Photo: TCR Series

Craft-Bamboo drivers ask SEAT for more power

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The fourth round of the 2017 TCR International Series season held at Monza brought mixed emotions for the Craft-Bamboo drivers, who finished the weekend feeling they can’t compete directly with their rivals because of the lack of speed of the SEAT León TCR.

The team arrived in Monza with a clear slipstreaming strategy to take the best possible result in qualifying. However, a mistake from Hugo Valente ruined the options for the whole team, with Pepe Oriola being the best qualifier in sixth and James Nash and Hugo Valente in ninth and tenth, respectively.

James Nash, who has been competing all weekend with a bad cold, had a difficult weekend, finishing out of the points in Saturday’s Race 1. Today’s Race 2 started better, with the Briton taking the lead in the early stages, but was surpassed by Comtoyou Racing’s Stefano Comini and Frédéric Vervisch and M1RA’s Roberto Colciago to eventually finish in fourth position.

“I did the best I could, from my position it was how many places I could make at the start,” Nash said to TouringCarTimes. “I was quite fortunate that there were gaps in the pack, then Colciago past me, but I just didn’t want to get involved in too many battles.”

Speaking about losing positions, Nash was clear about the main issue for him and the SEAT: “It’s just raw pace, should be fighting with these guys, but we can’t. Something needs to be done about it, because we can fight directly with them.”

Team-mate Pepe Oriola managed to come forward in Race 1 to score a podium finish in third, but fell back in Race 2 to finish eighth. The Spaniard was outspoken on the matter: “In the straights we cannot fight with the Audis or the Hondas. Even the Volkswagens can be faster than us. Even when I had a tow yesterday and Tassi was coming behind me without one he was able to catch me, they are unbelievably fast. I don’t know why this is, but I think SEAT has to do something about it.”

“Next for us is the Salzburgring. With this car and seeing how our competitors are, we don’t stand a chance,” added Oriola.