Mikel Azcona says that he is feeling ‘less pressure’ heading into the 2019 season, despite the young Spaniard making his début in World Touring Cars with the PWR Racing CUPRA team.
Azcona heads into WTCR having lifted the highly competitive TCR Europe title in 2018, when he admits he was feeling under more pressure.
Having shown he is capable of winning the European championship, Azcona will become one of ten WTCR rookies and one of six drivers who are new to World Touring Cars.
The 22-year-old is expecting a difficult year, against one of the most experienced touring car grids ever, but he is still hopeful of being able to win races and challenge for the title.
“I think I have less pressure than last year, because last year I felt I had to win to help me to continue driving,” admitted Azcona. “This year I am in WTCR so I’m not relaxing, of course, but I have less pressure than last year.
“I know that it will be a more difficult year. This year of course I have less pressure, but I am here to win.
“It will be difficult this year because there are many expert drivers this year. It is the most experienced grid in years. But the expectations are to learn as much as possible and of course to be in front.
“From the first race we are working to win the championship and to do our best and first of all learn everything, because eight out of the ten tracks are new for me. This is the most important thing to know.”
Azcona will be working with a new team, PWR Racing, in 2019, although he has carried over some of his Spanish mechanics from previous seasons to the Swedish team.
“The change is very different from the last years I did, it’s a very big change for me. It’s another team, with new guys and another way to work. I feel it’s a big change for me, but I am very comfortable with my team and with all the people.
“Now I have to adapt for this season this way to work. We are working very well together. But I feel the change was very big.
“Working on my car are Spanish guys; although the team is Swedish, so the people are completely different to us. The mentality, the way to work are different, but they are good.”
Azcona felt that in order to keep the momentum going with his racing career he had to win the TCR Europe title in 2018, which in turn has released the pressure for him in 2019 despite stepping up to the world level.
Azcona had previously missed out on titles in the 2014 Renault Clio Eurocup, 2015 and 2016 SEAT León Eurocup and the 2017 Audi Sport TT Cup when he finished either second or third overall.
“Last year was not a case of ‘you win and you go to WTCR’ but it helped a lot. Last year was my third year in a European championship.
“I was second, third, second, second, and to continue my career I think I had to win last year. I achieved that and it helped me a lot to continue my racing career.”