Serbian driver Rudi Pešović drove Audi RS 3 LMS TCR in 2017, but he took part just in three race weekends. Now he is back and with co-operation with Milovan Vesnič, he is heading to podium finishes in ESET TCR.
You are finally back in racing. Why did you take a year off?
I was not planing on taking year off. I had to because of crash at Zolder in 2017 in ETCC. Then in February 2018 I was late on organizing all the parts needed for repair of my Audi. Also at same time Vesnic Racing Team got really busy so the way everything started in 2018, I just decided to call everything of.
So now you will take part in ESET TCR with Audi under GM Racing Team banner. But your car will be taken care of by Milovan Vesnic team. How the co-operation came-up?
Mikica Vesnic and I go way back in our friendship! His team was taking care of my in 2007 Opel Astra OPC when Super Production class was popular. After while I switch to Alfa 147 Super Production and Vesnic was under the hood of that car too! Then we decided to move forward to ESET V4 Cup, which we did in 2015 so I have purchased BMW S2000 WTCC from Mikica Vesnic. Even In 2016 I took a title in ESET V4 Cup with that car. His team was working on the BMW all those years. So just to make the story short, Mikica and I are a team for almost 15 years.
You have Audi TCR since 2017. What kind of work was done on the car during the period until now?
Car is not new but still feels new to me! I drove the Audi since I purchased in 2017 only threetimes on racing weekends. Now, we have done a lot of work after the crash in Belgium. I was really lucky because I did not total the car when I lost the control of the car at 200 km/h! Anyway, Audi is getting ready for the first race at Hungaroring and it will have all the newest updates required by FIA.
Aren´t you affraid, that you will be a little bit “rusty” behind the wheel after year off?
Yes, that is for sure! You feel rusty even when you come to the first race of the season after winter break. But I don’t know how to explain, once that green light comes on, you just forget everything and you just take of and go!
What are your goals for this season?
That is good question which I don’t think I will have answer for! Goal is to finish in first three places in general but we will see that, don’t think it will be easy for sure.
On which circuit do you think you can have a succesfull results?
For some reason, Hungaroring was always a track that I did like and had good finishes! I hope that will happened this year! Red Bull Ring is a track that I love even with hosts not being helpful at all. Slovakia Ring, Brno and Rijeka, all the tracks are interested so will see!
What do you think about the new co-operation with ESET and oficcial TCR?
ESET V4 Cup in corporation with TCR should be good idea! Mikica says that this will be a good season and that we will have minimum of 12 cars in class! Me, I do hope for that so lets see!
