D’Aste delights on WTCC return

Stefano D’Aste impressed on his return to the WTCC, running among the front BMW drivers for Wiechers-Sport during practice and making the best of a pole position grid slot to make an exciting race two.

D’Aste first claimed Wiechers first points of the season in race one with a tenth place finish, and also their first points in the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy, before starting on pole position for race two, courtesy of the reverse grid from the first qualifying session.

“I did a very good start,” said D’Aste to TouringCarTimes.

“I knew that my car was quicker after four or five laps, I tried to keep them (Chevrolet) behind but they pushed (hard) too many times, and so I left them.”

“I was controlling the situation very well, I was improving my laps, the third position was in my hands and when I saw the drive-through for the jump start I thought ‘I didn’t do a jump start’, but my manager told me ‘no Stefano, it’s not a jump start, you crossed the line’.”

“I couldn’t see it (the grid box line) and nobody was there to tell me. Also, two cars in the back…were over the line and they pushed them back, but at the front nobody was there to tell me to go back, because I could have gone in first gear and gone back.”

D’Aste will miss the next round at Donington Park due to clash with his commitments in the GT4 European Cup, but hopes to be back for the remainder of the season.

“I’m sure till Valencia, but I’m not sure for the Oriental races, but there are things working to make me able to race there,” said D’Aste.