Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola has played down talk of him being a ‘favourite’ for the TCR International Series’ drivers’ title, despite being joint leader of the points with team-mate James Nash.
Oriola heads to the seventh meeting of the season in Sochi in Russia tied on 145 points with Nash. Victory in the last race in Germany was Oriola’s third of the season, giving him more wins than anyone else at the half-way stage of the campaign.
“It is a very intense season and the most important [thing] is to be regular race by race,” said Oriola, who has only been outside the points on two occasions, both in Salzburg. “I hope to get something positive from Russia, a circuit where I had fun last year. Not only because I was on the podium in both races but because this track is very exciting.”
Although Oriola is one of the favourites to take the title, the Spaniard insists that him being in contention by the end of the season is still not guaranteed.
“To be one of the favorites for the title is not a guarantee,” continued the 21-year-old. “I do not deny that I would like to close this last meeting before the break for the holidays, as a leader in this championship but I have to go step by step.
“Undoubtedly, the last victory in Oschersleben will give me a lot of morale. I would like to repeat the success of last season, where I finished second in both races in Russia, so no doubt that I will try it.”