HEADLINES
- Nicky Catsburg grabs P2 on the Main Race grid, some 0.04s off pole, to seal LADA SPORT’s best ever qualifying result
- The Dutch racer leads for most of the Main Race, only losing out on the final lap
- Catsburg achieves his maiden WTCC podium
STORY OF THE WEEKEND
- Great practice pace carries over to qualifying, Catsburg making the Q3 shootout for the sixth time in ten attempts ad putting his LADA Vesta on the front row
- Minor spat with World Champion Jose Maria Lopez possibly cost him pole position
- Timing debacle costs Catsburg and his LADA SPORT ROSNEFT team points in WTCC MAC3
- Error in the Opening Race provides a perfect opportunity for Catsburg to practice overtaking, as he climbed from last to 11th
- Epic battles that include passing moves on multiple World Champions Yvan Muller and Lopez characterise Main Race
- Catsburg leads the Main Race from the second to the final lap, when his tyres cried enough for Lopez to pass
- Defence against Lopez allows Tiago Monteiro through into second and Catsburg brings his LADA Vesta home in third for a maiden WTCC podium finish and LADA SPORT’s best ever Main Race result
Catsburg says…
On his qualifying performance and finding a slow-moving Citroen on his flying lap…
“It was a good lap and when I saw Yvan (Muller) had put in a lap in the 2m03s that I thought I had no chance. But, as it turned out, I found a 2m03s as well! My middle sector was all together and the quickest of the day, so who knows what might have happened if Jose Maria Lopez wasn’t cruising around on my flying lap. When I saw the car there I was distracted. By four hundredths of a second? Who knows, but I was happy with getting on the front row.”
On his race one slip-up…
“Basically, I ran wide at Turn 3 and ended up flat last on the opening lap. From there, I was on a recovery drive. I had some nice battles and made up seven places, although I nearly had my race ruined by Gregoire Demoustier’s Citroen, as he turned in on me, unaware that I was on his inside. It was a lot of fun!”
On starting from the front row and passing Muller and Lopez…
“I was pretty pleased with that. I lost out to Muller at the start again, but not so badly this time around. I came straight back at him and got my nose on his inside and, while he turned in on me, I was too far in. He had a wobble and I was through and on Lopez, which was very satisfying. Putting a move on him with an undercut was also a lot of fun!”
On leading and then losing the lead…
“I was pushing and pushing, and I looked in my mirrors to find that I was actually pulling a gap. With a couple of laps to go I had a 1.2s lead, but maybe he (Lopez) was just messing with me, because, with my tyres going off, he seemed to find some pace and pretty much cruised past. I did what I could to fight back but in doing so allowed Tiago (Monteiro) through. In the end, I was glad to take the podium. P1 would have been awesome, but P3 is great as well.”
On his first visit to the WTCC podium…
“Everybody keeps telling me I’m pretty fast on a lap, but I haven’t yet turned that into a race performance where I could really challenge, so this was pretty soecial. I think I showed I can race pretty well too and I was very happy to take a trophy and some champagne back to the garage for the team, who thoroughly deserved it. The guys brought the Dutch flag to the podium for me, which was a nice touch.”