Hugo Valente has admitted that he was focussed on scoring points in the opening TCR International Series race in Bahrain, rather than trying too hard to challenge winner Roberto Colciago for victory.
Having been handed a penalty that cost him a maiden podium in Georgia, Valente adopted a more cautious stance in Bahrain as the need to get points on the board became more important.
The Craft-Bamboo Racing driver lost out to Colciago at the start when the Honda driver got off to a better start, slipping between Valente and pole man Pierre-Yves Corthals.
“I was quite happy with my start but I know the Honda is always very strong off the line,” said Valente. “I don’t have a lot of experience yet with this car and we couldn’t practice starts yesterday.
“Roberto managed his tyres well at the beginning of the race, he made a mistake but I made a few too. I maybe could have overtaken him, but it was too risky and I need to score points for the championship, so I cooled down a bit and he was just too fast.”
The Frenchman also admitted that he enjoyed the experience of racing in front of the Formula 1 crowd on the Bahrain International Circuit, eyeing himself on the big-screen trackside TVs.
“After [the start] I was looking in my mirrors and also enjoying watching the big TV on the straight! I think tomorrow will definitely be more exciting and I’ll be looking for another good result for the team again.”
Race two takes place at 13:00 local time (11:00 BST / 12:00 CEST).