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Mundial - TCR

MUNDIAL - WTCR NA HUNGRIA

Segunda, 30 Abril 2018 12:51 | Actualizado em Quinta, 21 Março 2024 21:20

FIA WTCR RACE OF HUNGARY, 27-29 April 2018
WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO
​Rounds 4-6 of 30

​RACE 2 AND 3 PRESS CONFERENCE

Present:
Rob Huff, Sébastien Loeb Racing, Race 2 first position
Gabriele Tarquini, BRC Racing Team, Race 3 first position
Norbert Michelisz, BRC Racing Team, Race 3 second position
Yvan Muller, YMR, Race 2 third position, Race 3 third position

Q:
Turning first to Rob Huff, winner of Race 2 here at WTCR Race of Hungary. Now that was a great drive and great performance from you and some excellent points for your championship challenge. Just talk us through that race please?

RH:
It was really good for us, we’ve been struggling a bit with pace this weekend so to get that crucial P10, which gave us the pole position for the first race today was really important. To make a good start, we changed the set-up a little bit in qualifying, we improved it and we had a really good race with [Dániel] Nagy and luckily not too close. He never got too close to make a move but testament to Sébastien Loeb Racing and Volkswagen for the hard work they put in this weekend to really try to improve the car in every session, in every qualifying, every race and we have to be very happy.

Q:
There were two winners today of course and Gabriele Tarquini was the winner of Race 3 here. A great result for you but perhaps not the result the fans would have wanted. How does that feel?

GT:
I’m very sorry for Norbi because he made a fantastic weekend and in the end he finished without win. Today was fantastic because he scored a fantastic pole position and he was in the best position to win the third race. Unfortunately for him my start was better than his start and in this was the key of my win. After with the same car it’s very difficult to overtake the car in front of you. Norbi was very fast on this track, he was unbeatable in qualifying and in every session he was faster than me but in the end the only key to win the race was to beat him on the start. I tried my best and it happened.

Q:
What was your reaction when the red flag came out in response to the rain shower. What did you think at that point?

GT:
At this point with Norbi and with the team we agreed on being very hard on fight if we are in the same position. I was thinking just to finish the race with my pace without any trouble. After it started to rain my head changed immediately because you can have a lot of things. I was not in the best position in these conditions because I was the first car to find what was the grip during the lap. But fortunately the grip stayed very, very good because of the track temperature. In the end everybody decided to start with the slick tyres and I was always in the best position with the start under safety car to control the race and the pace.

Q:
Turning next to your BRC Racing Team team-mate Norbert Michelisz. Obviously the DHL Pole Position for Race 3 but not the victory you wanted. What happened?

NM:
It was difficult. I was really trying to do my best at the start but like Gabriele said my start was just average and his start was again really good. After the first corner I realised my race was probably finished. Of course I tried to stay close to him in case there was an opportunity but he was really fast, he didn’t do any mistakes and I had to settle for second. In the end not winning a race at home is a bit sad but it’s not the end of the world. I’m happy for the people because two times I was able to go on the podium and I’m really happy for myself. This weekend again is something to remember for myself and in the end this is the most important thing.

Q:
You mentioned the people and there were thousands here today. What did you think of all of that support you received from the Hungarian fans?

NM:
It’s just unbelievable! To perform on a level like I was able to in qualifying and yesterday in qualifying I really needed the support I received yesterday and today. It’s the eighth year for me and in the first two or three seasons I wasn’t really able to cope with the extra pressure. But now I think I’m able to let it come to me, the positive energy and the support and this really makes the difference some times. Like I said I wasn’t able to transform this support and energy at the standing start, it was a good start but in the end it’s not the end of the world as I said.

Q:
Turning next to Yvan Muller and two third places at a track where you’ve always enjoyed success. I guess you must be satisfied with that?

YM:
Of course the target I not that one but I can be pleased with two podiums and fourth place. We still have to learn the car, we still have to manage and find some new process for the team. We are very new in this series so it's not easy to manage. But so far we can be pleased, two podiums, third in the championship, second in the team championship so we can be happy.

Q:
You’re obviously not just a driver but a team boss as well and your team-mate Thed Björk didn’t achieve the results at the level we normally expect from him. Any words of encouragement for him, any information you can give us about what went wrong for him this weekend?

YM:
This morning he was unlucky with the qualifying. He had the speed and was a little bit faster than me but unfortunately he did a fast lap but it was cancelled because of track limits, then he had a yellow flag, then he had the traffic and then he had another mistake. In the end he couldn’t do a correct lap unfortunately because he probably would have been in the top five.

Q:
Finally, Yvan, your nephew Yann Ehrlacher won Race 1 yesterday and we talked to him about your record here and the fact he’s now joined you on the list of winners at this track. How does that make you feel and what do you think of his performance?

YM:
Of course I’m very pleased. Probably the first time he came here he was on my knee and bouncing and now he’s winning and on the winner list. Of course I’m very pleased. The only thing I didn’t think I would still be in the car when he would be on the top place of the podium. But of course I’m very pleased, it’s a strange feeling but a nice feeling.

Q:
Before we take questions from the floor, turning back to you Rob, in two weeks we have WTCR Race of Germany at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A quick comment from you about the spectacle and challenge ahead please?

RH:
It’s going to be very difficult for everyone. I don’t think anyone has been there in a TCR car this year so it’s new for everyone, it’s a clean piece of paper because as we know from the past set-ups and everything are very different from any normal circuit we visit. It’s going to be a huge challenge for everyone but, as always, we come there with a very high and professional level and we’ll put on a good show for everyone.

Questions from the floor:

Q:
Aleskandar Babic (Serbiaring.com, Serbia): A question to you all, was it really necessary to stop the race because it didn’t seem like that from where we watched it?

GT:
You never know what’s happening when it starts raining. We are not in Formula One where you have a radar and a satellite and you know what’s going to happen in five or 10 seconds or one minute. I think it was a safe decision because you stopped the race, you start under the safety car and nothing changed because we were in the queue. For me it was the right decision.

Q:
Aleskandar Babic (Serbiaring.com, Serbia) to Gabriele Tarquini: It seems like at the end of the last race a trace of a fight between you and Norbert, especially at the last turn. Did you not push as in the previous part of the race?

GT:
We are team-mates, there is a team job between us. I know Norbi is a very clever guy and to overtake a car in front like your car is always very difficult in any track, especially Budapest. The only chance for Norbi was to push me to make a mistake but probably I have experience enough not to make a mistake. Norbi in the weekend was faster than me and I told before he make a fantastic weekend. He was uncatchable in qualifying and I never matched his lap time because he was very fast, he was uncatchable. Unfortunately for him there was a standing start and I took my chance to win the race. Let’s see.

Q:
Aleskandar Babic (Serbiaring.com, Serbia) to Rob Huff: You had nice company in both races with two different Hyundais. Was it harder to keep your opponent behind you in Race 2 or Race 3 because it seemed to be very tough with Thed Björk but also with Dániel Nagy.

RH:
It was tough of course but I think Thed was definitely stronger in Race 3 than I was. In Race 2 I managed to match Nagy quite well. Thed has a lot more experience and he’s obviously been playing with the car since the beginning of the year. It’s fresh for Nagy of course. Neither could get past me and that’s all I care about.


FIA WTCR Media Centre

FIA WTCR Media Centre

FIA WTCR Media Centre

FIA WTCR Media Centre

FIA WTCR Media Centre

FIA WTCR Media Centre


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