Dušan Borković takes shock fifth despite new qualifying error
Serbia’s Dušan Borković took fifth position on the grid for the first round of the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship on his debut at Marrakech, despite an error from the team which sent him out on the circuit before ROAL’s Tom Chilton had begun his lap.
The 29-year-old had shown a marked improvement in pace by Free Practice 2, going fifth fastest just behind the rival Chevrolet of Tom Chilton, and went one better in the second part of qualifying to be the fastest driver behind the three Citroëns, but the team released his car a lap early and received a black flag, which prevented them from being able to set a lap in Q3.
“I had a black flag, but without that I think for sure I would have been fourth as in the first sector I was a little bit faster than (Tom) Chilton, and in the second and third sector I’ve been very good, before this weekend I never even thought we’d be in Q3,” said Borković to TouringCarTimes.
“I’m not angry with the team, the whole Campos team is like a family and they’re all my friends, and this is just the first race.”
“When I’m fourth, I’m looking on that as first place, I’m not counting Citroën as it’s not really the same, their car is on another level – so to be at the head of all the other drivers is such a pleasure for me, I don’t need to drive tomorrow!” remarked a delighted Borković.
Campos Racing Team Manager Joan Orus admitted the error was his mistake. The new-for-2014 regulations specify that during the one-lap shootout format that the next car can only leave the pits 20 seconds after the previous car has begun its timed lap.
Article 115:
30 seconds after the car crosses the Line for the first time outside the pit lane, the green pit exit light will be switched on for another 20 seconds. The driver in fourth position in Q2 has the possibility to leave the pit lane and start his out lap. This procedure is repeated until all five eligible drivers have had the possibility to leave the pit lane.
“It’s my mistake,” said Orus to TouringCarTimes. “When you see the rules they say that the second driver has to go up to 30 seconds after the first car crosses the line, so I understood the line was the exit of the pit lane, but it’s not like this, the line was the finish line.”
“The race director also said they’d put on television the time when every driver has to go but that wasn’t working, so we made a mistake, so he didn’t get the possibility to run in Qualifying 3.”
