Pepe Oriola apologetic after bumping Mat’o Homola at Monza

Craft-Bamboo driver Pepe Oriola scored a podium in this afternoon’s Race 1 at Monza, finishing in third position, a result that the Spaniard didn’t anticipate after seeing how the weekend had gone so far.

A mistake by Hugo Valente in qualifying spoiled the team’s slipstream strategy, with Oriola’s best time coming on his last attempt to clock the sixth fastest time. The Spaniard knew the start would be a crucial point of the race.

“I made a good start and was able to pass two cars in the first chicane. I was pushed from behind so I crossed the chicane to try to avoid Homola, but I bumped him, and I’m sorry about that” Oriola said to TouringCarTimes.

The first lap had plenty of incidents, which worked in Oriola’s hands, but with the Spaniard frustrated at not being able to fight the M1RA Hondas.

“I saw I was in third position, which was good, and tried to run after the Hondas, but it was impossible for me, as their straight-line speed is so superior to ours. Even when Tassi made the mistake and I was going after Colciago, Attila was catching me in the straight without having slipstream. They are much faster than us and there is nothing we can do with setup to fight them.”

The SEAT driver had a last lap drama when loose bodywork started rubbing his left rear tyre. “It’s something that has happened before and SEAT has to do something about it. It’s a weak part of the rear bodywork that got damaged in the first corner incidents. I was lucky to be able to finish the race and score a podium.”