Sweden’s WestCoast Racing says it could be a formidable force in the sixth round of the 2015 TCR International Series at Austria’s Salzburgring, but expects the weekend to be a “hard-fought nail-biter” (30-31 May).
Gianni Morbidelli pocketed maximum points for pole position and two race wins on home soil at Autodromo Nazionale Monza and will subsequently carry 30kg of success ballast forwards into Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2015 TCR International Series at the picturesque Salzburgring.
The ex-Formula 1 driver from Pesaro, Italy was untouchable in qualifying and utilised his Honda Civic TCR’s exceptional pace through the fast turns to take a lights-to-flag victory in race one and then consolidate a remarkable weekend by surging from tenth on the reversed grid to another win in the second encounter.
Having sealed an unlikely pole position for the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s (WTCC) Race of Austria in 2014, there’s cause for Morbidelli to be optimistic about his potential at the Salzburgring.
However, the ballast-laden Italian is a realist and cannot be sure whether or not the hills will be alive with the sound of popping champagne corks this time around, saying: “I think we will have good races at the Salzburgring, as it’s another old-style circuit with long straights and a few fast turns and it’s in those high-speed corners that the Honda Civic TCR performs really well. However, the 30kg of success ballast will have a negative effect on performance and I’m not sure how much of an impact it will have and what will be achievable. Of course, this is normal and it’s the rules, so you need to accept it and do your best with what you have.
“We honestly didn’t expect so much from Monza, but we scored maximum points in what was a perfect weekend and I must thank WestCoast Racing’s mechanics and engineers for giving me a car that worked so well. The team always works hard and is made up of competent and focused individuals and I really appreciate what they do to bring results.”
Kevin Gleason, meanwhile, had his Monza debut disrupted by a series of punctures; the first sent him into the barriers in qualifying and he was denied a potential podium finish after a pair of pacey and mature drives from the back of the grid on the ultra-fast Italian circuit.
The Ukraine’s Igor Skuz also made an impression at the F1 Italian Grand Prix venue, as he went second fastest in free practice and ran as high as fourth in the races, which culminated with a sixth-place result.
WestCoast Racing is predictably upbeat as a consequence and Team Principal, Greger Petersson, has clearly developed an appetite for champagne, saying: “The wins Gianni (Morbidelli) achieved at Monza were really hard-fought because, while we had the quickest cars in qualifying trim, the race performance was very even, with cars running four-abreast at times. Ultimately, Gianni’s superior racecraft gave him the edge and, with 30kg on-board, the next two races in Austria won’t be a walk in the park for him.
“I do think Kevin (Gleason) will feature, as we have to remember that he recorded the fastest racing laps at Monza, only for punctures to deny him results, and Igor (Skuz) also performed in Italy, having developed well with WestCoast Racing, reaching a higher level through good cooperation with his engineer. I can see them being a hard gang to beat, but the opposition is very stiff and I expect the Salzburgring round to be a nail-biter.”
For more information on WestCoast Racing, please visit the officialwww.westcoastracing.se website, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page and follow@WestCoast Racing on Twitter.