Tom Coronel is hoping that his visit to the Vila Real street circuit for the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) this year will contain ‘less drama’ than last year, when he infamously crashed into a fire vehicle off-circuit.
Coronel lost a wheel under braking into Turn 19 in the first practice session in the WTCC in 2017, causing his car to skate into a fire vehicle parked beside the circuit.
The incident curtailed his weekend and led to his only race non-finish or non-starts of the season.
The Dutchman is hoping for improved luck this year and cites his love of street circuits for his optimism, having taken victory on the high-sped Portuguese circuit in 2016 in the same year that he also won on the streets of Marrakech.
“I love street circuits because you have to be just as committed as regular tracks,” said Coronel. “But the punishment for getting it wrong is huge.
“It’s hugely rewarding to do well, as I have with my wins in Marrakech and Vila Real in 2016 and my good results in Macau.
“I’ve seen the highs and lows at this track; winning two years ago and then suffering a wheel failure that led to me crashing in practice in 2017.
“I’d prefer to have a little less drama this time!”
Track action get underway at 09:00 BST (10:00 CEST) on Saturday, with the first race at 16:00 ~BST (17:00 CEST) later on the same day.