Stefano Comini worried over multiple tyre failures

Stefano Comini finished the first free practice session in fifth at Oschersleben, Germany. Despite this positive result, the Leopard Racing driver has suffered from tyre failures ever since testing on Thursday, which leaves the championship leader worried about the rest of the weekend.

“I am going crazy,” said the Swiss to TouringCarTimes. “I have this problem which nobody else has, my front right tyre breaks and it leaves me quite concerned of course.”

Rather than suffering from punctures, which has happened to other drivers since the TCR International Series arrived in Oschersleben, the Volkswagen driver’s tyre cracks and subsequently loses pressure: “I have changed my driving style massively, but it still happened this morning. I thought I had found the solution during my track walk, it looked like the kerb out of Turn 3 could be the cause, but now I avoided it and I still had this problem. I am talking to the Michelin engineer more than I do with mine.”

Comini’s concern extends to the lack of good tyres going into the weekend, as he knows he will spoil his Michelins if he can’t find a solution: “I’m sure I will ruin at least two tyres in qualifying if things continue to go like this. I really need to fix this, because this is frustrating.”

Comini leads the championship by a single point over Craft-Bamboo Lukoil’s Pepe Oriola.