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WORLD AND LIFE
TCR 2017
FEATURE
Gabriele Tarquini
is one of the most
experienced and respected Touring Car
drivers of all time. And yet, his
commitment as Hyundai Motorsport
Customer Racing test driver placed
him at the wheel of a TCR car for the
very first time.
“The visual impression
is misleading. It is only when you
drive it that you realize that a TCR car
is much more of a performer than it
looks. When you look at the different
components, you find out how close it
is to the production model; something
that had been lost in recent years in
favour of technology. But in terms of
performance, it is impressive. In fact,
it is very close to more sophisticated
and expensive cars with a better look.”
In what ways are you working on
its development?
“When we come to
the technical development, all Touring
Cars are similar. You follow the same
approach and method. A test driver
can’t do much with the engine, but the
i30’s is a very good one, especially in
power supply. We have used the first
two tests for fine-tuning it. Now we
have focused on the chassis, which in
the case of a front-wheel drive car
means working on the front axle. I
always try to improve the congenital
power understeer. You can’t get rid of
it, but you must reduce it to a level
that can be dealt with. You have to
find a compromise, even sacrificing the
grip of the rear axle. Sometimes this
makes the car difficult to drive, but
in this case we need to make an
effort and make it easy for non-
professional drivers.”
Is it possible to judge the car
without racing it?
“I have enough
experience to say if a car is well-born.
It is true that I cannot make a direct
comparison with other TCR machines,
but I take it for granted that all the
engines deliver the same power, and
this car is able to exploit the engine’s
full potential. That is where the secret
is.”
Do you cherish the idea of
bringing the New Generation i30
TCR on track for an actual race?
“When you develop a racing car, it
becomes like a child. It takes shape
through the information you provide
to the engineers. It is your own
‘creature’ and you wish to see it
winning. In the past, I have been
pleased to see cars that I had
developed winning in the hands of
other drivers. But, obviously, I have
been much more pleased when they
won in my own hands! My experience
enables me to do good development
work, but at the same time I think
I’m still fast enough to be competitive
in races. However, is important to
prove that Hyundai has a winning car
on offer and I’ll be happy to have
given my contribution.”