Photo: WTCR

Aurélien Panis has “nothing to lose” after career-best qualifying

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Aurélien Panis has vowed to go for a maiden World Touring Car Cup podium when he sets off from the front row of the grid in Sunday’s opening race at Sepang, saying he has nothing to lose in contrast to his surrounding rivals.

Panis – the son of 1996 Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier – is currently contesting his second WTCR season, and secured his best grid slot to date in Malaysia on Friday by going second fastest to championship leader Norbert Michelisz in opening qualifying.

Panis will line up ahead of erstwhile title contender Néstor Girolami, who qualified third, and the Argentinian is currently backing his team-mate and countryman Esteban Guerrieri who remains firmly in the championship chase.

Panis’ best WTCR result so far is a fourth place in Japan last year, but the 25-year-old Comtoyou Cupra driver is hopeful of scoring a breakthrough podium this weekend – especially with his most immediate rivals on the Race 1 grid poised to focus on the bigger championship picture.

“It was great,” Panis said to TouringCarTimes. “All the team did a very good job to improve the car and it was very, very good in qualy. We finally managed to put everything together to be there. We were always close but [ended up] P10, P8, P12, so finally to be here in P2, I’m really happy with that.

“I have nothing to lose. Norbi [Norbert Michelisz] and Girolami will play for the championship, so I can be aggressive. We have nothing to lose so we will try to do our first podium of the season.”

Panis, whose best result in 2019 is a fifth in Budapest, added that the outcome of the Sepang weekend could prove key in his negotiations for a 2020 drive.

“To be honest, I have nothing decided yet,” Panis said when asked by TouringCarTimes. “We speak to some teams, but I don’t know – maybe this weekend can help if I do a good result.”