By Eric Johnson: - With teams burning up $400 million dollar operating budgets as if money were growing on threes, 58 billion fans watching the races on television through the course of a season, and corporate and commercials sponsors coming at them from every which way, the responsibility and pressure that comes with being a Formula 1 driver is enough to make one’s head spin. To that end, the men who drive these molded carbon fiber land missals that traverse patches of asphalt motivated by 740-horsepower, V8 engines that scream for their lives at 19,000 certainly have their hands full. Thus, when it comes to speaking with the media, virtually every one of them talks in clipped sentences, taking the politically correct route, playing it safe as to not cause controversy or turmoil in the global press. There is an anachronism within this fraternity, though. His name is Franck Montagny. Yeah, he is the primary driver for test for the Panasonic Toyota Formula 1 team, but that’s beside the point. Get him talking about his combination beauty shop/fashion emporium, or the potential of playing in a rock and roll act, and he really comes to life. Frenchman Franck Montagny is a rookie to the Toyota F1 team, but he has — on various levels — been behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for four years now. At the recent Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit De Catalunya, Montagny sat down for this deathly serious interview. Intense, a man of few words, and intimidating in his “thousand yard stare” demeanor, we did the best we could to get the man who has ice water running through his veins to relax and not take things too seriously. After coming to terms with the fact we weren’t going to leave him alone, he decided then and there to become a regular communist on the Alpinestars website. Race fans of the world, we introduce to you Franck Montagny.

Frank, what are you doing in Barcelona?
Ahhh… Barcelona! First off, though, I'm living in Switzerland this year because it's, how do I say this? It’s how I remain calm. I used to live in UK and in Portugal, and off course in Barcelona, the dream city. So I go back Barcelona every time I can. I’ve got a hairdresser and clothing shop there, and I also have all my friends and the beach. So, that's what I’m doing in Barcelona. I'm enjoying life!

How old are you?
Old enough.

Where are you from?
Earth.

How did you get to F1?
I won a lottery, but I also won many championships and races. I also did all the single seater championships in Europe. In 2003, Renault F1 gave me my chance, and like magic, here I am.

What do you do in F1?
I'm the test and reserve driver for the Panasonic Toyota team.

What do you do on a weekly basis?
I train. If I’m not working for the team, every week and daily, I try to have a good dose off fun by jet skiing, riding my motocross bike or do whatever other cool stuff I can.

What do you do on race weekends?
I spend my weekend with my engineers and with the team public relations guy and with P.J. Rashidi from Alpinestars.