Istanbul: Post-race quotes

ROUNDS 15 & 16 RACE QUOTES

Gabriele TARQUINI SEAT Sport Italia, 3rd in Race 1, 1st in Race 2
"I hoped to be faster in the first race but unfortunately the BMW was quicker and the best I could achieve was third. I changed tactics for this event because I had nothing to lose. I attacked as hard as possible in Race 1 and a podium was really good. In the very difficult conditions of the second race my car was uncatchable and I set the fastest lap. I lost some positions through a mistake in the initial stages of the race but I recovered. I don't know why I was fast in Race 2, perhaps it was because I risked a lot more than the other drivers. Next we move to Valencia which is good for us but there is no doubt BMW will be competitive. It's SEAT's home race so I'm certain we will do everything we can to create a good show."

Alessandro ZANARDI BMW Team Italy-Spain, 1st in Race 1, 9th in Race 2
"The race win is absolutely fantastic and very special. Though the one I had last year at Oschersleben is unbeatable emotionally because it was first since my come-back. But it has been one year and my legs didn't grow back so it's still tough and to win is still such an achievement. It is every driver's dream to look in the mirror and see your opponents getting smaller and smaller! When we were waiting on the grid for the second race I thought it would be a good idea to cancel it and award double points to the winner of Race 1. For some reason nobody listened to me."

Rickard RYDELL SEAT Sport Sverige, 2nd in Race 1, 4th in Race 2
"I hope my luck has changed now because this weekend was a success. Pole position for Race 1 was really great and the car felt excellent and was competitive. I certainly didn't settle for 2nd position, I tried to catch Zanardi but he has had good pace all weekend. In the second race it was good to take so many points away from BMW because that was our aim. My engineer told me, `No risks in Race 2.' It was quite easy to pass the BMWs and if I'd had another lap I probably could have passed Larini too."

Peter TERTING SEAT Sport Deutschland, 6th in Race 1, 2nd in Race 2
"The weekend didn't start well for me because I had some problems with my engine. We had to change it and so started from 19th on the grid. I really didn't expect that I could take so many points from this event. I have found a really good set-up on the car both in wet and dry conditions. SEAT are a really great team and I am happy to be with them. I will do anything to help them win both the manufacturers' championship and the drivers' championship."

Nicola LARINI Chevrolet, 7th in Race 1, 3rd in Race 2
"This was a good race weekend without any trouble. I was happy to join my team-mates in having achieved a podium position result. In the first race I tried to catch the leading drivers but it was impossible and so I took 7th place and a front row start for Race 2. I love to drive in the wet and the car was good. The fight between Terting and I caused damage to my front tyres and by the last three laps it was quite unbearable. I was determined to get my first podium in the WTCC so I made it very difficult to overtake and it worked."

Tom CORONEL GR Asia, 8th in Race 1, 12th in Race 2
"It was quite difficult to win the independent Race 1 because I came from 17th on the grid and everybody was hitting each other. I was clever and went through the traffic before having a good fight with Rangoni, Farfus and Tavano. I turned out to be the winner of these battles and it was a bonus to finish 8th and start on pole for Race 2 because I never expected to be there."

Stefano D'ASTE Proteam Motorsport, 12th in Race 1, 11th in Race 2
"I had a big problem with my clutch in both races. In the second race I couldn't use it at all and it was so slippery. It was extremely difficult to drive and I really had to anticipate the braking points to avoid locking the rear wheels and spinning. Tom Coronel and I had a tough, fun fight over the last two laps and I was able to overtake him on the last three corners of the race. I'm very happy and thankful to my team."

-credit: fia