After finishing third in the second round of the British Championship on Saturday, Roberts Vītols admits that he did everything he could in this race, but the advantage over the leading European team is too great.
“I drove as hard as I could, I squeezed everything out of my car. But Volland Audi cars confidently exit the turns on a dry track and drive away just as confidently. I’m not happy about this third place, because I felt like I could have played with them if the weather conditions had been more helpful,” says Roberts.
“After winning the first qualifying, the track in the second was not completely dry yet, so we put on rain tires for the sake of trying it out. The start was great, but the car was slipping too much to save the race, so we had to write it off. For the third qualifying, we worked harder on the adjustments, put on dry-weather tires, because the track could now be called dry, with some wet and slippery spots. We had another great start, after which I immediately went to the Joker’s lap. However, I ended up behind a Supernational class BMW, which took away my time, but I couldn’t pass it, because it was running away with power on the exits of the corners. If the track had been clear, there was a good chance of competing with at least one of the Audis. The final was already on a dry track, and only the first corner was slipping. Then there were no more options, they left.”
Roberts’ father, manager and mechanic Uģis Vītols takes the experience philosophically and positively: “So we found out – if everything is in standard mode, without surprises, if the track is dry, it is unrealistic to fight with a European Audi. Watching this day, as well as the European stages and videos that I saw in person, I increasingly get the feeling that these cars do a lot for the driver. It is difficult to explain why it seems that way. However, the behavior of the cars in certain situations suggests that the specific nuance is not performed by a person, but by the car – a computer, a computer, call it whatever you want. On the other hand, when the track is wet, the drivers have to start working and solving situations, and the car becomes completely different, not so “clean” in its actions. Maybe these are just my thoughts, but I have gotten such a feeling.”
“Overall, I’m happy for our small team. There was a lot of work today, with black mouths all day. Working with tires and adjustments. This, as we thought, was a thorough school. And I want to say that against the European background, imagining the other participants in the European Championship, we looked quite decent. Especially if you take into account that this is a motor, power track,” says Uģis. “It’s clear that it’s depressing that there’s no way to fight if the track is dry. However, in non-standard conditions, prospects and opportunities appear. It’s very good that there is such an opportunity to measure ourselves.”
On Saturday evening, the artificial lighting was turned on at the track, and the race continued. The third round of the British Championship also begins tonight, which will conclude on Sunday. “Tonight, training and the first qualifying are scheduled. We will skip training because we need to work on the car, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. We are preparing for the rest of the weekend,” says Uģis Vītols. True, Roberts does appear in the training results list later.
