Alain Menu not surprised with SEAT’s pace

Chevrolet driver Alain Menu believes SEAT’s pole position was to be expected, taking into consideration the maximum penalty ballast the Cruzes are carrying and the SEAT Sport operation which are running the Lukoil Racing team.

The Swiss driver qualified in fourth position as the Chevrolet drivers worked together throughout qualifying to give each other the best slipstream, and will start behind his team-mates Rob Huff and Yvan Muller and ahead of Rickard Rydell in the sister Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden-run car for the first race, with the situation reversed for race two where he will start seventh.

“Personally I’m disappointed to be fourth only, but we did well considering,” said Menu to TouringCarTimes. “I’m happy with my lap, though the car had too much understeer, far too much from this morning. We changed the set-up quickly between Q1 and Q2 but we’re still learning to work with each other with Albert (Lau)… I knew that we would need two or three race weekends for him to be up to speed, it’s not sharpness, but he doesn’t have the data to fall back on, but he’s a good guy, I like him.”

Menu also believed that SEAT’s performance was to be expected, with Tarquini securing first place in qualifying.

“We’re carrying 50 kilos,” said Menu. “Don’t forget (Tarquini’s) got a works engine, he’s got works staff, and last year in Shanghai, I had the pole, I won the race, but Turkington was faster than us and he was carrying the same weight…I know because his engineer is now mine.”