4 April 2016

HEADLINES

  • Superb fifth-place result caps off “fantastic” WTCC curtain-raiser at Circuit Paul Ricard
  • Catsburg and his LADA SPORT ROSNEFT teammates are the first to attempt ‘WTCC MAC3’
  • LADA SPORT ROSNEFT denied the ‘WTCC MAC3’ victory by a slender margin of 0.030s
  • Catsburg leads LADA SPORT’s Main Race charge, finishing within sight of the podium in fifth
  • Catsburg says LADA SPORT’s winter developments have yielded significant gains
  • The rapid Dutchman identifies areas in which he must improve following the WTCC Race of France

Nicky says…

On the results achieved in the season-opening WTCC Race of France…

“I’m really, really happy after finishing fifth in the second race. Last year’s FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race of France at Circuit Paul Ricard was by far the worst for LADA SPORT ROSNEFT, yet we have come away with some fantastic results and a good haul of points this time around. We could never have dreamed of keeping up the the Citroens in 2015 and today we were right there with them. I wasn’t able to catch, but I was never more than two seconds away and the gap between my fastest and slowest laps was much smaller than last year, which shows how much the LADA Vesta’s tyre management has improved over the winter.”

On commencing a brand new season in the WTCC…

“From a personal perspective, I’m very comfortable within the LADA SPORT ROSNEFT team and I absolutely love being out on track in the WTCC. It’s different and I find it more difficult to the GT endurance races that I’m used to. Racing GT3 cars is by no means easy, but it certainly comes naturally to me, whereas the WTCC is a real challenge and there are lots of areas that I can improve on. This is what makes the WTCC interesting for me. It’s hard, you need to keep improving at a fast rate and I really like the challenge!”

On his own personal objectives for the remainder of the 2016 WTCC season…

“There are lots of ways in which I need to improve to get the most out of myself and the LADA Vesta TC1. Race starts are not my strength at the moment – you would not believe how annoyed I get when I mess up a start, because it causes me real problems – and then there’s my racecraft. I’m still getting used to racing in close quarters with other drivers and in the first race at Circuit Paul Ricard in lost some positions while in battle. However, I have one of the best guys in the business, Gabriele Tarquini, as my teammate and I know I can learn a lot from him when it comes to starts, going door handle-to-door handle with other drivers and being consistent in a race.”

On the results of LADA SPORT’s winter test and development programme…

“Friday’s test was pretty tough and it was impossible to read anything into the times, because it was very, very wet. You pick up so much wheelspin in these cars, although that is one thing that has been brought under control compared with last year. My performances in that session and in free practice the next day (Saturday 2 April) were not representative, but we found that the starts are easier to control and that’s hugely encouraging. The races revealed that LADA SPORT has made a step forward with tyre management too, as the delta between my fastest and slowest laps was relatively small compared with last year’s Race of France and this had little to do with the difference in the conditions and ambient temperatures.

“Hugo (Valente), Gabriele (Tarquini) and I can all be very thankful to the LADA SPORT ROSNEFT team for the work it has done over the winter and I hope we can continue on an upward trend. I have no expectations for the next round and it’s probably too early to make any assumptions, but there is definitely a bit more organisation within the team and I think that all three drivers are sharing ideas openly is helping us move forward. Ultimately, I feel far more confident in the car and I’m excited about what might be possible in Slovakia.”

 

HEADLINES
  • Superb fifth-place result caps off “fantastic” WTCC curtain-raiser at Circuit Paul Ricard
  • Catsburg and his LADA SPORT ROSNEFT teammates are the first to attempt ‘WTCC MAC3’
  • LADA SPORT ROSNEFT denied the ‘WTCC MAC3’ victory by a slender margin of 0.030s
  • Catsburg leads LADA SPORT’s Main Race charge, finishing within sight of the podium in fifth
  • Catsburg says LADA SPORT’s winter developments have yielded significant gains
  • The rapid Dutchman identifies areas in which he must improve following the WTCC Race of France

Nicky says…
 
On the results achieved in the season-opening WTCC Race of France…

“I’m really, really happy after finishing fifth in the second race. Last year’s FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race of France at Circuit Paul Ricard was by far the worst for LADA SPORT ROSNEFT, yet we have come away with some fantastic results and a good haul of points this time around. We could never have dreamed of keeping up the the Citroens in 2015 and today we were right there with them. I wasn’t able to catch, but I was never more than two seconds away and the gap between my fastest and slowest laps was much smaller than last year, which shows how much the LADA Vesta’s tyre management has improved over the winter.” 

On commencing a brand new season in the WTCC…
 
“From a personal perspective, I’m very comfortable within the LADA SPORT ROSNEFT team and I absolutely love being out on track in the WTCC. It’s different and I find it more difficult to the GT endurance races that I’m used to. Racing GT3 cars is by no means easy, but it certainly comes naturally to me, whereas the WTCC is a real challenge and there are lots of areas that I can improve on. This is what makes the WTCC interesting for me. It’s hard, you need to keep improving at a fast rate and I really like the challenge!”
 
On his own personal objectives for the remainder of the 2016 WTCC season…
 
“There are lots of ways in which I need to improve to get the most out of myself and the LADA Vesta TC1. Race starts are not my strength at the moment – you would not believe how annoyed I get when I mess up a start, because it causes me real problems – and then there’s my racecraft. I’m still getting used to racing in close quarters with other drivers and in the first race at Circuit Paul Ricard in lost some positions while in battle. However, I have one of the best guys in the business, Gabriele Tarquini, as my teammate and I know I can learn a lot from him when it comes to starts, going door handle-to-door handle with other drivers and being consistent in a race.”

On the results of LADA SPORT’s winter test and development programme…

“Friday’s test was pretty tough and it was impossible to read anything into the times, because it was very, very wet. You pick up so much wheelspin in these cars, although that is one thing that has been brought under control compared with last year. My performances in that session and in free practice the next day (Saturday 2 April) were not representative, but we found that the starts are easier to control and that’s hugely encouraging. The races revealed that LADA SPORT has made a step forward with tyre management too, as the delta between my fastest and slowest laps was relatively small compared with last year’s Race of France and this had little to do with the difference in the conditions and ambient temperatures.

“Hugo (Valente), Gabriele (Tarquini) and I can all be very thankful to the LADA SPORT ROSNEFT team for the work it has done over the winter and I hope we can continue on an upward trend. I have no expectations for the next round and it’s probably too early to make any assumptions, but there is definitely a bit more organisation within the team and I think that all three drivers are sharing ideas openly is helping us move forward. Ultimately, I feel far more confident in the car and I’m excited about what might be possible in Slovakia.”