Fewer tyres in Estoril the result of agreement between teams

All TCR International Series teams had decided to allocate 12 tyres per driver before the season started. An agreement between the competitors was a normal procedure after the flyaways, the difference between 2015 and this season being the reduction from 16 to 12 new tyres.

Series director Marcello Lotti says he asked the teams their preferred amount of new tyres in the first European event of the season, and the answer was twelve: “We had no issues with the transport and delivery, it is a normal procedure after the flyaways,” confirmed Lotti to TouringCarTimes. “We asked the teams how many new tyres they wanted and acted according to their choices.”

With the decision having been made long ago, the Italian says it is now up to the teams to decide the strategy they prefer: “Of course I have no influence over what the teams decide to do in terms of strategy. Everyone can choose what they want to do with their tyres, as long as they don’t fit more than four per car,” joked Lotti.

James Nash effectively elected to save tyres, as the team decided the data obtained from testing earlier this week was enough to be competitive in qualifying.