Photo: Lada Sport Rosneft

Nicky Catsburg rues missed one-lap shootout chance due to error

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Lada Sport’s Nicky Catsburg will line-up as the best placed Lada Vesta in Race 2, the Main Race of the weekend, after setting the fifth fastest time in Q2, but missed his chance to do his run in the one-lap shootout Q3 due to miscommunication within the team.

With a 20 second window with which to go out on track, Catsburg reached the end of the pit-lane 15 seconds too late and was stopped from going out on the circuit, effectively locking him into fifth for the race.

“I think there was some stress about the tyres and then we just messed up and missed (our chance) to do Q3,” said Catsurg to TouringCarTimes. “It’s shit, but I don’t think it would have changed much, it would probably have changed one position, but it’s something we need to address, as it looks a bit silly to get to Q3 and then miss it.”

The Dutchman was the strongest Lada throughout qualifying, although team-mate Hugo Valente will now start Race 1 from pole position courtesy of qualifying in tenth position, with Gabriele Tarquini forced to challenge from 11th in both races.

“I’m very happy as it’s the first race of the season and I’m in Q3 for the first time out this year,” said Catsburg. “That was the goal and we managed to it. My pace is good, my qualifying pace was good at the end of last year as well, but now it’s about races and the starts, I hope I can have a strong race. We still seem to struggled with front tyre life, it seems a bit a better than last year, so we’ll see.”

Looking to the newly revised race format, which sees the reversed grid race take place first, the 28-year-old is eyeing his chances in Race 1, starting sixth behind the Honda of Norbert Michelisz, Mehdi Bennani’s Citroën, Fredrik Ekblom’s Volvo, Rob Huff’s Honda and with Lada team-mate Valente on pole.

“My biggest chance is in Race 1 as the slower guys are in front of me, but I also have the fast guys behind me trying to overtake me. It’s good that Hugo (Valente) is now on P1, so that’s good for Lada and could be good for me as well.”