Craft-Bamboo Racing CEO Richard Coleman has called the team’s 1-2-3 result in the first TCR International Series race in Thailand an ‘unbelievable success’, with the team also taking victory in the TCR Asia Series.
Pepe Oriola briefly regained the overall championship lead on Sunday by leading team-mates Jordi Gené and Sergey Afanasyev across the line for Craft-Bamboo Racing’s second 1-2-3 results of the season.
The win was relatively effortless for the team, with Oriola inheriting the lead after early leader Gianni Morbidelli was handed a drive-through penalty.
Gené and Afanasyev also made the best of their grid positions to be directly behind Oriola after the start of the race, holding position thereafter for a comfortable formation finish.
“I am really happy,” said Oriola of his second win of the season. “We got a good start and with Morbidelli’s drive-through we were all running in a Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil 1-2-3 which I am really happy with.”
Race two saw Oriola once again on the podium in third, despite pressuring the Target Competition SEAT of Loris Hezemans for second for much of the race.
“I had a really good start [in race two], was third since the first lap and was constantly attacking Hezemans for P2 but couldn’t manage to get by,” added Oriola. “I didn’t want to risk the championship.
“I am looking forward to Macau as it is one of my favourite tracks so the championship looks good for me.”
Gené was unable to match team-mate and title rival Oriola for pace in Thailand, finish behind in both races to further drop back in the drivers’ championship standings. The Spaniard is now 34 points adrift of points leader Stefano Comini, and admits his title chances are now effectively over.
“The SEAT cars were very good this weekend and I had a good pace,” said Gené. “I’ve been doing good races and taking good points, but not shaving enough the gap in points, so I don’t think I have real chances for the title in Macau, unless Stefano and Pepe do very crazy things.”
Craft-Bamboo Racing CEO Richard Coleman praised the performances of his drivers, adding that he feels extra confident heading to the season finale in Macau in three weeks’ time.
“It’s unbelievable to repeat our success of a 1-2-3 victory earlier in the season,” said Coleman. “It is an absolutely incredible result at the right end of the championship and I think we are going to be very strong in Macau.
“Our main rivals haven’t been there as a team or as drivers, so I am confident that we will be able to take the title in the next round.”