Andy Priaulx frustrated by effects of winter rule changes

A frustrated Andy Priaulx was left bemoaning the fact that he couldn’t race to a better result in the first encounter at Oulton Park, and says he feels the West Surrey Racing BMW 125i is a “blunter tool” due to rule changes made over the winter.

Priaulx finished third behind Jason Plato and Matt Neal in race one, after tailing the Honda Racing Team man throughout the 13 laps without being able to attempt a pass.

The triple world champion said he was delighted with the performance of the team and the car, but feels the balance of performance measures are having a detrimental effect on his chances of winning races.

Series bosses TOCA made some changes to the regulations after last season, including making the rear-wheel drive cars run a longer first gear to reduce their advantage at the start, and making them carry success ballast further back in the car.

Speaking to TouringCarTimes after race one, Priaulx said: “I’ve got to say it was brilliant from the team as the car was in the sweet spot, it was beautiful to drive. But it’s not fast enough, that’s it. We’ve got zero ballast on board, Matt had about 60 kilos on and was pulling away from me.

“The positives are the team did a really great job and I’ve got a good read on the car. The negatives are we’re fighting with a different tool this year – it’s clearly a much blunter tool.

“The starts are average for every one of the drivers here [at WSR] – TOCA have done their job as there’s no gain to be had there.

“We’ve got a longer first gear which screws us for the hairpin. There’s not a lot I can do. If I had got ahead of Matt I think I could have stayed ahead or even gapped him. But I can’t race past.

“We’re just not strong enough with top speed or out of the hairpins, and that makes it quite tough. We’ve also had the weight distribution moved forward.

“I feel like I’m driving really on it. I’ve had a second, third and pole so I can’t complain, but I want to win. In that race it should have happened, and that’s what I’m upset about.”

Priaulx said the competitive nature of the championship means a slight change to the balance of performance has a significant effect on the grid.

“When it’s this close, it only takes the scales to tip slightly one way. You’ve got BMR with three cars, they’ve gone forward. They weren’t there last year,” he said.

“The two Hondas are much stronger this year, and you’ve also still got the two Triple Eight cars. If you detune us, we’ll be eighth, ninth and tenth.”

Team BMR’s Colin Turkington, who now races a front-wheel drive Volkswagen CC after many years in BMW, said he thought the differences in the cars would even themselves out over the course of the season.

“Whoever’s winning will be deemed to have an advantage, and cars will have strengths in different areas,” said Turkington to TouringCarTimes.

“Having not driven the BMW as it is now, I don’t know how much it’s affecting the performance, but the potential of the chassis is still there.

“The shine does seem to be off the start of the BMW, but I think the performance will ebb and flow at each different track over the course of the year.

“As we’ve always seen, it evens itself out and I can’t see it being any different this year. You’re trying to make completely different types of car even.”