Aurélien Comte feared tyre drop-off on his way to a commanding win

Aurélien Comte said that his main concerns ahead of the first FIA TCR World Tour race was the start and potential tyre drop-off as he started from pole position.

“That was an amazing race. I got a really good start, which gave me the platform for the whole stint,” said Comte.

Comte’s closest rival was Thed Björk of Lynk & Co Cyan Racing who carried 40kg of compensation weight compared to the Cupra driver’s 0kg.

“I knew I had a less compensation weight than Thed, but even so the car felt solid all the way through,” said Comte.

“I was a little worried about some drop-off, but we managed the tyres perfectly. I’m just so happy for myself, but especially for the team.

“They’ve worked unbelievably hard to get us here, and to turn that effort into a win feels incredible.”

Björk finished three seconds behind but scored vital points for the drivers’ championship where he keeps closing in on his team-mate Yann Ehrlacher.

⁠“I had a good start, but Aurélien’s launch was lightning quick and after that there was really no way to catch him,” said Björk.

“I was just hoping maybe he’d have some tyre drop-off or make a mistake so I could close in, but he drove brilliantly. Full credit to him. I’m really happy with the result though that gave me more valuable points for the championship.”