Mikel Azcona: “I did the lap of my life”

BRC Squadra Corse N driver Mikel Azcona qualified in fourth position on the streets of Vila Real after a lap where he felt he “gave everything”.

“The session was quite difficult,” Azcona told TouringCarTimes. “In the Q1 there were a lot of red flags, every time we went out on the track with new tyres there was a red flag and had to abort the attempt.

“The car wasn’t in the window. For the Q2 we managed to put it in the window, in the first run I felt a lot more comfortable and it was where I started to push more and the car felt very good.

“The lap of the first run in Q2 was very good and still with some margin I left for the second run. On my second run, I improved another tenth and it was a perfect lap, on the limit at every corner, grazing the wall and taking many risks to fight with the Lynk & Cos, but they are in another league.”

Cyan Racing’s Yann Ehrlacher claimed the pole position with only one run in Q2, enough to stay way ahead of his competitors.

“Today it was the maximum I could get out, there wasn’t any more and we are six-tenths behind Yann and I did the lap of my life, whilst they have 30 kg and you can see him very comfortable,” said the Hyundai driver.

“It’s a bit frustrating, we arrived here with some options but, seeing their potential, it’s impossible.”

Azcona touched the tyre barrier in the last chicane, a risk he feels he had to take.

“If you want to gain half a tenth, you have to risk, if you see my car there are marks on all sides. It was a bit the target and one has to take many risks to achieve it,” said Azcona.

“I would like to get a podium tomorrow, which would be good in this difficult season I’m having, but I would also be happy with a fourth place, because the Cupras start very well.”