Tom Coronel not chasing “impossible” race win in Macau

Tom Coronel finished just outside the top ten in eleventh in his ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze. The Dutchman feels comfortable with the car, although some improvements should be possible to be in the top ten in qualifying.

“This is my limit at the moment,” said Coronel to TouringCarTimes. “I was sensible because I know that any trouble will give me the handicap through the whole weekend, but I was consistent in lap times, so I know it was just my limit. I felt good with the car straight away. I think I can find something more, we are eleventh and tenth will have to be the goal. I’m not in a factory car, the Citroëns have no ballast, so it is what it is.”

Despite targeting the top ten, the Dutchman believes it would not be possible to win the opening raced through the reversed grid unless something extraordinary happens.

“It’s impossible to challenge for the win, I saw the differences in performance today and it’s absolutely impossible, unless you have a bit of luck. I know I’ve been unlucky this season so far, so at some point you have to have it back. If you have a good start and people mess around behind you then you can have an advantage and you have a chance, but competing on pace is absolutely impossible.”

Coronel believes that the margin for improvements is tight as he made comparisons with 2014, when the WTCC last visited the Circuito da Guia, and found his performances were similar.

“We are working on some details and comparing the data from 2014, when I managed to get into Q3. We need to improve, because we’ve seen how the others have made step forwards and we haven’t. It is logical, because the Cruze has had no developments since then, so the limit is the limit. I hope we will soon switch to TCR because it will be more equal then, I’ll surely have a better chance.”