Mr Rahal, you’re just about to enter your fifth year of partnership with BMW Motorsport. What is it that makes this relationship so special?

Bobby Rahal: “What unites us with our colleagues at BMW is, first of all, our passion for the brand. My first car was a BMW, and I was already a huge BMW fan during my college years. I’m sure most of BMW Motorsport’s engineers were exactly the same when they were young. That forms the foundation. Beyond that, our partnership is marked with a great deal of mutual respect. We’ve come to value their motorsport abilities just as much as they value ours. That makes our partnership something very special.”

How big is the challenge of preparing a new car like the BMW Z4 GTE for its first ALMS season?

Rahal: “Our boys were in Munich during the winter and helped to build and test the car. It is a completely new, exciting experience for us to be so directly involved in the development of a vehicle. That wasn’t possible with the BMW M3 GT. It’s naturally a shame to have to say goodbye to the BMW M3 GT, but the BMW Z4 GTE looks even better. Despite this, it is a new car – and we’ll be facing top-class, experienced opposition in the GT class in the ALMS. We’re going to go through a development process and gain experience driving the BMW Z4 GTE. By the way, it was no different when we started out with the new BMW M3 GT in 2009.”

What are the biggest differences between the two cars?

Rahal: “The BMW Z4 GTE is shorter, broader and flatter than the BMW M3 GT. I think all of these points are advantages over the previous model – and that was already a very good car in its own right.”

Do you regard 2013 as being a year for learning about the BMW Z4 GTE?

Rahal: “It’ll naturally be a year of learning in some respects – after all, as well as having a new car, we also have a new tyre partner in Michelin. I have great respect for Michelin as I’ve cooperated with them in the past. Despite this, we’re still going to have to get used to working together, which will definitely take time. Nevertheless, we’re going to do everything in our power to continue our further development as fast as possible and to win again as soon as we can.”

Have you set concrete goals for 2013?

Rahal: “Our goal is to make ourselves competitive. If we manage that, and if Lady Luck is smiling on us, then perhaps we’ll also be able to win a race. But it would be impossible to plan for such an outcome. We’re going to just give it everything we’ve got and see how it all goes. It doesn’t benefit anyone to look too far into the future. In our situation, we have to think from one race to the next.”

You have two new drivers in the team. What do you expect from Maxime Martin and John Edwards?

Rahal: “I’ve already met Maxime a few times and believe him to be a very impressive young man. He is a very good driver and, above all, unbelievably fast in the rain. I also have great respect for John. I’ve had him in mind for some time now, and am very happy that it’s become possible for us to work together this season. I think he has a great future ahead of him. All in all, I believe we have a fantastic mix of young and experienced drivers. I’ll get Maxime and John to push the older drivers forwards, and will ask Bill Auberlen, Dirk Müller and Joey Hand to act as teachers for their younger colleagues.”