TCR World and life

How do you feel after clinching the 2021 TCR Eastern Europe title in the very last race of the season at Brno? “It is amazing! I can´t believe that I have won the title in only my second season at the wheel of a TCR car! And it wasn’t easy, because in Brno we did not make the right set up to save the tyres for the whole race, which made it very difficult for me to drive during the last laps. But the points I scored were enough to secure the title. I’m especially proud because I faced strong competition; the quality of the drivers in the championship was very good. My greatest rival was Tomáš Pekař, with whom I have developed a very friendly relationship. During the season we used to sit down and talk together at every event. Another good driver is Bartosz Groszek who joined the championship from the third event in Poznán. I had a very good time on the track with him.” How do you rate your season? “It was a great season from the very beginning. We expected we would be better than last year, but we didn´t expect we would be as competitive as we were. Everything has worked well. We have been able to gradually understand the car and fine-tune it, and I have improved race after race. Of course, when we got the ballast, it made things a bit more complicated, because you must work on the car to find different solutions. The highest point of my season was definitely the race weekend in Poznán. We managed to choose a perfect set up there and so the car worked amazingly. I also like that circuit very much; it suited me well right from the beginning despite the fact that I had never been there before. I was first and second in the two races and I really enjoyed every lap while pushing the car to the limit. It was pure adrenaline! The lowest point was at Grobnik. It was hot, and our car worked well only for two or three laps. After that, the tyres began to overheat. In Race 1, I couldn´t achieve more than a fourth place and then in Race 2, I outbraked myself and went off. But it wasn´t so bad in the end, because damage was minimal.” Do you have ambitions to step up your career after the title in TCR Eastern Europe? “I have ambitions, but everything depends on the budget. For the time being I think it is realistic to defend my title in TCR Eastern Europe next year. But to do so, I would have to switch to another car. I don´t believe the old CUPRA will be competitive next year. Look at what happened this year. The new CUPRA cars run by Fullinrace Academy had many technical problems at the start of the season. The team worked hard and struggled to find the pace and score points. But as the season progressed, they solved the problems and the new CUPRA was very fast in the last events. At Brno, Carol Wittke just flew around me and was away. We had a great start to the season with Pekař in the old CUPRA, as we were able to build some gaps and that was the key. But in 2022 we will need more. I like a lot the new Audi, but now we have to work to find some sponsors that can support the team for the next season.” Three questions to… Michal Makeš After winning back-to-back titles in the Renault Clio Cup, the 21- year-old Czech Michal Makeš joined TCR Eastern Europe in 2020 and immediately established himself as one of the series’ top drivers. Fourth in the championship at the end of last year, he began the new season with a couple of podium results. He claimed his first victories at the Slovakia Ring and Poznán, becoming a serious title contender, and eventually was able to secure the crown, beating Tomáš Pekař by four points.