Dane Michel Nykjær is confident of challenging for a podium finish around a wet Monza this weekend, as the Nika Racing driver returns full-time to the World Touring Car Championship.
Nykjær, who competed in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship for Chevrolet in 2012, will line up in fifth for race one and third for race two respectively. He is hoping to be able to use his strong grid positions to add to his at-present solitary WTCC podium finish. The Dane placed seventh overall after the morning warm-up session, 2.768 seconds off the fastest time.
“It [qualifying] looks good when you look at the paper but anything can happen here,” said Nykjær to TouringCars.Net. “I think I have a good chance in both races to get on the podium but we can also see that from the morning warm-up D’Aste, Huff and everybody were very fast. I was not so lucky as I had a problem with my windscreen which was not connected. However I think I have a chance to be right up there.”
Nykjær is wary of the threat posed around him, especially approaching the first chicane on the opening lap. The 33 year-old is surrounded by both bamboo engineering Chevrolets for race one.
“There are some long straights so it’s easy to make mistakes,” he added. “We saw yesterday in qualifying how somebody can come from behind and take you out. So we have to be lucky and hope to stay out of trouble.
“The spray can be a big issue and if you are in the middle of the field on the straight you cannot see anything, you just look at your lights. Of course I am close to the front so if I can get up there by overtaking some cars then I think I’ll have a better view of the track. It’s going to be difficult.”
Nykjær, whose car is running in a high-contrast black and white livery this weekend, hopes to be able to do the whole season with Nika Racing, but admitted that there were no guarantees.
“Our goal is to try and do a whole season, although I think like everybody it is difficult to get sponsors right now. It looks good but anything can happen, so I hope for the whole season.”