Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil drivers Pepe Oriola and Sergey Afanasyev have stressed the importance of avoiding “unnecessary retirements” in the TCR International Series in Salzburg this weekend, after both driver’s suffered from contact last time out at Monza.
Oriola retired in the second race at Monza due to contact from double winner Gianni Morbidelli whilst battling for a podium position. The retirement was the Spaniard’s third of the season and drops him to 21 points behind points leader Morbidelli.
“This weekend it is very important for me to score points in both races and avoid an unnecessary retirement like the one I faced in Monza,” said Oriola. “I can’t afford to lose any more points at this stage in the season; it is very competitive now between the top four drivers.”
Also in the wars in Italy was Russian driver Afanasyev, who made contact with Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Mikhail Grachev and Target Competition’s Michel Nykjær in the first race. Damage ruled him out of starting race two, although the team have now repaired his SEAT for this weekend’s races on the high-speed Salzburgring. However Afanasyev was deemed to be at fault and has been given a five-place grid penalty for the first race in the Austrian Alps.
“The team has done a great job repairing my car after the accident last week so I really thank them for that,” said Afanasyev. “It is going to be a tough first race with the grid penalty though, so I will need to do my absolute best in qualifying to give me a better chance.
“We are very close in the teams’ championship so I hope that this weekend we can all come away with some excellent results and get on top.”
The only driver not to be in the wars at Monza was Jordi Gené, who scored a fourth and a second to remain in title contention, despite carrying a maximum 30 kg of success ballast. The Spaniard drops to 20 kg of ballast this weekend as a result of being the second most successful driver at Monza after Morbidelli.
“I am excited for this race because I am now very close to the leaders and can really challenge for the championship,” said Gené. “I will be dealing with 20 kg of ballast this weekend, so once again it will make things more difficult but I hope for some good results.”
Craft-Bamboo Racing CEO Richard Coleman emphasised his desire that his drivers avoid any contact this weekend, which marks the final European race of the TCR International Series.
“The team has done a great job in what is the busiest month of the TCR series calendar and the Salzburgring is another exciting circuit,” said Coleman. “We have seen how strong the Hondas are on high-speed tracks such as this so we know there is going to be stiff competition.
“I hope that the team can score some good results and avoid any contact that leads to retirement.”