FIA WTCC Race of China, 13-15 October 2017
FIA World Touring Car Championship 2017: Rounds 13 and 14 of 20

Press Conference Room, Ningbo International Speedpark, 15 October

Present:
Part one:
Esteban Guerrieri, Campos Racing, Opening Race first position, WTCC Trophy winner
Yann Ehrlacher, RC Motorsport, Opening Race second position
Nicky Catsburg, Polestar Cyan Racing, Opening Race third position

Part two:
Néstor Girolami, Polestar Cyan Racing, Main Race first position
Norbert Michelisz, Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team, Main Race second position
Thed Björk, Polestar Cyan Racing, Main Race third position
Tom Chilton, Sébastien Loeb Racing, Main Race WTCC Trophy winner

Q:
Coming to you Esteban, your second victory in the WTCC came after a very difficult race judging by those conditions on track. Just how difficult was it and how pleased are you with this result?

EG:
It was very tough but first I want to congratulate Nicky and Yann for their podium. After such as tough race, it was extreme conditions, all the time raining heavily. It was aquaplaning in the straights. You never knew where to brake, where to be safe and which was the safe line. I tried to take my references in the beginning to see what was the biggest problems for the car on the track. After that I got profit from Nicky’s mistake in Turn 1, his car was quite slow in the first sector and I could overtake him and straightaway I could also overtake [John] Filippi. Yann was a bit far away but I was lucky with the safety car. My car was feeling okay overall, in the slippery conditions it was difficult but it was okay for driving. Then I saw Yann wasn’t on it onto the straight and I was catching him on the straight line and I had two choices: to lift on the straight because I was aquaplaning everywhere or keep it flat and keep catching him to try a move into the first corner. I chose the second one and it paid off because I could overtake him and then I had a clear track. I could do my pace and altogether it was good. I’m very happy and proud of my team because they gave me a great car. It was perfect, I’m so happy. David, which is one of the guys in the team, it’s his birthday so especially for him and to my mum [Ester] because in Argentina today is mother’s day so she is there in Argentina. She missed me a lot and I miss her too so this is for her. I’m really happy, it came in a good moment.

Q:
Turning to Yann Ehrlacher, it was the first time you led a lap in the WTCC Yann and for a while you looked to be controlling the race until the safety car was deployed. Did that effectively change the race for you?

YE:
Yeah, I managed to have a big gap during the first three laps and I’ve never had a gap like this in my career after three laps. I was quite confident but I was a bit pissed off of the safety car, of course. I was having aquaplaning and I missed completely my brake and Esteban managed to overtake me. I needed two laps to go back in the pace. We were running with the same pace and we were pulling away. I was just managing to the end of the race. I am happy to make my second podium in the WTCC but I have to learn of my mistake and make it better the next time.

Q:
Good points for the championship Nicky but what happened at Turn 1 and the mistake that Esteban eluded to?

NC:
Obviously very pleased with the points because all my rivals finished behind me and that’s always good. I was really struggling in the straight lines with the aquaplaning and in Turn 1 and I got overtaken by Esteban and could not follow the cars in front of me. Congratulations to Esteban, he’s driving one of the older cars in the championship and the way he managed to pull away was very impressive so massive congrats. Now we need to get ourselves together and try to improve the car for the Main Race when I will come from P8. I scored more points than the guys I’m fighting with in the championship and we did our best after a difficult race.

Q:
Your first win in the WTCC after quite a strange race, stopped after a few laps. How tough were the conditions and what are your feelings right now?

NG:
It was difficult. When you are leading you want to race. We did a fantastic job yesterday, which gave us the chance to fight for the victory. But the weather you cannot control it, it’s impossible. It was getting worse and worse and dark. Even though I don’t like this decision I have to accept this decision because the conditions were really bad and I also have to say we have to trust in the officials because they are taking care of us. For P1 I could restart but for P15 I am sure it must have been very difficult because you could not see anything at the back. First race was complicated for me again with electrical problems because of the wet conditions. But a fantastic job from the mechanics allowed me to race in the Main Race. They replaced some parts, some electronics and we get the speed again to start the Main Race and do a good job. So nothing to say. I have half points and this is good for Thed for the championship. We keep fighting for Japan because the important thing for me is we came back to the best level possible. I am looking forward to the coming races.

Q:
I know you’re a racing driver and you want to race but the history books will show you as a winner in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. What does that mean to you personally?

