Panis: “I expected better”

Olivier Panis, a few weeks ago, surely thought he could play for the title by joining the Skoda team, victorious last winter with Jean-Philippe Dayraut. But, rarely varnished, the Grenoblois has lost precious points on several occasions and now finds himself fifth in the general classification, 36 points behind the leader, his teammate Jean-Philippe Dayraut.

As for the fight for the title, the former driver of F1 is not very optimistic. “ It seems difficult, confirms the Skoda driver. There are five or six of us who could win. Jean-Philippe (Dayraut) is there, Alain (Cheers) Also. The Clios are good and they really play spoilsport. There are more contenders than last year, so it's more complicated. Personally, I have already burned two jokers. But there can be big differences in points, and everything can be restarted quickly. After Isola, we will see things more clearly. »

After having piloted for Toyota Past seasons, Olivier Panis changed to Skoda this winter and admits that he saw himself playing the leading roles. “ I expected a little better. On the other hand, I'm changing teams and cars, so it takes time to settle in. Unfortunately, the conditions were a little warm and we were unable to do any pre-season testing. I'm a little disappointed, but we have to roll up our sleeves. I remain positive because I know that I have a car capable of winning. » The Skoda driver will have the opportunity to demonstrate it this weekend, at Isola 2000.