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Austrian driver Philipp Dietrich made his debut in TCR Eastern Europe at Hungaroring and has been steadily improving with each race. He has scored points in every race so far, driving his Cupra Leon Competition TCR, and at Slovakia Ring he achieved second place. Unfortunately, this was his last race of the season. However, he aims to return next year for the entire season.
Before his debut at Hungaroring, the young driver from the Wimmer Werk Motorsport team had one goal in mind – to get used to the car, learn about the competition, and prepare for the full commitment in the 2024 season.
„We are improving in every race. I started outside the top 10 at Hungaroring, and now I’m starting from eighth place, just one second shy of the pole-position lap time,“ said Dietrich after the qualification at Slovakia Ring. „The track has a lot of fast corners, and you have to be really connected to the car. And I now feel very connected with my Cupra,“ he continued.
Considering that he used to race in the Swift Cup and moved to a much faster TCR car this season, his results are not only very good but also consistent. He scored points in all races, including at Slovakia Ring.
„We had no expectations for the race weekends. We are here just as guests, just to improve and get to know the car. To be honest, it’s a testing season for me,“ admitted Dietrich, whose second race at Slovakia Ring proved that he is a serious competitor.
Dietrich started the second race from pole position, thanks to the reversed grid, and finished second with a comfortable gap to third position. He said that it was his best race in TCR, and there is no doubt about it. He managed to keep the pace and hold the position behind the winner, Maťo Homola.
The farewell is a little bittersweet for him, as he had his best finish in TCR, but there are no plans to continue for now. „There are no racing plans for the rest of the year, but maybe some testing with the GT4 Porsche owned by the team. And then I have to look for sponsors and find the budget to be here for the next season,“ hopes Dietrich, who really appreciates the championship and the atmosphere in the paddock. „The whole weekends are awesome. The people and the workgroups in the background, it’s really a nice family, I have to say. I’m enjoying it here.“
