WTCR Race of Italy Race 2 press conference 24.07.2022: FIA WTCR Race of Italy Vallelunga Sunday, July 24th 2022 In attendance: Gilles Magnus (Comtoyou Team Audi Sport), first position, Race 2 Nathanaël Berthon (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport), second position, Race 2 Mikel Azcona (BRC Hyundai N S

FIA WTCR Race of Italy
Vallelunga
Sunday, July 24th 2022


 
In attendance:

Gilles Magnus (Comtoyou Team Audi Sport), first position, Race 2
Nathanaël Berthon (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport), second position, Race 2
Mikel Azcona (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse), third position, Race 2





Gilles, I cannot imagine how tough that race was.



Gilles Magnus (Comtoyou Team Audi Sport), first position, Race 2


Yeah. Even though it was shorter than the one before it felt even tougher. I don’t know why. For sure the heat and being tired from Race 1 still… I don’t know what this guy [Azcona] is eating in the morning because he’s doing a double programme! But big respect because I am dead and this guy must be even more dead.




What a great result for the team. Talk us through that race from your perspective. How much more challenging was it?



Gilles Magnus (Comtoyou Team Audi Sport), first position, Race 2

First of all, big congrats to my team-mate, Nath. Big congrats to Mikel. Yet again on the podium. It was really tough. We all had in our minds front-left tyre, front-left tyre. It’s maybe not a nice way to win like this, it would have been even better to win in a normal way, but we would have been capable of it. We had good speed. But OK, that’s how it is, it’s big points.


It’s the second time for us on the podium today, so it’s a perfect weekend. I could not have imagined it better. The race was tough, although I always had the big gap with Nat, but still I always heard the tyres screaming, I could feel these small vibrations.



Maybe it is only in my head, but you are always thinking about it and that makes it even more tough. But we made it, big points, really happy.




It’s so good for the championship standings.




Gilles Magnus (Comtoyou Team Audi Sport), first position, Race 2



Exactly. Starting seventh this morning and finishing third I never expected, or to win this race either. OK, I hoped, but to win it in the end is really nice. I could not have imagined such a good weekend, to be honest. I thought we would struggle here.



But with all that has happened it has been a good weekend for us. So now let’s focus on the three or who knows how many rounds of the season.







Nath, it’s so good to see you on the podium after a lot of bad luck this year. Finally, deserved.




Nathanaël Berthon (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport), second position, Race 2


I’m super-happy to be back on the podium after a big disappointment in Race 1. Failure on the front left. I was P3 on the podium again, and OK, thankfully it was another Audi behind me but still, such a big frustration. We did an amazing weekend, such a good job. Thanks to all my mechanics and my engineers. Honestly it was a perfect weekend until the tyre.


But I was also a bit lucky with this race. Unfortunately, I’m sad for Mehdi because he had a very good pace and could do a much better job. He smashed the tyres twice so for him it’s a big disappointment. Also for Attila. I know the feeling, so I feel really sorry for him.



But we can be so happy, one and two for Audi. We completely deserve it after an amazing job and big work. Saying that but this is true, the team is pushing like hell. Congrats to Gilles. Mikel is unbeatable anyway! But yeah, I’m happy.





Mikel, it turns out Vallelunga is a good place for you, doesn’t it? What a weekend.




Mikel Azcona (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse), third position, Race 2

Yeah, it looks like it. I really like this weekend in both categories. It’s been an amazing weekend, very tough with the high temperatures. For the tyre it is very complicated to manage it to the limit and keeping the car on the track, so I’m very happy to make a double podium this weekend. Thanks to the guys to give me a car to fight for this result because so many other cars were retiring.


I’m very happy. Difficult, very tough, inside of the car it’s high temperatures and these guys are running so fast. In the end running P3 I was very comfortable and I said OK, double podium is very good. It’s looking good for the championship, good points. Yeah, very proud of the weekend.





You now have one hand gripped firmly on that championship trophy. How much is that in your mind?



Mikel Azcona (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse), third position, Race 2


Well it’s true it’s looking good, but there are still a few races to go and everything can happen as we have seen in previous years. In one race weekend everything can happen, so I will continue to focus on this line, I will do my best every weekend, as a team, as a driver.


I’m not looking at the championship for the moment. For sure you think a little bit and it is always good to have this championship lead in the points. But in the end we need to continue like this, no problems, no DNFs. We will see in the end. We will see.
 



Richard Rodgers, photo WTCR