This interview was originally published on our FaceBook page on Saturday, June 12, 2021 before the IMSA GTD race.

Lisa Lakian caught up with Daniel Morad at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and asked how the #28 Alegra Mercedes AMG team is approaching today's IMSA Weathertech race.

Lisa Lakian - You’ve not raced here since 2017 and this weekend is a very compressed schedule with not a lot of track time. Did you feel you could get into a rhythm quickly after not being on the circuit for a while?

Daniel Morad - “It was pretty quick really and I was pretty comfortable right away. It does help to have been here before and understand the Belle Isle circuit.”

The car #28 Mercedes AMG seemed to have a few handling issues during practice and qualifying and did have a few brushes with the wall – are there any ongoing issues with handling or will the car be ready to run the distance?

“Yeah, the car is being put back together right now but the guys had to work pretty hard into the night to get it sorted. This is a street circuit so you expect some dings and scrapes, but the damage was a bit more than we bargained for. The #28 Mercedes is strong though and we’ll be right in there.”

Michael will be starting the car from 9th on the grid - Do you think you can battle to be up front at the end?

“With the circuit the race could go either way – it could all go smooth, or you could have a complete mess. It can be unconventional how this race goes. There could be lots of yellows but generally speaking it’s a one stop race and the race will be off pit road. That might be how it is won or lost.”

You are currently 10th in the 2021 driver’s championship. With 8 more races to run, do you feel confident for a run at the championship this year with the mix of circuits still to come, including the street circuit at Long Beach which will be new for a lot of drivers?

“I love Long Beach and have had some success there in the past and we also have back-to-back races at Watkins Glen where the Mercedes AMG should be pretty strong. Of course it’s a mixed bag of circuits and still a long season to go. We are only at race four and the hope is we can get all the bad luck out of the way early in the year and turn it around. Other teams have had a bad start and gone on to win the championship, so I am hopeful.”