Mike Halder hoping to do both TCR Germany and Europe in 2019

TCR Germany regular Mike Halder is open to run both in the TCR Germany and Europe series next year as he makes his TCR Europe series debut for KCMG at Barcelona this weekend.

Halder was drafted into the team for the final round of the season to assist full-season drivers Attila Tassi and Josh Files’ quest to secure the teams’ championship.

The German will start Race 1 from ninth, while Tassi and Files occupy the first two spots on the grid, but will line up alongside Race 2 pole-sitter Peter Terting of Target Competition on the front-row on Sunday.

“Yesterday was not the perfect day for me on the new circuit. So I went with not so many laps into qualifying, but I managed to get into the top 12 for Q2. P9 in Q2 means we have a good starting position for the second race so hopefully we can do the same or better at the finish,” Halder told TouringCarTimes.

“It’s a new track for and I have no experience with the Yokohama tyres, so it’s a little bit difficult for me. FP1 was okay for me, I had four new tyres so the rear was a little bit too strong, I had a lot of understeer.

“We changed some things in the set-up for FP2 and it was a perfect car for one lap only because a stone went into my radiator and I had a water leak. So I only had one flying lap in FP2 and not many laps to drive.”

Halder cited his running on Yokohama tyres as good experience for the 2019 season, when TCR Germany series will make the switch to the Japanese company’s rubber to fall in line with TCR Europe and WTCR.

“There is a huge difference between the Hankooks we use in Germany and the Yokohamas we have in Europe, so I must learn how to deal with this, especially as we will be using them in Germany next year. It helps me a lot for next season because I will know it feels to drive the Yokohama tyres over distance. I have never driven these tyres over this distance before, so we will see what happens but at least I have some experience,” said Halder.

Halder finished fourth in TCR Germany this season and is open to making more TCR Europe appearances in 2019, providing there are no calendar clashes between the two series.

“Maybe I can drive both TCR Germany and TCR Europe next season, but it will be important that they are not on at the same time. I hope I can drive both of them, but I don’t know what the calendars will be like,” Halder said.