Round 10 - Rockingham - Driver quotes

Top 3 drivers

Yvan Muller - VX Racing - 1st place
Anthony Reid - MG - 2nd place
Warren Hughes - MG - 3rd place
The safety car, which had been triggered by the Bentwood / Boardman incident, finally peeled off into the pits with four laps to go. As the storm clouds threatened to drop their load onto the circuit we were faced with a thrilling climax to a great weekend's racing. At the re-start, the MGs of Hughes and Reid battle the Astras of Muller and Thompson along the pit straight, through the chicane and into that hairpin....

Yvan Muller on the podium at Rockingham Yvan Muller: After the safety car we were all together at the end of the straight. Anthony braked just a little bit too late, I braked just a little bit too early... I don't really remember!

Anthony Reid: That was a race lost. It was my own fault. On the re-start I got the jump on everyone but just out-braked myself. It was just one of those things. I've been racing for years, I know not to do it but I just did.

Warren Hughes: Anthony was next to me, there has to be a bit of give and take but maybe if it had been someone else.... it could have ended in tears.

Yvan Muller started controversy in the first press conference by hinting at poor driving standards from the Honda drivers, and the subject came up again this time.

YM: There was only contact with the MGs.

AR: But you kissed my arse going into the first corner!

YM: No I didn't. Maybe I touched you with my rear bumper after you turned me around?

AR: I think that TOCA's stuck between a rock and a hard place. They want exciting racing, so they can't penalise people too heavily if there is contact. It's very difficult, it always has been in touring car racing. I think that's what makes it exciting and why people come and watch it. Hopefully people will come back and we can make it as popular as it was in the 1990s.

WH: I don't mind contact to an extent, but I think James did a naughty move on me with two laps to go, from so far back, and had me absolutely broadside. Thankfully I got the place back, but it's difficult to know how far to take it. You can tell when somebody's just trying to have you off.

YM: I think there is contact, and there is contact! You can't have no contact in touring cars, because the lap times are so close and the cars are together. Mistakes can happen, but what is not nice is what he [Reid] did, just push you off and you lose a place.

"Let's be fair, in the past we know what you've been like: a bit over the top. ”
Anthony Reid
AR: But that's only what you did to me in the previous corner! Let's be fair, in the past we know what you've been like: a bit over the top.

YM: You think? Maybe.

Moving on, the drivers spoke about their impressions of the Rockingham circuit.

AR: When I first got here I thought the infield was a bit Mickey Mouse and the racing would be too processional. But I reserved judgement and now think it's great, it's produced some really good racing.

YM: For me it's a good circuit. It's no more Mickey Mouse than Mondello Park or Brands Hatch. There is every type of corner - fast, medium, a lot of places to overtake. There's a good grandstand for the public, a good paddock for us. I think there is no comparison between here and... somewhere else!

WH: I agree. This is part of the reason we've had two fantastic races. Braking from high speed into a tight twisty section, where one car works better in the twisty bits and one is better on the straight. It's a fantastic facility and it deserves to have top level motorsport.

Paul O'Neill - VX Racing

Not the greatest weekend for Paul, tangling with the 307s in the first race and never really on the pace all weekend.

Testing was good, qualifying was good, everything was good except the two races really! In the first race I had a coming together with the Peugeots, took them both out which I'm really sorry about. Then I just got swamped and hit, nothing really went my way. I was stuffed really!

Then in the second race I just got on with it, made up a few good places. In the pit stop my engine wouldn't restart, then I got a puncture and had to make a second stop. I just rejoined at the back to see what I could do!

At this point, the remains of Michael Bentwood's BMW were being bought past on the back of a truck. Paul looked flabberghasted at how badly damaged it was.

That car's knackered! Glad to see Michael get out of that.


Thanks to all the drivers for their time.

Interviews and text © 2003 www.BTCCinfo.co.uk .