Stefano Comini says “they still have a lot of work to do” to settle in with the Audi

Two-time TCR International Series champion Stefano Comini says he’s still finding his way with the brand new Audi RS 3 LMS after testing, with the Swiss driver finishing 12th, 1.4 seconds off the pace at the end of the two-hour test at Rustavi.

The 27-year-old has jumped across from the Team WRT-run Volkswagen to the Comtoyou Racing Audi this year, after splitting with the Leopard-backed squad just a few weeks ago.

“It’s great to be here with this new car and it’s a great challenge for me. It’s all new, but I’m sure in the potential of the car,” said Comini to TouringCarTimes.

“It’s the first real day for me in this car. The feeling here is good, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

The saloon shape of the Audi RS 3 gives the car a significant aero advantage over its ‘two-box’ hatchback siblings the SEAT León and the VOlkswgaen Golf, which was reflected in the Balance of Performance when the car was given a 45kg weight penalty, but it’s the characteristics of the car Comini is still coming to terms with.

“The rear of the car works more than the Volkswagen or SEAT, so you need a different driving style,” he explained.

“You need to be more smooth, and I need to learn. My car last year was very direct, but I’m sure we’ll find a great set-up. But we also don’t have many spare parts, so I don’t want to crash the car; the circuit here is not very easy. There are a lot of kerbs and short-run offs, so if you do a mistake, you’re in the wall.”