CUPRA EKS driver Adrien Tambay opens up on his King of the Season title in the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup just one week into his reign.
“After the first race in Pau Ville I knew that I could win if we were consistent and didn’t make any mistakes.”
Tambay was already leading the standings going into the final race in Sachsenring for Race DE and took his winning streak right to the finish line.
He won everything he could win in Sachsenring until he had enough points to ensure that no one could take the victory away from him – after the first of two DHL Super Finals – then the Frenchman finished the weekend at the top of the podium in the final FIA ETCR final of 2022.
Watch the new King talk about his title
Adrien has spent practically his entire life on the racetrack, first following in the footsteps of his father, Formula 1 driver Patrick Tambay, who gave him a lot of valuable advice this season.
“He’s always given me good advice, first as a father, but also as a driver. I started really early, when I was just five years old, and when you’re young you don’t usually pay much attention to what your parents tell you. But in the end, it’s stayed with me all this time in my head and I see that now I put all his advice into practice every time I get behind the wheel,” said Tambay.
This was Tambay’s first season was the CUPRA EKS team and the first time he competed in ETCR. Despite representing a new generation of drivers, his many years of experience and skill put him on the podium together with his team-mates Mattias Ekström and Tom Blomqvist after the first race in Pau Ville.
“To be honest, I always thought I could win this title, but you never know until you get in the car and see how you feel. After the first race in Pau-Ville I knew that I could win if we were consistent and didn’t make any mistakes,” he said.
Title winner in ETCR in its previous PURE ETCR format, Mattias Ekström was close on Tambay’s heels coming into the season-finale after leading the standings earlier in the year and was a constant threat.
“I’ve known Mattias for a long time and know how competitive he is,” said Tambay. “As well as being team-mates, he’s the team boss, so my coming in first is also a win for him. This is probably the only time he’s ever gladly accepted second place! It’s been a great year and we’ve shared a lot of good times and I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
A full year of firsts. Now that he’s the winner of the FIA ETCR, a competition in which his CUPRA EKS team was also crowned manufacturers’ title winners, Adrien is preparing for one of the most important challenges of his life.
“In three weeks I’m going to be a dad, a major life-changing step for me. I’m looking forward to it. 2022 has been a great year.”
The King of the Season dedicates the title to his father, the man who passed on his passion for racing. “I think about him a lot; I remember his advice, his support. He isn’t in the best health right now. He’s always been there for me and I want to dedicate it to him.”
