ETCC: Brno: Race quotes

Dirk MÜLLER - BMW Team Deutschland, 4th in Race 1 and 1st in Race 2
"Both races were very though and I was fighting like hell. It was really difficult with the 40 kg ballast, and mid-race I was struggling with the grip level. And Andy (Priaulx) put me under lots of pressure on the last two laps. It was difficult to stay in front, but I was struggling like a maniac. I'm just really lucky at the moment, and I hope it will continue like this. Things have been playing into our hands in Hockenheim with the Alfas not finishing. But the Alfas are still very strong. Maybe in Donington, there will be three red drivers up on the podium."

Andy PRIAULX - BMW Team Great Britain, 1st in Race 1 and 2nd in Race 2
"It was a perfect race weekend for me. I honestly didn't expect to be so strong in the second race, because I had some contact in the first race that damaged the right rear of my car. I enjoyed the last race a lot, though. Dirk did a great job. He had 40 kg on board and he drove really well, even though I was putting a lot of pressure on him. It's going to be a lot tougher in Donington, because I'll have ballast then. But at the end of the day, I need to be strong with or without weight and I hope I will be able to do a good job there anyway. Things didn't go quite as I hoped they would before today, but the winner is announced at the end of the year and not at mid-point; and I hope that I can shine in the second half of the season and finish on a high."

Rickard RYDELL - SEAT Sport, 2nd in Race 1 and 12th in Race 2
"It's very nice to have two podiums for SEAT here. For us, podium finishes are like victories! So far, we only had one podium on a race weekend, so this is a great result. There were no problems during the races, no big dramas. The car was very good all weekend. Andy (Priaulx) was a little bit too quick, though, and it was hard to follow him. The start was also very difficult. To be fair this Championship should have a rolling start, because otherwise we can never go into the first corner as the leader--"

Antonio GARCÍA - BMW Team Italy-Spain, 3rd in Race 1 and 6th in Race 2
"We had two very good races. I didn't know what to expect, where I would finish. I was unlucky in qualifying and couldn't get as far ahead as I wanted. Then I started into the first race with new tyres; and after the first lap, I was already third! So I tried my best to push. I'm apparently still not too lucky when it comes to fighting with my competitors, though. In the second race, my old teammate Giovanardi pushed me on the first lap and the others could pass. It seems like whenever I'm involved in a fight, I'm just the one doing the job for the others to pass--"

Frank DIEFENBACHER - SEAT Sport, 8th in Race 1 and 3rd in Race 2
"I was very optimistic during the second race. I was on new tyres and when we went into the first corner, I was second behind Jorg Muller. Then his tyres suddenly went away. So when I took the lead, I tried not to push too much to cool my tyres down and avoid having the same happening to me. But then I saw Dirk Muller passing Jorg and flying towards me, and I knew that he would go past. I tried to make it as hard on him as possible, though. I haven't been really happy with how things went this weekend, but now I finally have a good result."

Fabrizio GIOVANARDI - AutoDelta Squadra Corse, 4th in Race 1 and 4th in Race 2
"I expected two difficult races for us, and this proved an easy prediction. After three laps in both races we started having tyre problems. Then I just focused on scoring some points. It was easier in the first race, where there was a bit of confusion and a few fights. The second race was a nightmare, because I was followed by three cars which were lapping one second faster; and on such a wide track was impossible to keep them behind. In the end I got two fourth places, which are an unexpected gift."

Tom CORONEL - Carly Motors, 6th in Race 1 and 6th in Race 2
"In both races I was basically just trying to stay out of trouble. In the first one, there was some oil on the track where two drivers crashed into each other, and I tried to avoid slipping on it. In the second race, cars were fighting everywhere. I thought I need to stay away because they'd just take each other off, and that's exactly what happened. I was lucky to get away unscathed."

Gabriele TARQUINI - AutoDelta Squadra Corse, 9th in Race 1 and DNF in Race 2
"This was not the right track for us to score many points, but I did not expect to remain scoreless. In the first race I was involved in a tough fight with a lot of other drivers, and I lost a few positions; I finished ninth, which is the worst place: out of the points and the pole missed by inches. In the second race I only finished the first lap, when Rydell pushed me off."

-fia/etcc-