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Dušan Borkovič won both races of the opening round of TCR Eastern Europe season. And he wants to continue in this trend, as he aims a championship victory. He revealed that and much more in our interview.
Dušan, Grobnik marked your debut in the TCR Eastern Europe series. And it went extremely well as you won both races. How would you rate the opening round of the 2020 season?
The opening round was great, especially when you consider that I didn’t sit in a TCR car for more than a year, as I couldn’t test before the season due to the COVID-19. I’m grateful to be working with such a team as M1RA and with Dávid Bári. We already worked together in 2015 and 2016, and in 2015 we won the FIA ETCC championship. Also, it’s really great to be driving a Hyundai again. The TCR Eastern Europe is proving to be a growing regional championship.
How do you rate the TCR Eastern Europe series? And what kind of future does it have? How would you compare it to other series that you know?
I’m happy to be part of it and that I had such a convincing debut in it. The championship has made huge progress since its first season. I’m from Serbia and this whole region is very close to my heart. I know that there’s a lot of room for more growth and I wish the championship only the best for the future. I hope that I’m going to help its popularity with the army of my fans.
From all the current TCR Eastern Europe drivers, you have the most successful career. Also, you took two quite dominant victories in both races of the opening round of the season. What do you expect from the rest of the season with races at Slovakia Ring, Brno and Hungaroring? Do you think that you can dominate again or is it going to be tougher? Who is your biggest competition in the championship battle? Perhaps the reigning champion Milovan Vesnič?
I’m going to give it everything to win the championship, nothing else. I and the M1RA Racing team will do anything to win the championship and to improve every race weekend. I don’t expect to dominate in the next races, because the young guns will be getting better and better in every race. But I’m a fighter and a tough guy to beat on track, everybody knows that. I’ll do everything in my power to repeat this success in the following racing. I believe that others and especially young drivers will be learning from me and my team. However, unless something unusual happens on the technical side of things, I don’t expect them to be a threat to my goals this season.
You have raced against many great drivers in your career. Do you think that there is somebody in the TCR Eastern Europe capable of becoming a star on the Touring Cars scene? What about names like Jáchym Galáš, Dušan Kouřil jr., Maťo Konopka or Michal Makeš? Or maybe somebody?
I really haven’t had much time to analyse all of my competition. You never know, who’s not just a good driver, but also a dedicated and analytical professional, who is capable of doing things consistently right to build a successful career in Touring Cars. I wish them all only the best. Maybe, if you ask me again in October, I’ll be able to answer better.
Are we going to see you anywhere else than in the TCR Eastern Europe series? Maybe some one-off event? Circuits? Rally?
I and my team have chosen this series due to the COVID-19. We wanted to stay close to home. Maybe, I’ll take part in Serbian rally in October. It was really good fun last year, and I even won it. My fans and my sponsors really enjoyed it, so there’s a big chance that I’ll be racing there. With anything else, I’ll wait for the next years, when this pandemic is over.
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Do you see the TCR Eastern Europe as just a temporary destination for you or do you want to stay for longer? Or do you aim to return to the top Touring Cars series like TCR Europe or WTCR?
I think I’ve answered that in the previous question. Let’s wait and see. You never know what’s going to happen on the next day with this pandemic. I want to race for a long time, so let’s wait and see what kind of opportunities there will be in the future.
What about your career goals? Is there anything that you still haven’t achieved yet?
I have many goals. I always aim for the highest goals, no matter in what championship I race in. I believe that I can achieve even more in Touring Cars. Also, I believe that I can get some decent results in the rally. One of the series I’d really like to try one day is Porsche Supercup.
You are not only a racer, but you are also active on the Serbian political scene. Why have you decided to enter politics? Are there any similarities to racing for you? And if you were to choose between politics and racing, what would you go for?
I’m an athlete with lots of fans and I’m responsible for them and for my country. I believe in our current Serbian political system. I also believe in our president Aleksandr Vučić and his team. I voted for them and I’ll continue to support them and my country. Through racing, and even outside of it, I try to promote and represent Serbia in the best way possible. Don’t get me wrong though, if I had to choose, I’d choose racing. That’s me. I’ve been racing since I was 9 years old and it’s in my DNA. Also, I feel I have an obligation to make my country a better place and use my popularity to ensure progress.
