Target Competition’s Josh Files thanked his team-mates for their role in him securing his podium finish of the season in the opening TCR Europe race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Files says it was the efforts of his team-mates, Nicola Baldan and Felice Jelmini, who gave him the slipstream he required in order to qualify his Hyundai Elantra N in sixth for the opening race.
At the start, Files then made an early move to the inside at the La Source hairpin, which put him up to third by the first corner of the race.
The 31-year-old was then able to hold that position for the duration of the race, despite Baldan closing to within a few tenths of Files in the final laps.
He thanked his team-mates, in particular Baldan, for not overtaking him towards the end of the ten-lap race.
“The ‘first podium of the year’ feeling is really good,” said the Brit. “It all came from the start to be honest – I made a really good start which gave me the position, but to be honest I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, as my car is pretty slow this weekend.
“They helped me in qualifying with the slipstream, which worked, and then in the race I had a problem, and for the last three laps my performance totally went and Nicola probably could have overtaken me but stayed behind.
“Without the three of us as a team, I don’t think we would have had a podium, so I have to thank them and the team for this result.”
Files moved up to fifth overall in the drivers’ standings with the result, 69 points from series leader Franco Girolami.