Jordi Gené happy with unexpected Race 2 podium

Jordi Gené finished second in Race 2 in Monza, Italy. The Spaniard took his Craft-Bamboo Lukoil SEAT León Racer up to the podium despite carrying maximum ballast.

“It was a very close race, very though,” said the SEAT driver. “The first race was very happy for me, I managed to stay in the slipstream of other cars, which made up for the ballast I was carrying. In Race 2 I had a good position but it was impossible to stay ahead without tow. Fernando (Monje) had a good car and I couldn’t stop him from overtaking me, but it was important to stay with the pack, so I didn’t lose too much time, and I was able to do so.”

Gené also talked about the contact he made with Target Competition’s Andrea Belicchi, which cost him several places: “I was not expecting to be overtaken by six cars in one corner, but I had no space and was forced into the gravel, which was not correct from Belicchi, but I still managed to keep in touch with the group and then I used the slipstream, and it paid off. I just wanted a good bunch of points and I found myself on the podium, which was great, because we were absolutely not the favourites for this race.”

The Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver is now ready to mount a challenge for the title: “In the first two races I had a few problems and lost a lot of points, but then we found the problems and people at SEAT Sport worked really hard and well to fix that. Once we got rid of the issues I was able to start mounting a serious challenge for the championship, not just here, but in Portugal as well, so actually I would like to get in the last race in Macau with a chance to win the championship.”

Gené is aware that it will not be possible to win everywhere, but the Spaniard is hoping to get to Macau in a good position: “In some tracks the Honda will be better, in some others the SEAT León Racer will be quicker, we are very close and we all would like to have the fastest car because we are racers, but we have to work with what we have and I surely want to take the fight to the very last meter.”

Next up for the TCR International Series is Salzburgring, next weekend.