Bartek Mirecki from the BM Racing team continues his fight for the title in the Clio Cup this year. However, the weekend at the Red Bull Ring didn’t go as planned. He had the pace for podium finishes but was missing something to fight for the win.
“It was a really, really hard and strange weekend for me at the Red Bull Ring because, at Balaton Park, I had really good pace and showed everything I could. But here at the Red Bull Ring, we didn’t have time to practice, and I’m not happy about that because I think I didn’t have complete speed in my car,” says Mirecki.
Mirecki qualified third behind his title rival Tomáš Pekař and Czech driver David Dziwok, who is debuting in the Clio Cup this season. Dziwok eventually won both races, with Pekař second and Mirecki third on both occasions.
“I couldn’t follow the driver in front of me. So, I’m not sure if I had the pace to win this weekend, but we need to find out what the problem was, what we did wrong. I won at Balaton Park, and at the Red Bull Ring, I was leading the race for one lap in the first race. Also, in the second race, I had the possibility to lead for two or three laps, so I will do everything I can in the future. Well, also, Tomáš didn’t have the pace for the win, so it was kind of strange.“
Balaton Park was all about fights between Mirecki and Pekař. Now, a new opponent has arisen for them, as Dziwok eventually had more wins than either of them.
“David was really fast this weekend. He won two races, and he was really fast in qualifying. I have big respect for all the drivers, but, you know, it’s cup racing, so we need to drive hard but be fair. Here, as you can see on my car, I got a little touch on all of the bumpers, the doors,” commented Mirecki on the close battles in the Clio Cup.
“Now there are more than 20 Clios on the grid. All the drivers are really strong and experienced, and we can see everything changing completely. All sessions, like practice, qualifying, or races, show something new. For sure, I’m at the front, so I can’t answer what’s going on at the back of the grid, but during practice and qualifying, you need to find a way to set that time. And you also need to remember about the drivers at the back because they can always be faster, catch you, and fight with you.“
After the Red Bull Ring, the Clio Cup is heading to Slovakia Ring in the second weekend of July. So what are Mirecki’s expectations? “Yes, I’m looking forward to the Slovakia Ring. I will do everything I can to fight for the win. We need to check the car, do some tests, and prepare the car as much as we can to fight for the championship.”
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