I was sure we could have challenged for a podium in race three, but the retirement just capped off a pretty crap weekend all round. We haven’t got the attacking pace at all – whether it’s down to this rear-wheel-drive penalty for 2018 or not, we just don’t have the pace. The Subaru is showing that it’s good in the damp conditions, but that could be down to its centre of gravity, which is an entirely different story. Colin [Turkington, WSR team-mate] is leading the standings at the moment, but that’s down to being smart and getting the best out of what he can each weekend, it’s not down to outright pace.
The championship is so close now, all the cars are coming closer together and the driving standards are just not where they should be. When we raced at Croft and Oulton Park, we were up in the top five or six and there wasn’t a scratch on the car. These last two meetings, when we’ve been down in the midfield, the car always comes back with panel damage. Some of these guys are racing for 17th into the final corner like they’re racing for a win in a championship decider. It feels like if they see you getting a run on them in their mirrors, they just push you further and further out wide until you’re off the track.
We should’ve been able to capitalise on our chances this weekend, but we had them all taken away from us, which is the most frustrating thing of all. On the plus side, we’re testing at Goodwood this week for the Revival, which is certainly something to look forward to after such a frustrating weekend.
Photography courtesy of Motorsport Images