Edoardo Mortara feels that there is more to come in the second day of racing for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters weekend at Brands Hatch, but admitted to TouringCars.Net after race one yesterday (Saturday, August 11th) that it was ‘an average day’ following struggles in first practice.
“With the special schedule today, it’s been pretty much the same for everyone, but overall, it still wasn’t that bad,” said the Italian, who took eighth place, finishing behind Stuttgart stablemates Gary Paffett and Pascal Wehrlein.
He also explained that even with the lack of racing experience around the 3.908-km circuit, he felt his was still competitive.
“Because of the issue we had, we couldn’t end up working towards a race simulation in first practice.
“It wasn’t the best preparation for today’s race, but other than that it went pretty much okay – an average day for me.”
With the Mercedes driver being one of several current drivers that have driven here at the Kent-based circuit on the Indy layout, he expressed that the second part of the track has been a bit more challenging that Paddock Hill Bend, where he had two off-track excursions during the day’s running.
“Brands Hatch is an old-style track and you pay for your mistakes quite heavily. Paddock Hill Bend is one of the trickiest corners around here, where you have that big compression zone, and if you don’t get it right, it’s easy to find the front of the car washing out and not make the next corner.
“Paddock Hill is not the trickiest here, as I know it quite well. But for me, with Turn 7 being a blind corner, which I haven’t gotten right quite yet. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get it.”
Drivers have been striving to find the best balance between speed and grip this weekend, but the 31-year-old knows that one false move could compromise his place in the standings today.
“You try and get as close as you can to the limit of both grip and the car, but sometimes you go past it, but it is easy for it to happen here – you don’t have any run off areas, having either gravel, grass and then the walls.”
The final free practice session of the weekend gets underway at 1000 local time, lasting for 20 minutes.