ETCC - C.Schreiber, "For me, Petr [Fulín] is a winner prototype"

  • gb
18.09.17

ETCC - 2017 Race of Zolder - Post-race press conference

Present:
Christjohannes Schreiber, Rikli Motorsport, first position Race 1
Igor Stefanovski, Stefanovski Racing Team, first position Race 2
Peter Rikli, Rikli Motorsport, second position Race 1 and 2
Norbert Nagy, Zengő Motorsport, third position Race 1
Petr Fulín, Křenek Motorsport, third position Race 2

Q:
Congratulations on your Race 1 victory, Christjohannes after quite an amazing start. Talk us through Race 1?

CS:
It was an amazing start and I knew we didn't have the pace as the fast cars this weekend. I tried to manage my start as well as possible and I think it was okay. My team-mate Peter did an amazing work there as well, he fought up the order and had a good fight with Norbi. Like this I was able to pull away and tried to manage my car and brakes as well as possible.

Q:
Then all hell broke loose in Race 2. Tell us what happened with the accident in the last chicane and your fight with Norbi which looked very entertaining on TV!

CS:
I can imagine it was exciting! Like Norbi told me before, my car was sideways a lot and I could feel that because my geometry was completely damaged. I think an Audi hit me on the entrance of the last chicane and there's a hole in my door and the geometry is completely off. I tried to limit the damage from that point and that's all I could do.

Q:
There’s one event remaining and three drivers are on equal points now - you, Igor and Norbi, with Petr leading by seven points. What's your approach going to be for the last race?

CS:
My approach is to score as many points as possible, it's clear. For me, Petr [Fulín] is a winner prototype, he's a really fast driver on all tracks so it will be very hard to beat him, for sure. Me and my team we will do whatever is possible [to beat him] and then we will see.

Q:
Second in both races today, congratulation Peter Rikli. After some misfortunes during the past races, how happy are you with the results today and how difficult was it out there?

PR:
I had some very nice fights and obviously the result is very satisfying. It was also very satisfying to see my team-mate win Race 1, so I'm very happy about this weekend.

Q:
Turning to Norbi Nagy, you had a bad start in Race 1, but you were a real fighter in both races. Talk us through your experiences from today.

NN:
In Race 1 I was very disappointed because I knew I was the fastest this weekend but [in the end] I couldn't win a race. At the start the car lost all power and I don't know why. From then on I had to fight my way up the order. In the second race it felt like in a fighting simulator! I think there was too much fighting... I had to take care of my car to score a lot of points because of the championship.

Q:
Are you happy with the way this fighting went?

NN:
I think the second race was really too hard, that's all.

Q:
Igor, your first race didn't turn out too well. What happened and did it affect anything for Race 2 at all?

IS:
For me the first race was good until the last lap, but my tyre was broken and I had to stop in the pits. It was a ‘little’ disappointing. In Race 2 I did a good start and finished the race in first. That race was for me without stress as we had enough space behind and that's how we won it. I'm not completely happy but we will see how the championship ends.

Q:
Petr Fulín, after technical issues yesterday and even today in Race 1, a good result in the end with third place in Race 2. Talk us through your races, please.

PF:
First of all, I would like to thank my team, because despite what happened to me and my car, they did a good job. Concerning the first race I enjoyed it very much – in the pits... To be honest I didn't expect I would be here in the second race. The standings in the championship are very close, that's why I hoped the other guys would be a little bit more aggressive – and they were, and that's probably why I'm here. Of course, I was really unhappy to miss the qualifying, the qualifying points and I also missed the first race but I decided to go without any contact with other cars and try to finish the [second] race, that was my goal. After the safety car I saw Andreas Pfister in front of me and I said ‘okay, fourth place is okay with me, but maybe a podium would be even better...’ I tried the next lap [to overtake Pfister] successfully. Then the gap between me and the cars in front was too big and I decided to finish the race with a safe speed.

Q:
Concerning the Race 1 issue was it the same technical problem as yesterday?

PF:
I don't know. I was inside the car and some people did some things and I could start the race.

Q:
Heading to the final round at your home track in Most you have a seven-point advantage over your competition. What's your approach going to be there?

PF:
Together with Peter Rikli I'm probably the oldest here and therefore a bit more clever. That's why I know very well that I have two titles in this championship, but nobody is really interested in this here. That's why my goal is to enjoy the weekend, I expect a lot of guests. Of course, it will be for the first time in Most. That's why, after the first session on Friday [in Zolder], I found out we're only 10 cars, my first motivation was to find more drivers from Czech Republic, as I didn't want 1,200 guests to watch only 10 drivers... I was successful with that, that's all. I would like to organise some show for everybody and the drivers and I hope everybody will enjoy the weekend. And of course, somebody will be the champion.

Q:
But, do you still care about the title, surely?

PF:
Of course, as I told you, nobody here [apart from the drivers] is interested in it... It's a good fight between us but I know in our lives [there] are more important things.