Gabriele Tarquini hoping to improve Lada Vesta TC1 pace

Despite finishing sixth in the testing session at Marrakech, Morocco, Lada Sport’s Gabriele Tarquini is not entirely happy with his car, as the Vesta TC1 seems to lack stability under braking.

The Italian knows where the car needs to improve as the team works to improve stability on a track that does not suit the Russian manufacturer’s car: “It’s a new track for everyone, the car was not bad but also not good, we are trying to change something for tomorrow,” said Tarquini to TouringCarTimes. “We are not 100% satisfied with the car, it’s a track that doesn’t suit us much on paper, because at the moment the Vesta is quicker in fast corners, whereas here we only have first and second gear corners. The traction has improved though, so if we have improve the braking with the setup we can make the car more competitive.”

The bumpy nature of the track is not an issue according to Tarquini, as the low speeds make it less of an issue concerning the balance of the car: “The speed is so low you don’t feel the bumps too much, there are no major issues there. The only thing is that the corners are all slow, there’s not third gear corner, so it’s about braking, turn-in and traction. There is nothing you can do through downforce or rear end grip, because there is no place where you can have oversteering, it’s a very peculiar track and the tarmac changes a lot.”

With the two different types of tarmac and a chance of rain on Sunday, the Italian is aware that a wet track would make things more difficult: “The new part of the circuit has a lot of grip, but the old one is a lot more difficult. If it rains it’s going to be a real challenge, because the difference between the two asphalts is evident, starting from the colour of the road.”