Tiago Monteiro says he is ‘sure we have taken a step forward’ after the FIA World Touring Car Cup races in The Netherlands, despite failing to break into the top fifteen all weekend.
Monteiro and team-mate Attila Tassi again struggled for pace compared to their Münnich Motorsport Honda brand mates, with neither of the KCMG drivers breaking into the points.
That result is in stark contrast to the fortunes of Münnich’s Argentine drivers, who again took points in all three races as Esteban Guerrieri also won race two.
Despite the lack of points, Monteiro believes that the team has taken a step forward from their pace in previous events.
“I think that in terms of pure performance, we have taken a step up from previous races,” said Monteiro. “Unfortunately, we have not yet found the best balance and we had to make adjustments to the car.
“Some have been effective, others less so. But I am sure we have taken a step forward. We were indeed closer to our opponents.”
Monteiro is just 24th overall in the drivers’ championship standings with 20 points to his name. The Portuguese racer says that improvements were made in each race, but little progress was possible due to his grid positions of 25th and 23rd on the difficult-to-pass Zandvoort circuit.
“Although we are closer to our rivals, we have not yet found the few tenths that make all the difference on the grid. So, we were prepared for difficult races.
“In the first race, it was hot and we had problems with the tyres. In the second, thanks to the adjustments made, the car was more efficient, and I was more confident.
“Lastly, in the third race we changed the settings on the car, and it was the best balance we found all weekend. But from so far back, we could not hope to score any points in the race.
“We have to work hard, to analyse all the data and understand the behaviour of the tyres to make the necessary changes, those that will see us better placed in the next races.”