Tom Coronel is fully focussed on returning in the 2017 WTCC with ROAL

Tom Coronel has said he’s working hard to be back on the grid in the 2017 World Touring Car Championship with ROAL Motorsport, after having confirmed to TouringCarTimes earlier this year that he and the team are eyeing up a potential switch to the current top model, the Citroën C-Elysée for next year.

Coronel has taken two wins this season with the undeveloped Chevrolet RML Cruze, with results which he said came as a surprise given the car has had limited development for budget reasons all season, with the drivers that brought the most money for development in 2015, Hugo Valente, Tom Chilton and Grégoire Demoustier, all changing cars for this season.

“Theoretically to win with my car, it’s impossible, but the impossible we made possible, and this is clever from ROAL Motorsport and myself,” said Coronel.

“As long as you buy a lottery ticket there is an opportunity to win the lottery..of course our possibilities are less than the others, but at least we did it. Everybody was surprised by this, and I think to make a surprise is more easy than a factory team who wins races, that’s why I got a lot of attention.”

Coronel says he hopes to be back on the grid next year with the Italian team, which he joined in 2011, but it’s all dependent on budget.

“I’ve been with ROAL Motorsport for six years now. If you know how Robert (Ravaglia, team principal), me and Pietro (Speronello) my engineer and how we communicate you will be surprised. We are even more tight than a family, it’s really a special feeling when I win with them and when I race with them.”

“If the opportunity is there, ROAL Motorsport is always my first priority. If ROAL Motorsport says sorry we cannot be there, I’ll have to look for other other opportunities, but Roberto is my first choice, always.”