Champion's future clouded despite title success

2 years ago 88

Tony D'Alberto's aboriginal successful the TCR Australia Series beyond 2022 is up successful the aerial contempt winning this year's rubric for Honda.

The Wall Racing operator won this year's crown successful a choky contention that went down to the ligament astatine the SpeedSeries play finale.

D'Alberto took the rubric astatine Mount Panorama by conscionable 9 points implicit Melbourne Performance Centre operator Will Brown.

In the lead-up to the last event, D'Alberto told Wide World of Sports that securing sponsorship from Honda for the 2019 play had been a hard task.

Now, he's facing a akin conflict with caller unit changes astatine the organisation and nary warrant that the Australian part of the Japanese shaper volition enactment him.

"I had a beauteous large chat [on Wednesday] with Honda to spot wherever they're at," D'Alberto said connected Stan Sport's Pit Lane podcast.

Stan Sport is the lone spot to ticker the 2022 SpeedSeries. All the enactment streaming ad-free, unrecorded and connected demand

"They're not definite conscionable yet however their fund looks and what their absorption is.

"They've had a fewer unit changes astatine the top. There's immoderate caller radical determination that aren't afloat crossed what TCR is each about.

"I've astir apt got to spell backmost to the drafting committee a small spot and effort and person them that it's a bully happening to do.

"Obviously winning the rubric goes a agelong mode and I've got a batch enactment successful there."

In immoderate case, D'Alberto is keen to instrumentality and go the archetypal operator to transportation the hallowed No.1 connected his car.

Brown was going to tally No.1 connected his car aft winning the inaugural 2019 season. However, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, helium did not contention successful 2020.

Chaz Mostert won the 2021 variation with Melbourne Performance Centre and opted not to tally again successful 2022, alternatively focusing connected his Supercars program.

"Not definite conscionable yet, but that is the program with myself and Wall Racing to effort and travel backmost with the fig 1 connected the car," said D'Alberto.

"No 1 has done that conscionable yet and I'd emotion to beryllium the archetypal one. Fingers crossed. We'll spot however Christmas goes and what fund we tin get together, but I'd emotion to bash it again."

D'Alberto's rubric triumph marked the archetypal touring car occurrence since winning the Supercars second-tier Super2 Series successful 2007.

The 36-year-old said helium was "really proud" to triumph the title, having travel up conscionable abbreviated successful 2019 wherever helium was runner-up.

"Out of each the races oregon things I've won successful the past, this 1 has been truly hard to win," helium said.

"There's a batch of large drivers, young guys, Bailey Sweeny has done an astonishing occupation this year.

"Will Brown, who won the title backmost successful 2019, who I came 2nd to. I said to Will, 'come on, mate. Let's stock it astir a small bit'.

"I deliberation the contention is ace pugnacious and to travel distant with the win, I'm conscionable perfectly stoked."

The 2023 TCR Australia Series gets underway with Race Tasmania astatine Symmons Plains connected February 24-26.

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