Alain Menu: “We’re still going to try for a win”

Hyundai’s Alain Menu says the aim is to fight for victory on Hyundai’s TCR International Series debut, even though their homologation status has consigned the fastest car in qualifying to 13th and 14th on the grid at Zhejiang.

Menu, back racing for the first time since Imola in early 2016, topped the second free practice session, before going even faster in Qualifying 1, with the Hyundai i30 N TCR setting the circuit lap record of 1:32.811.

With the Hyundai running under a temporary homologation, the new car is unable to score points, and so couldn’t progress to Q2, with Article 112 of the sporting regulations stating that: “Only cars that are entitled to score points in the Series may take part in Q2.”

“All credit goes to the Hyundai team and Gabriele for developing such a good car, as I’ve only joined the team recently,” said Menu. “I’m still learning the car, and even in qualifying the car didn’t feel as nice as it did in FP2.

“It’s a great result, and it shows what a great job that Hyundai have done and that it’s a very good car.”

Menu admitted he wasn’t aware of the regulation restriction which meant Hyundai would be unable to qualifying in the top ten heading into the weekend, but despite this, the goal will still be to push forward for victory on Sunday.

“We had a good inkling that the car would be quick, so our goal was to try and get a win,” he said. “I certainly didn’t realise at the time we wouldn’t be in Q2, so starting P13, it’s going to be an impossible task, but we’re going to try. I hope all the drivers in front of us remember that we don’t score points…so I’m suggesting to them to be clever.”