Interview: Mat’o Homola, 2023 TCR Eastern Europe champion
Last weekend, at Most, with two podium results Mat’o Homola secured the TCR Eastern Europe title at the wheel of his Janík Motorsport Hyundai Elantra N.
“I'm very happy that I managed to claim the title one weekend prior to the end of the season. I'm really grateful to the team. It means a lot to me because my last championship title dated back to 2011. After that title in the Central European Zone, I decided to compete at international level, and it was difficult to achieve some good result there.”
During the current season, Homola has won three races so far and finished on the podium on four other occasions.
“This season has been pretty good in terms of consistency, I have been able to finish all the races so far, which didn't happen in the past as I experienced a crashes and technical issues. This season we have had really a consistent pace in qualifying and the races. I have also used my experience to avoid unnecessary risks and score as much as possible.”
The results achieved, have placed Homola 13th in the Kumho TCR World Ranking and so granted him the qualification to the TCR World Ranking Final.
“It’s great to be qualified for the TCR World Ranking Final. I believe this is a great format that will establish a hierarchy in TCR competition around the world. The drivers who are really good in the national championships are given the opportunity to compete with the best in the world. I’m not hiding my ambitions of being competitive in a global-level TCR event and now I have the chance to prove that I deserve a place there. It has always been my aim to be as high as possible in both the TCR Eastern Europe and the TCR World Ranking in order to qualify for the TCR World Ranking Final.”
The concept of the TCR World Ranking Final is something completely new, and Homola likes it.
“Normally, when we are racing in our local championships, we know each other. We know all the drivers in the field, what they are capable of, what are their strengths and their weaknesses. But in the TCR World Ranking Final we won't know all the competitors, and this is pretty interesting. At the same time, everybody can win because the best drivers in the world will be racing. I'm really looking forward to that because it is something really new!”
Homola was interviewed by Tomáš Vacín
Picture: Janík Motorsport
