Craft-Bamboo Racing head to Monza for the fourth round of the TCR International Series looking to ‘bounce back’ after a disappointing set of results last time out at Spa-Francorchamps.
After collecting just two top ten finishes as a team in Belgium, the Anglo-Hong-Kong team know that leaving Monza this weekend with strong results will be crucial in the title battle.
The high-speed circuit featured on the TCR calendar in the inaugural season in 2015, when the team picked up a pair of second-place finishes, but team CEO Richard Coleman is not predicting the circuit to be one of the best for the SEAT León cars.
“With the tough weekend at Spa last week, we need to come away with some strong results to put us back in the competition,” said Coleman. “Our qualifying performance is something that we need to work on, and the team has been focused on addressing this for the Monza round.
“We have had success here in the past and I am very confident that our drivers will be able to make good progress this weekend.”
It will be a learning weekend for the team’s newest driver Hugo Valente, as the Frenchman has never previously raced around the legendary Italian circuit.
“Monza couldn’t come any sooner,” said Valente. “It’s been a very tough weekend for us in Spa due to issues in qualifying, so I’m looking forward to showing that we’ve got the pace to be in front once again.
“Monza is one of the best circuits in the world; the motorsport culture, the speed and the history it has is very special. I have never driven there before so this is going to be a really exciting experience for me.”
James Nash last visited Monza in 2014, after he switched to racing GTs following a two-year spell in the World Touring Car Championship. The Brit scored a pair of top ten finishes when he raced at the track in touring cars in 2013.
“It will be my first time at Monza since racing in GTs there in 2014,” said the Brit. “The place hasn’t always been kind to me, but I hope that this weekend we will see that change.
“We need to bounce back after the disappointment of Spa and with a bit of luck to go along with the hard work that the whole team is putting in, I am sure that we will.”
The TCR International Series supports the European Le Mans Series this weekend, and as such the first two practice sessions will be on Friday, followed by qualifying and race one on Saturday, with race two on Sunday morning.