Photo: TCR Media

WestCoast Racing expect hard-fought weekend in Austria

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Gianni Morbidelli scored the perfect weekend in Monza, Italy. The Honda driver did not only win both races, but also scored pole position, bagging some 55 points and jumping into the lead of the championship.

Despite being on full success ballast due to the results in Monza, the WestCoast Racing driver is confident ahead of Salzburgring: “I think we will have good races at the Salzburgring, as it’s another old-style circuit with long straights and a few fast turns and it’s in those high-speed corners that the Honda Civic TCR performs really well. However, the 30kg of success ballast will have a negative effect on performance and I’m not sure how much of an impact it will have and what will be achievable. Of course, this is normal and it’s the rules, so you need to accept it and do your best with what you have.”

“We honestly didn’t expect so much from Monza, but we scored maximum points in what was a perfect weekend and I must thank WestCoast Racing’s mechanics and engineers for giving me a car that worked so well. The team always works hard and is made up of competent and focused individuals and I really appreciate what they do to bring results.”

Kevin Gleason had a tough weekend in Monza, with two punctures plaguing the American driver in Italy: “I’m hoping for more luck at the Salzburgring following a challenging weekend in Italy, although I was able to take a lot of positives away from Monza having set the fastest laps in both races,” said the Honda driver. “WestCoast Racing did a great job fixing the car after my qualifying incident and we were quick, particularly through the high-speed stuff.”

“I’m obviously hoping to fight at the front at the Salzburgring, as it has long straights and fast corners that should play to the Honda Civic TCR’s strengths. Of course, Gianni (Morbidelli) had to work really hard for his wins at Monza, but he’s strong wherever he goes and Igor (Skuz) had his best weekend to date, so they’re going to be tough to beat. I have no doubt that the rest of the competition will be right up there too and I’m expecting another hard-fought weekend.”

WestCoast Racing team principal Greger Petersson expects a tough fight for the front positions: “The wins Gianni (Morbidelli) achieved at Monza were really hard-fought because, while we had the quickest cars in qualifying trim, the race performance was very even, with cars running four-abreast at times. Ultimately, Gianni’s superior racecraft gave him the edge and, with 30kg on-board, the next two races in Austria won’t be a walk in the park for him.

“I do think Kevin (Gleason) will feature, as we have to remember that he recorded the fastest racing laps at Monza, only for punctures to deny him results, and Igor (Skuz) also performed in Italy, having developed well with WestCoast Racing, reaching a higher level through good cooperation with his engineer. I can see them being a hard gang to beat, but the opposition is very stiff and I expect the Salzburgring round to be a nail-biter.”

WestCoast Racing now lead the drivers’ championship with Gianni Morbidelli, 14 points clear of Target Competition’s Stefano Comini.