HEADLINES
- Nick Catsburg achieves his second FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) podium
- Third place in the WTCC Race of Hungary comes just one week after his maiden podium finish in Slovakia
- LADA SPORT ROSNEFT given 50kgs of ballast in a post-Slovakia shift in the WTCC’s Balance of Performance
- LADA SPORT endures a trying build-up to the Race of Hungary, but transforms the Vesta TC1 back into a contender in the dry
- Catsburg underwhelmed after qualifying seventh
- Inclement weather makes tyre selection a lottery in the weekend’s Opening Race, but Catsburg’s wet selection proves to be the right call
- LADA Vesta struggles in the conditions, but Catsburg extracts the maximum from the car to reach the podium
- Improved Hungaroring boasts a new track surface and revised kerbing
- Freshly laid asphalt yields very little grip in Sunday’s (24 April) wet races
- Harsh and excessive drive-through sees Catsburg finish the Main Race outside of the points
- The Dutchman now changes tact for a return to Porsche machinery in the WeatherTech United SportsCar Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Nicky says…
On a trying build-up to the WTCC Race of Hungary…
“Arriving in Budapest, we really thought the 50kgs of ballast would destroy any chance of achieving a result and there were also a few things that we didn’t do quite right in FP0 on Friday (22 April), which we corrected for FP1 and then improved on further in FP2 on Saturday (23 April).
“Immediately, we were right back in the game, setting competitive times, and Gabriele (Tarquini) was especially quick, topping the timesheets during free practice. I was fifth in first practice and then broken front suspension hampered the second session, but it was still clear that we had taken a big step forward with the LADA Vesta. I was very surprised by the car’s speed and balance. The ballast slowed us down – it’s supposed to do that – but the car felt fantastic.”
On the refreshed Hungaroring…
“The Hungaroring was resurfaced with new asphalt and the kerbing was revised before the WTCC arrived. For me, it’s a huge improvement, because it has a nice flow to it and the kerbstones are new age and up-to-date, which allows you to cut the corners more. The only difficulty was staying within the track limits. It’s so tempting to exceed the boundaries and it’s hard to stay on the edge and set a fast lap time without going too wide, or cutting an apex and having your times deleted. I expected it to be particularly tricky during the races.”
On overcoming the unseasonably cold and wet weather to reach the podium…
“The forecasted rain materialised on Sunday (24 April) morning. It can sometimes level the playing field, but I wasn’t sure it would in this instance. There were a lot of unknowns for me, as I haven’t got much experience of racing touring cars in the wet and I knew it would be slippery on the freshly laid asphalt.
“I hoped it would stay dry, but I did see that there might be an opportunity to snatch a surprise result in the rain and that’s exactly what I did. I had mixed feelings about the result. I have to be happy about the podium, because it’s only my second top three result in the WTCC, but I’m disappointed with my own performance, which included quite a few mistakes.”
On the Opening Race tyre conundrum…
“I have driven on ice before and I had more grip then than in the races at the Hungaroring. It was like driving on eggs; it was so slippery and every mistake cost you a heap of time, so the Opening Race was strange.
“To be honest, I didn’t understand why anybody opted for slicks at the start of race one. It was so wet on the formation laps and it was still raining, so I find it really confusing. However, I got very lucky that half the field started on slicks, as it opened the door to a good result.”
On the disappointment of the Main Race…
“I knew after race one that we didn’t have the pace and I spent the second encounter looking in my mirrors. With no vision through a fogged-up windscreen, I was being cautious while battling against other cars. In the end, I think I could have scored a couple of points if I hadn’t been given that harsh drive-through penalty for cutting the chicane. I didn’t gain any positions and you’d normally get a warning. I should have been given a small time penalty at the most.”
On the forthcoming Continental Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda…
“I only know Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from driving the circuit on the simulator, but it’s a legendary track and one I’m really looking forward to visiting. I’m also looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Black Swan Racing Porsche, because, while the Rolex 24 at Daytona was very good, the Sebring 12 Hours wasn’t. We need to rediscover some pace.
“The race isn’t as long as the previous two, so it will be a little easier, but it will depend on the Balance of Performance and I don’t know where we stand in that respect. Whatever happens, the WeatherTech United SportsCar Championship is cool and it provides me with a break from the WTCC, which I need after this weekend in Hungary.”