Q&A with Ricciardo: ready for a Silverstone bow

A short interview with the reserve driver who will take Karthikeyan's place in the Hispania car.

Daniel Ricciardo talks about his impending F1 debut at Silverstone with the Hispania team.

It was your birthday on July 1 and you got a call-up to HRT. Must be a nice gift?

It was quite a nice birthday present for me. It was a big surprise, I did not expect to be racing Formula One this year. It is still a bit of shock, but I am sure it will all be realised come Sunday.

You have raced here before. What are your thoughts on Silverstone?

It is one of the circuits that I enjoy. I had one of my greatest races here back in 2008. It's quite close to me as my second home is England and I will get to sleep in my own bed. I'm just looking forward to getting out there and doing a good job.

The HRT is not known as a front runner, does that concern you?

It doesn't worry me. This is a huge opportunity for me to race in F1 and is something I have dreamed of since I was a boy. I just want to finish and get the miles under my belt at this level. That's the most important thing. I've never done a race this long before, so it is important to find out where I am physically and mentally.

Colin Kolles, the Hispania team principal, said the car doesn't suit the track. Are you worried about not managing to qualify at 107 per cent?

Haven't thought about that at all. I hope I'm more than capable of qualifying in that percentage. It's my first time in the car and I don't expect it to be the Red Bull I drove in Abu Dhabi for the Junior Test. But Tonio [Liuzzi, his teammate] has done a good job, so if he can I hope I can too.