Tiago Monteiro scores points in Curitiba

"The overall result is very encouraging"

By Franck Drui

21 March 2011 - 07:47
Tiago Monteiro scores points in Curitiba

Tiago Monteiro got off to a good start in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) by scoring his first points on the Curitiba, Brazil circuit. The driver of the SEAT SUNRED No. 18 car finished the first race in 11th place, and crossed the finish line seventh in the second race.

The fact that he did not have his new SEAT León with its 1.6 liter Turbo engine, unlike SEAT competitors in the championship who fielded their 2011 spec cars in Brazil, was a handicap for Tiago and his team, who were unable to compete on an equal foot with their rivals. The much hoped-for rain did not reshuffle the deck, and Tiago knew that he had to prepare for two delicate races. Starting from 7th on the grid in the first race, he attempted to move up at the start, but the BMWs surrounding him gradually got the upper hand on him. "Our top speed was not enough compared to our competition, and I had to give up places to cars running the 1.6 liter Turbo engine," Tiago declared.

In the second leg, starting in 10th position, the reward for getting pole position the day before, Tiago managed to move up to 7th place, and score his first six points of the championship. "We made some changes to the car and they proved very effective," Tiago explained, "The overall result is very encouraging. We know we have two difficult race meetings ahead of us, but it was very important to start scoring despite our handicap, and our objective will be to continue scoring points in the meantime, until we have the new engine."

The 3rd and 4th races of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) will take place in Belgium, on the Zolder circuit, April 22-24.

WTCR

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