Photo: TCR Asia

Engstler team boss plays down Race 2 incident

Engstler Motorsport “will not dwell on the incident” which took TCR Asia Race 1 victor Kantadhee Kusiri out of contention in the afternoon’s second race, according to marketing director Kurt Treml.

Kusiri’s team-mate Diego Moran took an easy victory in the second race after launching into the lead from fourth on the grid, shooting past Tin Sritrai’s Volkswagen and the two Phoenix Audis into Turn 1.

Kusiri was up to third, but contact with fellow Volkswagen driver Tin Sritrai on lap four saw him pit with damage and re-emerge two laps down.

Speaking about the accident, Treml said: “we are not going to dwell on the incident, we are happy to lead the championship and we are also happy for the strong start we had to the season. The drivers and crew did a really good job this weekend and we are proud of them.

“At the end, Tin was penalised by the stewards so it was clear who was guilty,” he added.

Kusiri was understandably disappointed with the way race two panned out but the Thai driver was happy for Moran: “I am very happy to get full points for the team in the first race. It was a bit of bad luck for me in the second, but I am still happy that my team-mate secured the win for the team. In the end, we always look for maximum points for the team.”

For Moran, it was a perfect second race. The newcomer struggled to match Kusiri’s pace in the first race, but with a great jump off the line in the second, the Ecuadorian made the most of the drama behind to streak away for his first win in the series.

“This weekend was a little difficult because I had a lot to learn – about the car, the track, the team, and everything, but I guess having an experienced team makes a big difference and they helped me to achieve the result which would not have been possible otherwise,” ended Moran.

Moran added: “I had a very good start, I was pushing every lap to try and make a difference but it was very hard, the guys at the back were fighting and were very fast. In the end, I was pushing but the tyres are losing grip but I managed to do it.”

With his double podium finish in Sepang, Moran currently leads the TCR Asia standings by 15 points from Kusiri, while Wai Lee Sing’s second place in Race 2 leaves him just two adrift in third.