Aytac Biter targeting TC2T class title thanks to Chevrolet absence

The two drivers of the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport team driving in this weekend’s FIA European Touring Car Cup are both optimistic of finding more pace after both finishing second in their respective classes during the first test session on Friday at the Hungaroring, with Aytac Biter hoping to challenge for the TC2T class title which is an all BMW affair this season with the Chevrolet Cruze 1.6Ts not returning to the fold.

The all-Turkish team’s drivers were seventh and ninth fastest at the end of the 45 minute test session, with Biter driving the turbocharged BMW 320 TC and Ibrahim Okyay in the normally aspirated BMW 320si this weekend.

The fastest driver in the TC2T class was Georgia’s David Kajaia in the Liqui Moly Team Engstler car, fifth overall, while the other two Turkish BMWs of Ülkü Motorsport were tenth and 13th overall, third and fourth in class.

In the TC2 class for normally aspirated Super 2000 cars, Czech driver Michal Matejovsky was fourth overall and the fastest in the class for Krenek Motorsport.

“Last year there were two Chevrolet cars, but this year they’ve not appeared so we have a chance, I’m very optimistic,” said Biter to TouringCarTimes. “I heard that (Kajaia) and the other Turkish guys tested last week here, whilst this is my first test so I’m optimistic that I can do a much better time,” he added.

The Hungaroring has not appeared on the ETCC calendar before, and Biter is coming to terms with driving the BMW 320 TC at this track.

“Today this is the first time I drive the new car here and to try to get used to the track. Although I was at this track three years ago, it was with the M3, so I was just trying to learn the track at the beginning (of the session).

“The turbo is hard to drive because the normally aspirated car is very stable. The turbo keeps trying to oversteer, but there’s always power and you can go faster on the exit of the slow corners, but it is harder to manage the car, you need to get used to it.”

Ibrahim Okyay has been away from the driving seat for two years, last driving at Monza in the 2013 opening round of the ETCC, with the 45-year-old admitting that his benchmark this season is against his own performance than the others in the TC2 class.

“It’s been three years I’ve been out of the competition, just doing a little endurance and an occasional Turkish race,” said Okyay to TouringCarTimes. “In the ETCC there’s good people and good competition, fast cars and fast guys, and I’m a bit rusty but maybe by the second race I’d have more speed.”