MOST?

Van Hoepen: In the gym the most is you, for sure.

Wharton: In the sim the most I don’t know though. None of us are really.

Van Hoepen: All three of us are in the gym more.

Wharton: It’s gym or nothing.

WHAT’S SOMETHING THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TELL THE OTHERS BUT HAVEN’T GOT AROUND TO YET?

Wharton: I can’t wait until we’re not teammates anymore! Nah – I tell them everything.

Van Hoepen: Yeah we’re quite open.