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BMW driver Tom Coronel massively disappointed after Suzuka WTCC races

This weekend, the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) visited the 2.243 kilometers short Suzuka circuit. In the country where he normally has so much success, Tom Coronel failed to claim a podium result. The 40-year old Dutchman started the first race from eighth place on the grid, and driving behind the fiercely defending Russian SEAT driver Dudukalo, that seemed to be Coronel's position at the finish as well. Just before the end, BMW driver Mehdi Bennani retired and thus, the Dutchman with the ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC gained one more position to finish seventh. At the start of race two, Coronel was in a promising fourth position on the grid, but as the starting lights went out, the engine of the blue and white BMW stalled and he dropped back to last place. His attempts to make up for ground lost ended in a disappointing 15^th place. In the world championship standings, Tom Coronel is classified fifth with four races remaining.

Afterwards, Tom Coronel said: "Meanwhile, I suppose that everybody knows the special link I have with Japan. In the past, I have had a lot of success here and I scored my two WTCC race wins here as well. Free practice went well. The car felt good and I know the track. In second free practice, I was in the pits for a long time due to a broken exhaust. After that, the focus was on getting a good starting grid position for race two. With seventh place on the grid for race one and fourth place for race two, it worked out and our goal was achieved. At the start of the first race, Dudukalo overtook me on the outside and I was eighth. He was involved in a battle for sixth with Bennani in front of me. To avoid any damage to my car, I decided to wait for things to happen. It took a while, but at the end of the race, they touched indeed and Bennani spun off the track. Thus, I was seventh and that was where I finished."

"Everything was focussed on the next race. The car was great and I was full of confidence before the start. What happened then has never happened to me before. The lights went out and I stalled the engine. Here, and at that very moment! It couldn't have been worse. Then you just get going again and join the field, but the race is basically over. I still overtook a few people and ended up 15^th. What a blow! It had to happen here, and it was absolutely possible. In the past, I used to say: 'That's racing', but now, it is really bad. Also for the guys within the teams and the many fans I still have here. I am really gutted!"

I video of Tom's race weekend in Suzuka is available HERE

Result Race 1:
1. Alain Menu 26 laps in 23:44.880
2. Yvan Muller +0,812
3. Rob Huff +1.419 (all Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T)
4. Gabriele Tarquini (SEAT Leon WTCC) +13.828
5. Alex Macdowall (Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T) +14.273
and 7. Tom Coronel (ROAL MOTORSPORT BMW 320 TC) +19.870

Result Race 2:
1. Stefano D'Aste (BMW 320 TC) 15 laps in 23:54,717
2. Pepe Oriola +2.562
3. Gabriele Tarquini +2.845 (both SEAT Leon WTCC)
4. Robert Huff +3.774
5. Alain Menu +4.220 (both Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T)
and 15. Tom Coronel (ROAL MOTORSPORT BMW 320 TC) +19.492

Drivers' standings after 20 rounds:
1. Yvan Muller and Robert Huff 345 points
3. Alain Menu 307
4. Gabriele Tarquini 220
and 5. Tom Coronel 170

In the 2012 FIA WTCC season, Tom Coronel is being supported by: McGregor, TW Steel -big in oversized watches-, AkzoNobel stickerfix^tm , De Wild signing, Loading Systems, Boretti, Intrax, Holiday Cars, Saarloos, Hanscan and Beelen.