NG:
In history it can be good to win in the WTCC but I want to win a normal race. Of course I know I will have the opportunity to win in the future a normal race because we are back to fight for the races, we had the level yesterday. This happened but in Japan it would be very nice to be back in the top five.

Q:
Second position, obviously again in circumstances that were a little different to usual. Can you explain what you experienced out there?

NM:
Like Nestor I would have preferred to race but there are some things that are not under your control so in the end we achieved our target. Going into the Opening Race I said I just wanted to finish in front of Thed in both races. Okay the second one it was not like I wanted it to but like Nestor said there is not much we can do about that. In the end I am quite happy because again it’s important points. We did good team work especially in the Opening Race. I would like to thank Gabriele because he was always there for me. He was overlooking the situation and in the end this was a brilliant team effort so thanks to the guys, thanks to Gabriele. I am really looking forward to the next race.

Q:
And a quick word on the sticker we see on your racesuit today, obviously supporting Tiago Monteiro your team-mate…

NM:
It’s just incredibly sad not to have Tiago with us. You know him. We appreciate his presence. We appreciate his professionalism. But mostly, to be honest, I appreciate his person. It was quite strange him not being with us. I tried to stay focused. I also received the news quite late and it wasn’t easy to be professional because you try to do your best, you try to forget things than can affect your performance. But in first place you are always humans and there are some things today in the race you cannot really control. I really hope Tiago is back and I am really happy for one reason the race was stopped today and this is because Tiago is still in the fight for the championship. I really hope he comes back. I know he’s a fighter, I know he’s working hard and I expect him to be back soon.

Q:
Turning to Thed Björk, before we come to the Main Race, the Opening Race didn’t quite go to plan for you. What actually happened?

TB:
There was a problem with the vision. I didn’t see anything. I just went on the straight and I didn’t have so much to do and Norbert could easily overtake me when I braked. Then I hit [Mehdi] Bennani. He didn’t know I couldn’t see so much, there is not so much to say. I was thinking the same as Norbert, I just want to finish but with the problems it was just really difficult to drive.

Q:
And following the Main Race you now lead the world championship by half a point. What do you think to that and your chances in Japan, the next event?

TB:
I think we covered most about the Main Race but I wanted to say when you are aquaplaning and you don’t have control of the car I think they made the right decision to not start the race properly. The positive thing we take from here is we can be competitive in the rain so it will be a fight to the end with our competitors from Honda. It will be really interesting but to lead the championship feels really strange, the same as not winning the race in the right way. I just feel like we are closer in the battle and that will continue to the rest of the season. I am just a little ahead but it doesn’t matter.

Q:
Turning finally to Tom Chilton, winner of the WTCC Trophy. China has proved to be a happy hunting ground for you in the past and so it proved in the Main Race today after non-finishing in the Opening Race…

TC:
You’re right, I do like China. It has always gone really well for me in the past. I had high hopes for here. I felt that Rob Huff had a bit of an advantage having done the China Touring Car Championship before especially as the circuit was wet and greasy because you can pick up the right lines, where the grip is and where the puddles are. I tried my best in qualifying and I was very happy with my performance because I out-performed my team-mates by quite a long way so I was very happy. In the Opening Race I pulled away from Gabriele [Tarquini] and Rob. But then Rob… I have to say what happened to Thed. He struggled to see through his windows and I felt the same because I couldn’t see through my side windows either. Either way I was on the wet racing line at the time and I feel Rob maybe aquaplaned under brakes. He just about pulled it off but went for a switchback and I think we both fought for the same piece of Tarmac between Turns 5 and 6. But he hit me so hard I beg to differ and I think he made a slight mistake. But karma, I believe in karma and Rob didn’t make it out onto the grid for the Main Race. I was actually very excited to be starting the straight even though I was wheel-spinning up the straights. It was fantastic because all three of us were joint first [in the WTCC Trophy]. Mehdi [Bennani] didn’t finish, Rob was in the pits and thought this was all falling into my lap quite nicely. It’s not the way I wanted it to happen, the same as all the other drivers here but now I lead the WTCC Trophy by four points or something. I’m pleased about that because I didn’t to come all the way to China and come back with no points. But I have to say quickly that Sébastien Loeb Racing made this possible because after the Opening Race accident they managed to put a whole front-left upright, driveshaft, disc brake, you name it everything on all in 15 minutes and the steering wheel was perfectly straight and that’s one of the reasons why I’m here right now because of them so thank you.