Adam Kout: “I’m very happy we got there in the end”

Adam Kout (Hyundai) inherited the FIA Motorsport Games touring car bronze medal after Marco Butti’s disqualification from the main race.

The Czech driver had two incidents in the race that hampered his progress. A strong start saw him up to third place at the exit of Turn 1 before Eric Gené (Cupra) hit him.

“I overtook Gené at the corner before, I was inside, there was maybe a very light touch in the corner, but then he was behind,” Kout told TouringCarTimes.

“I think he maybe braked too late and was very optimistic for the overtake. It was a shame for me because I had a good start but then lost so many positions and it ruined my race.”

The Hyundai driver was involved in another incident with Aurélien Comte (Cupra) on the last lap, for which the Frenchman received a 20-second time penalty.

“The contact from Comte was at the same corner, it brought bad luck for me…” Kout explained.

“I think it was the same, he had some fights in front of me but had a slow exit from the corner. I think he was a bit quicker so, maybe, if he would have waited, he could have overtaken me without the contact, and that would be better for both of us.”

The entire field was on slicks in the race despite a light rain starting to fall just before the start.

“The race was in difficult conditions, because the setup was not easy for this race, as we had a lot of problems with the rear,” Comte told TouringCarTimes.

“For me, my overtaking is clean, this is touring cars, so I don’t know why I got a penalty.”

Kout crossed the line in sixth place but Gené’s, Comte’s and Butti’s penalties meant that the Czech driver finished third in the end.

“It was the target we had set ourselves, not the best way to achieve it, but we got there in the end,” Kout said. “I’m happy to have got this result in my first international event.”