Tiago Monteiro heads to Zolder for the second round of the World Touring Car Championship in a determined mood.
The SUNRED driver found the going tough in the first round in Brazil as his SEAT struggled against the new 1.6 litre turbo-powered cars of Chevrolet and BMW. With the team still awaiting the delivery of its new powerplant, Monteiro is aware that things won't be any easier in Zolder. However, he is still optimistic that he can have a good weekend.
“A month has passed between the first races and this weekend, and the team has taken advantage of this time to work on the new engine, but also to prepare all the little details that can make the difference on our current car,” he said.
Monteiro is hoping that he will be able to repeat the results he achieved at the Belgium circuit 12 months ago, where he finished the two races in third and fourth.
“Last year, we managed to do great things,” he said. “This year we don’t know where we will be situated with regard to the competition, but we are eternal optimists.”
The race at Zolder marks the home round of the championship for one of Monteiro's main sponsors, Monroe. This adds an extra incentive for him to perform well in front of his backers.
“I know this weekend will be charged with emotion. With Monroe, we will have the support of 600 fans, and that is an additional motivation. We are going to prepare everything down to the slightest detail and try to do the best we can.”
