Josh Files was critical of the power advantage of the Volkswagen-Audi Group [VAG] cars after the first TCR Europe race at Monza, with the Honda racer unable to challenge the Audi or CUPRA cars at the front.
Files finished the opening race in the final podium position, after passing KCMG team-mate Attila Tassi at the start.
But the Brit had to defend heavily from the Volkswagen Golf GTi of Maxime Potty for third late in the race, only just preventing a podium lock-out for the VAG car brands of Audi, CUPRA and Volkswagen.
“The speed of the VAG cars is frankly ridiculous; they have power like you’ve never seen before,” said Files to TouringCars.Net. “I can’t keep up with them.
“The Volkswagen, which is really rubbish on aero, is just pulling me in like I don’t exist, and I was probably driving beyond the capabilities of the car to try and keep with them. As a result, I was going wide a lot, just trying, but it’s impossible.
“We always knew we were going to struggle here, but the difference is quite ridiculous. I expected maybe three or four tenths.
“I feel that they are just playing with us at the minute. I’m absolutely on the edge of what is physically capable with the car. I’m sure Dušan [Borković] will tell you the same in his Hyundai.”
Files was particularly critical that a car such as the CUPRA, which has changed little since the SEAT León Eurocup car was developed back in 2013, is still able to have such an advantage over the newer cars specifically designed for TCR.
The Audi and Volkswagen cars are also based on the original León, although the RS3 LMS has an advantage in terms of its aerodynamic shape.
“The thing I don’t like is that both the Honda and Hyundai are new this year, they are race cars and are built as race cars, and they are very fast with very good chassis. Because of that they are better than the VAG cars.
“All they’ve done to make the VAG cars faster is give them power. They are based on a Eurocup car which is very old technology if you think about it now – it was 2013 when they first started testing. It’s in its sixth year this year – it’s an old car.
“They only way to keep it competitive is to give it power, but that’s not really fair in the grand scheme of things.
“The Golf is about as slippery as a block of cheese and is way faster than our Honda, which is a very slippery car. The Honda probably has the second-best aero behind the Audi. It is slippery and is a very fast car, and there’s no way a Golf should keep up.
“In the circumstances I’m really happy with my performance. We’ve worked very hard. Qualifying was good, and the race was as good as it was going to be.
“Race two will be much harder because instead of staying at the front and defending our position we have to fight, and I think that will be too hard.”