Photo: TCR Series

Pepe Oriola calls for more consistency from the stewards after contact-heavy China

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Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola has said there needs to be more consistency from the officials, after an incident-packed race weekend with plenty of contact, but no penalties at all for racing incidents handed out all weekend.

The SEAT driver’s ire was mainly aimed at new championship leader Jean-Karl Vernay, whose Team WRT Volkswagen made contact with Oriola as he made his way past for second place on lap 11 of the first race.
Oriola had been leading during the early stages, but fell behind the Hyundai of Gabriele Tarquini, and the three Volkswagens of Vernay, Rob Huff and Gianni Morbidelli as the race progressed, with all four cars showing superior speed to the SEAT León.

“My lap in qualifying was probably the best qualifying lap of my career,” Oriola told TouringCarTimes. “Somehow between Q1 and Q2 I found a second just by putting a good lap together.

“I took the advantage as I had a perfect start and the Volkswagens didn’t, and I tried to pull away, but in the last sector through the chicanes they were much faster. I don’t know if it was their lower ride height or the weight, but I think the BoP here made a big difference.”

Oriola then fell behind both of the WRT Volkswagens as Vernay lunged past at the end of lap 11, with Morbidelli soon passing him for fourth position.

“I’m disappointed with Jean-Karl,” added Oriola. “Attila (Tassi) was out of the points so he didn’t need to go for a win, he’d still get 18 points, and still had seven laps to try and overtake me. We have a good relationship, but if wasn’t there he wouldn’t have been able to make the corner. He knocked my car completely sideways, it wasn’t just a touch.

“I spoke to the stewards and they said it was a racing incident, but I told them I’m asking for more consistency. Last year in Singapore I had a little contact with Morbidelli, and I immediately got a drive-through. The same at Oschersleben this year with (Jaap) van Lagen, he lost two positions, and again, straight away I get a drive-through.

“If they consider this as a racing incident, and they want a bit of contact in the spirit of the championship and whatever, I understand that, but then be consistent.”