Tom Coronel criticizes organisers for pit box error

Tom Coronel has lambasted the organisers of the WTCC for positioning the ROAL Motorsport team out of position in the pit lane, which he believes played a part in seeing him qualifying outside the top 12.

Coronel was the fastest BMW driver in the two free practice sessions, setting the fifth fastest time in FP2, but didn’t progress out of Q1 after failing to set a time on his first run that would get him into the top 12. The ROAL driver was on a better lap on his second run but when the red flag was brought out as Franz Engstler spun out with 12 seconds to go, the lap didn’t count and the Dutchman qualified in just 13th spot.

“I complained already at lunchtime, I said why am I here?, I need a slipstream off the Chevys?” an aggrieved Coronel told TouringCarTimes after qualifying. “But they said they are testing on Monday, but I said it’s a World Championship, I don’t care who’s testing on Monday, it’s not my problem. But then they have to swap pit boxes they said, but I don’t care.”

“I said if the organisation put me one more time (down here) then I will never come back again, as I should have been (up there), and if I had been there then for sure I would have a slipstream and I would have had enough (to get into Q2) with my first outing and I would never had a second outing.”

Tom Coronel will start as the fourth highest placed BMW driver in 12th in both races tomorrow after James Nash’s 10 place penalty.