WestCoast Racing Team Manager James Nixon has slammed the driving standards in the TCR International Series, decrying them as the ‘worst driving standards in any series’ after Monza.
Neither Gianni Morbidelli nor Giacomo Altoè picked up any points in either of the two races held at Monza over the weekend, with both drivers getting caught up in incidents in the first race.
That meant that Altoè retired after just one corner with broken suspension, whilst Morbidelli got caught up in an accident ahead of him, leaving him nowhere to go but off the circuit and at the back of the pack. The Italian eventually recovered to 11th but ran out of laps to gain any points.
Race two saw the drivers again struggling for pace in their Volkswagen Golf GTi cars, before Morbidelli was spun out of position by the Honda of Attila Tassi, dropping him to 16th position.
Altoè fared little better and finished in a point-less 12th place after another trying weekend for the Swedish team, which has recorded just a best finish of seventh so far in 2017.
“It’s fair to say that we’re having a tough start to the season,” said a frustrated Nixon. “It appears the International series has some of the worst driving standards currently in any series I watch.
“Sadly, most of these incidents seem to go un noticed by the people that count! We were passed yet again more times off the track than on, but no positions given back. Maybe it’s better to have no rules but it’s not the kind of motorsport we want for the team.
“As a team we need to look at our options tomorrow and decide if we continue to support this philosophy of racing.”