Photo: WTCC Media

Tom Coronel feels strong ahead of Suzuka

Suzuka is a special event for ROAL Motorsport’s Tom Coronel. The Dutchman has spent five years in Japan and has a lot of supporters in the Far East, making it a second home race for the Chevrolet driver. Coronel confirmed how special the weekend will be in an interview with TouringCarTimes.

“The feeling is different [in Japan], so much that for this weekend I saved two extra new tyres,” said the Dutchman. “I had my first race win in the championship here with SEAT, but I also won with BMW. I don’t think we will be the fastest but I will try to be clever. You have to know the tricks both on track and in the country, and I lived here for five years. You have to feel comfortable, which I do, I like the food, the people and I had a lot of success in my career here. If you have confidence, you are already one step ahead, so I feel strong.”

Coronel also talked about the World Touring Car Championship’s first visit in the Grand Prix layout. When asked if he was excited ahead of the new challenge, the Dutchman replied:”Yes and no. Yes because the circuit is challenging, especially with a fast car, but on the other hand I have to work on the reverse grid tactics, because on pace we can’t win. With the long layout the Citroëns can overtake easily, but anyway it’s the same for everybody and I will have to make the most out of it. It’s also been eleven years since I last drove the Grand Prix layout but I still know the tricks, I know where the bumps are, so I will focus on that.”

The Dutchman likes the new set of rules, but he says it has its own pros and cons:”This car has more downforce than last year, so it’s more challenging for the drivers because you have to enter the corners with a higher speed and trust the downforce to do the job. On the other hand last year we had a car in which you could touch, you could bump, you could play, and I have to admit I miss that. Now it’s different because you cannot touch, but it’s also hard to drive closely behind another car because you lose downforce at the front. I have to focus on the exit of the corners.

“I am very strong in the entry, pretty much a single-seater driving style, but remember I have recently switched from a RWD car to the Chevrolet, which is FWD, so it’s a little different. Now the understeer is much more of a factor, so you have to play with the differential and that is very important.”

Coronel is confident he will be on the grid next year, although nothing has been decided yet:”I feel comfortable with the team, there is a good family feeling, it’s very Italian-style passion-driven team and it’s not designed just to make money. We were always very competitive and even now I am the leading Chevrolet in the championship. There was a mistake in Morocco with a big crash which cost me a lot financially, but I feel confident.

“I thought last season was going to be the last for me in the championship, but before Christmas I had a good meeting with Roberto [Ravaglia] and Aldo [Preo], I took a bit of risk but I managed to find the sponsorship to continue. Every year it becomes more expensive, and it’s difficult for a privateer. I’m in a difficult situation, but let’s hope for the best. I am the first driver who has spent four seasons with ROAL Motorsport, and I hope there is a fifth. I am a WTCC driver, I like the championship, I know the game, I’ve been here ever since the beginning just like Rob Huff, it’s my type of racing, my type of tracks, I know all the people, the tyres, so it’s now all down to the budget.”

The relationship with team-mate Tom Chilton is good, according to the Dutchman:”We are able to learn from each other, which is good, so as team-mates we have two driving styles but it still helps a lot. We feel comfortable with each other, in a team you need competition but you also need to work together, and I don’t think I am a difficult person to relate to, so I think I am a good team-mate. It’s all about how you play the game. When I was not racing in Paul Ricard I noticed a few things which could have helped us, which worked in the following races and helped me go better, but I kind of lost it in the last two races.”

The ROAL Motorsport driver does not think he will be able to challenge the Hondas in the final standings, but concedes that it might happen with a little luck:”It would be a dream if it happened by coincidence, but to fight with the factory teams is really hard. I also have the handicap of not having raced in Paul Ricard and having had a huge crash in Marrakech, so I basically skipped four races, I could have been around the Hondas, but the word ‘if’ means nothing in this sport.

“The difference between us is that if they feel someone breathing on their neck they can accelerate, even budget-wise, whereas I cannot do that. I think it’s nice to put them under pressure, it would really be a dream if I could get more points than the factory drivers at the end of the season.”

Tom Coronel is now seventh in the championship, seven points ahead of team-mate Tom Chilton. Honda’s Tiago Monteiro is 40 points ahead, but stable-mate Norbert Michelisz only has a 12 points advantage over the Dutchman, with former World Champion Gabriele Tarquini a mere four points ahead.