Adam Kout: “I hope I can win a medal”

Janík Motorsport driver Adam Kout (Hyundai) drove a calm FIA Motosport Games qualifying race in Valencia to finish in third place, his starting position for the main race on Sunday.

“The FIA Motorsport Games is being a very nice experience for me, because you can also see other disciplines, like drifting or slalom, so I really enjoy this experience,” Kout told TouringCarTimes.

The Czech has battled on the track the whole weekend, but feels that his pace on Saturday wasn’t enough: “I think the speed in the qualifying race was not so good compared to other competitors, so we will change the setup for tomorrow so we can find more speed.”

Kout drove a quiet race in order to bring the car home in the best possible position, without getting involved in trouble: “I tried to start as good as possible and then gained some positions in the first lap.

“Then, after the contacts, I was third and managed the pace to keep Raphael Reis (Cupra) behind me and kept it to the finish,” added the Czech.

Kout has also experienced issues getting used to the Pirelli tyres and the regulations for this event: “The Pirelli tyres are very different to the Kuhmo, and I’m also finding issue with the maximum camber, this is new for us and we have to adapt the car to the new discipline. It’s a bit tricky for us, but now we are confident we can find the right setup for the car.”

The 34-year-old is the sole Hyundai competing in the event, something he reckons is a hindrance when setting up the car: “It would be better to have some team-mate, because we could compare the data and maybe find some time in the corners.

“In the TCR Eastern Europe my team-mate is Mat’o Homola and it’s really good we can compare things and together move forward.”

Kout’s strategy is to stay out of trouble and bring the car home: “Today’s first lap was a bit wild, but I managed to keep out of trouble, so I hope tomorrow will be the same.

“Tomorrow’s race is in the morning and we will see what the conditions are, because there is some rain in the forecast. It will be a longer race than today and the key will be keeping the tyres in a good condition. So, first, making a good start, and then staying calm.

“My target is to do like today or even better, so I hope I can bring a medal tomorrow,” concluded Kout.