Citroën World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) drivers Sébastien Loeb and Yvan Muller have praised the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, calling it an ‘interesting’ circuit to drive on.
Loeb, who was third fastest in first practice behind pace setting team-mate José María López, before ending second practice in ninth, admitted that the circuit reminded him of the season-opening venue in Argentina and the mid-season event in Slovakia, due to its combination of high and low-speed turns.
“It’s an interesting circuit to drive on,” said former rally driver Loeb. “It reminds me of Termas de Río Hondo and the Slovakia Ring. There are points where you have to break hard, fast bends, and some technically demanding sections…
“All in all, the day went well and I felt in good shape, finishing between Pechito and Yvan. Things might be different in qualifying tomorrow, but for the time being everything is fine.
“The Citroëns all ended up a long way down the table in Free Practice 2, but that’s only natural, given that we didn’t switch to new tyres.
“The heat wasn’t too punishing today, as we didn’t do any long runs. It will be harder tomorrow, particularly with the tension of the races.”
Muller, who still has an outside shot at the drivers’ title, had a challenging day, ending the three sessions in ninth, 11th and 13th respectively. Nevertheless, the Frenchman admitted to having enjoyed racing around the new venue.
“We have gathered a lot of information today, but it will be no easy task choosing the right setup for tomorrow morning,” explained Muller. “The changes in temperature have a huge impact on the handling of the car. And the variety in the course means you could find yourself understeering on one bend and oversteering on the next!
“In any case, it’s a pleasure to be driving at such a beautiful circuit, with such nice, modern facilities. There were quite a lot of people in the paddock today. The Thai people seem to appreciate the FIA WTCC and I hope they’ll show up in large numbers tomorrow to watch the races.”
Qualifying takes place at 10:00 local time (03:00 GMT, 04:00 CET) on Sunday.