Menu: “It’s one of those things”

Alain Menu will start last for race two after an incident on the final lap in race one at Monza with Yvan Muller. The Swiss driver is still second in the championship after race two, but is now just 3 points ahead of Yvan Muller who moves up to third.

All three of the Chevrolet drivers fought hard against each other throughout the race, with Menu passing Yvan Muller on the first lap.

“It was a very good race, very fair between us three,” said Menu to TouringCarTimes.

“I did hit Rob into Ascari on one lap but that’s only as he braked a bit early, and maybe I braked a bit late but I locked up a little bit so then I couldn’t slow down and I hit him. But I backed off to give him time to recover.”

On the final lap, Menu was spun around by Muller heading into the first Lesmo after the two made contact.

“I was still fighting a little bit with Rob, braked in the middle of the track for the second chicane and on the exit I realised that Yvan was slightly faster than me so I realised he would have had the inside line for Lesmo so I closed the door,” said Menu.

“Yvan was not alongside me, he was not on my B-pillar, that’s what I saw not having seen the footage. I thought he’d have lifted off, he didn’t and I went off. What can I say, it’s one of those things.”

Speaking at the press conference, Yvan said:

“Unfortunately at the end at the second chicane he want off the corner a bit slower than me, I try of course inside but he closed the door and we had a small contact. Not big, but big enough.”

Because of the repairs required to the car, Menu’s car has dropped out of Parc Ferme conditions and will start from the final row for race two, whilst team-mates Huff and Muller will start second and fourth.

Menu has no hard feelings after the incident, but admits his weekend is all but written off.

“The best I can hope for (from race two) is salvage a few points, so it’s not a good weekend for me,” he said.

“It’s an unfortunate incident and I’m the one who suffered so for me it’s a bit of a bummer for the championship, but there’s still a few more weekends ahead.”