Photo: TCR

Luca Filippi says Red Bull Ring winter test key to pole

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Luca Filippi believes a winter test at the Red Bull Ring played a central part in his successful run to a maiden TCR Europe series pole at the Austrian venue.

Filippi led a Hyundai 1-2-3 in this morning’s qualifying session at the Spielberg track, the BRC Racing Team driver having been in contention for pole throughout.

Speaking to TouringCarTimes after the session, Filippi said a key ingredient to his most competitive showing so far this season was the fact that – for the first time this year – he returned to a track at which he has previous TCR experience.

“For the first time we came to a circuit that we tested at,” said the Italian. “We had a test here in the winter, so for the first time I had the knowledge in the TCR car at a specific circuit. Having the test, having the time to think about it and come back, allowed me to just do the right things and set up the car the way I wanted.”

While Filippi – who makes his debut in TCR racing this year after spending most of his career in single-seater series including GP2, IndyCar and Formula E – believes track knowledge is important, he also referenced how it has actually proved counter-productive at times earlier this season.

“In Spa or Hungary [previous TCR Europe series rounds], I raced there so many times in different cars, single-seaters and more,” Filippi explained. “It’s not easy to get there and change your style for the TCR car, the way you drive around some corners. You think “this is the way I have always driven,” and it’s not easy to change. Sometimes I think it’s maybe easier to go to a place where I’ve never been before and just start from a white paper.”

Filippi said his qualifying lap at the Red Bull Ring had been good – “especially in the first and second sector” – but that he felt there was some more time to find in the final corner after backing off on his quickest lap due to a previous track limits violation earlier in Q2.

Filippi currently sits just 17th in the TCR Europe series standings, with a season-best result of eighth in the latest race at Spa.