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Punctures aplenty in dramatic Zandvoort long race

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Tyre issues were the main course of the day at Zandvoort, with a number of visits to the pits particularly during the second half of the race.

Team WRT’s Denis Dupont lost four spots with a last lap puncture, finishing a lap down, while Tom Coronel had two tyre issues during the race, with the tyre coming off before the start of the race, before a front-left puncture 11 laps in.

“It just exploded, I think many people had tyre problems. They say seven people had tyre difficulties because of the new asphalt,” said Coronel to TouringCarTimes.

“The left-front I felt coming. I asked my engineer is someone in front of me with tyre problems as I could smell rubber? Then three laps later it blew.”

Race winner Giacomo Altoè admitted he was conscious of the numerous tyre issues, and drove his Delahaye Volkswagen more conservatively later in the race.

“I saw in the first part of the race there were a few punctures, so on my stint I was avoiding the kerbs and tried to be careful as I didn’t want to destroy the race, and made sure we got a good finish,” he said to TouringCarTimes.