Dan Lloyd admitted after the end of the final TCR Europe race of the year at Jarama that 2020 ‘was a season of what could have been’.
Lloyd, driving a Brutal Fish Racing Team Honda Civic, ended the season fifth in the drivers’ standings despite having led the title race for the early stages of the season.
The Brit endured a string of poor results late on in the year and then had to deal with added weight aboard the Civic Type R – something that he believed was one of the main reasons for his drop down the standings.
“After a dream start, and leading the championship for a long way, the second half of the season was not what we hoped for at all,” explained the 2018 TCR UK champion.
“It (2020) was a season of what could have been.
“A small hit at Monza led to a puncture and then 60kg of ballast at Barcelona – where the times are so close – put me out of the top ten.
“Then at Spa – after running fastest in the dry – we made the wrong tyre choice and picked up damage, and we were back fighting against the 50kg of weight again this weekend at Jarama with no pace.”
The British driver was still in contention for the championship going into the final rounds of the season in Spain, but again struggled in qualifying that saw him starting outside of the top 10 for both races.
“It’s been a tough second half (of the year) for sure,” added Lloyd.
“It’s the same for everyone, but sometimes in life – and especially in motorsport – you need a little luck. It simply didn’t go our way.”
Lloyd went on to add that despite the setbacks in the latter rounds of the season, he still showed moments of fantastic pace in the championship.
“I’ve worked as hard as I could have this season, and I’m extremely proud that when the conditions and weight were level – we showcased just how strong the Honda and the Brutal Fish Racing Team really are,” commented Lloyd.
“Certainly, my highlight of the season was Round 1. Qualifying in P3, being the top Honda – even against a top WTCR driver, and then coming through to win the race.
“I’d like to say a special thank you to Martin Ryba, Andy, the Brutal Fish boys and the JAS Motorsport family for all their support this season.
“We had a full season in just two and a half months, with an insane amount of paperwork, endless COVID tests and quarantine to overcome, so a huge thanks to them all.”
Lloyd finished the 2020 season in fifth place in the championship, 71 points behind champion Mehdi Bennani.