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WTCC - M.Bennani: "I am more confident than previous years and I know the car better last year than the year before"

07.04.17

WTCC - 2017 Race of Morocco - Pre-event press conference

WTCC, Touring car, Race of Morocco, FIA, motorsport

Drivers present:
Mehdi Bennani, Sébastien Loeb Racing
Thed Björk, Polestar Cyan Racing
Yann Ehrlacher, RC Motorsport
Tiago Monteiro, Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team

Q:
Turning first to Mehdi Bennani, the local hero, now last night in Marrakech we enjoyed a very spectacular launch event to start the new WTCC season. What was it like for you being the centre of attention with all those people supporting you?

MB:
It was nice to be at an event like this. Yesterday I was enjoying all the night because it was a typical Moroccan atmosphere with all the drivers smiling all the night. It’s a good feeling and the official opening means we start the new season and I think all the drivers can’t wait for the competition to start. We start at my home race and it’s not possible to know the level of each driver or the cars but I am quite happy to start the season at my track and in my home race.

Q:
Last night was the fun part and now the serious stuff begins. What’s keeping you busy right now?

MB:
It’s actually nice to be outside the garage for the last few days but for sure I will spend more time in the garage from now working on the set-up. Sébastien Loeb Racing is a very professional team, working so hard and so strong to be in the top positions. I try to be one of the drivers to be there to take this team to the top.

Q:
Based on what you’ve achieved in pre-season testing, how confident are you of challenging for the title – is this your year?

MB:
Yes. We have the car, we have the team. I am quite confident, I am more confident than previous years and I know the car better last year than the year before. This circuit is a good place to start the championship. The championship at the end will be about race wins and luck because some times you have to be lucky in the traffic and after it’s about points. I think we will be able to fight for the championship this year but in the end there are a lot of parameters that we as drivers cannot control. We will do our best to fight for the championship this year.

Q:
Turning next to Tiago Monteiro, one of those parameters Mehdi can’t control is you because you’ll be one of the drivers going up against Mehdi for the title. Third last year, the championship must be your target this year, right?

TM:
It is indeed. After a good season in 2016 we want to improve from that and do even better. As Mehdi said we have quite an open championship this year with new faces coming like Yann of course, very strong and very motivated. And the Volvos seem to be stronger and stronger as well and the Citroëns are still strong so it will be a wide-open season. We hope to benefit from our experience and improve from all the good improvements from last year. We believe we have improved even more this season. I am quite relaxed and motivated and really keen to start. But I don’t any extra pressure on myself. I’ve put enough pressure on myself over the last few years and what has to happen will happen now. If we put everything right together, if we do our homework well, if we prepare everything correctly we should be strong.

Q:
You talk about improvements but where do you think the car has improved this year?

TB:
Yeah, where?!

TM:
We can tell you and you’ll see later on! But we can tell you, it’s no secret, it’s already been said. We work on all areas, we work on the aerodynamics, which has of course been our weakest point because we have a two-volume hatchback car, which has always been an issue and you can’t change that. But there are areas you can fine-tune and that’s what we worked on very hard. We also worked on the chassis side, the traction is very important of course, the understeering is an issue in races so we worked on that as well. And of course Japan has been working very hard on the engine side. We do have some improvements there and we will see how they will be compared to the competition. But every department has been worked on.

Q:
Turning to Thed next, just like Mehdi and just like Tiago, your winter has been very busy with testing…

TB:
Really, where did you hear that?!

Q:
It’s a rumour going around but you have been a very busy boy I guess?

TB:
I have been busy but I cannot tell you what I have done because it’s a big secret! But to be fighting for the world championship you need to work a lot because last year was a learning season and we had to put this together, this together, this together during the winter. But here we are at our first race and we have to see where we stand. We will know more on Saturday and Sunday but we hope all the work we put into it pays off and we hope we can catch up and fight with the Hondas because that’s what we need to do. It’s going to be interesting.

TM:
Yes, you do and we hope so!

Q:
Away from here the team back in Sweden has been working hard preparing its brand new facility. I guess it’s ready now but what’s it like and how much will it help you?

TB:
Have you been there?

Q:
I’ve seen pictures.

TB:
It’s absolutely fantastic, it’s so super, it’s Formula One standard I would say. My boss at Cyan [Christian Dahl] has made this his dream and it’s absolutely amazing. It’s hard to say from the pictures but it’s just great. It’s a base to start with but then it comes down to what we’ve done with developing the car as well. But it is the start of something nice and new for us and it’s great. It feels great to be a part of a team that puts everything in to trying to win and that’s why we’ve changed our target because when we started last year we were supposed to learn and be better this year and then challenge for the title next year but, Tiago, I am sorry, we want to win this year!

Q:
Turning to Yann Ehrlacher next and your first weekend in the WTCC. We saw you giving Rob Huff a bit of a hard time on stage last night. Is that what you’re like normally, a bit of a character?

YE:
It was just a joke with him. I have known him since I was almost born because I have been watching WTCC on the TV since Yvan [Muller] was starting to drive in it and it was very special to be on the stage with him yesterday. But it was just joking.

Q:
Obviously Rob raced against Yvan for a number of years and I am sure a part of him was quite relieved when Yvan stopped racing but now you’ve come along to continue the family legacy. What advice has Yvan, your uncle, given you?

YE:
Everything, everything because I don’t know so much about the front-wheel drive, all the tracks, the championship so I ask him a lot to explain me a lot of things. My winter was not as busy as it was for Thed, Tiago or Mehdi because I did not do a lot of testing so I have a lot of things to learn now and I will learn in Free Practice and Yvan is helping me a lot for that.

Q:
Now it’s not just Yvan who provides a competition background in your family, your mother and father have both been very competitive people…

YE:
My mother was driving too, she was a karting champion and was also driving Formula 3 and Formula 3000 so she also knows a bit about motorsport competition. My father was a professional footballer so competition is a bit in my blood.

Q:
So does it feel a bit surreal being on stage with these very successful drivers?

YE:
A bit, yes, because like I said before I was watching WTCC on the TV for many years, Tiago, Mehdi and Thed and it’s quite strange to be with them here.

TM:
Not long ago I remember he was coming with his mother to the races. He was still a kid but he’s a young kid and now he’s racing with us so it’s great.

YE:
Thank you!

TM:
You’re welcome.

Q:
Any advice for Yann ahead of his first weekend in the WTCC Tiago?

TM:
I am sure he has great advice from his uncle and his mother but don’t get too close to us please. We bite!