It is great to be part of a winning team
This weekend brings another successful season for Hyundai Motorsport customers in TCR Eastern Europe to a close. Elantra N TCR team Janík Motorsport have already clinched their third consecutive teams’ title, the 2024 celebrations starting with a round to spare after the previous round in Brno. The finale will decide the drivers’ champion between two of the squad’s drivers – Adam Kout and defending series champion Maťo Homola. On the eve of the crucial weekend, Homola tells us about his role within the team, his work as a Hyundai Ambassador in Slovakia, highlights of the 2024 season and more!
It has been quite a close battle between you and Attila Bucsi this season. How would you describe the season from your perspective?
The season was not easy at all. I tried to be always on the limit in qualifying and be focused for Race 1 at the weekend. Until now I won all the Saturday races, so it proves we have really good speed. In Race 2 something can always happen. That’s why I’ve taken a more conservative approach for this reverse-grid races, because I was really looking at the championship, while trying to be consistent. Now, I’m leading the championship with comfortable gap and one round to go, and if something really bad will not happen, I am going to be double TCR Eastern Europe champion, so it’s great.
Since 2019, you have been a Hyundai N ambassador for Slovakia, what is involved in your role?
Yes, I am Hyundai N ambassador in Slovakia since 2019, so in six years we have done many cool things. Launching the i30 N, participating in various events for the N community at the Slovakia Ring circuit while doing Race Taxi, and, more recently, launching IONIQ 5 N for Slovak market this year.
How was the transition from driving an i30 N TCR to an Elantra N TCR?
I still think that i30 N TCR is one of the fastest TCR cars ever. Without Balance of Performance it would be flying 🙂 For me the transition was quite okay, we just needed to work a lot on a setup for Elantra N TCR to let it rotate as I needed, because of the longer wheelbase, that keeps the car more stable, while i30 N TCR was more agile.
Janik Motorsport has become a well-established team with a strong bond with Hyundai Motorsport, what is it like working with them?
It is my fourth season with Janík Motorsport team. We started in TCR Europe, where we improved a lot to take some podium finishes. Last two seasons in TCR Eastern Europe have been really successful – titles in Drivers’ and Teams’ championships. We have been working really great together and those good results are results of whole team.
You are the most experienced TCR drivers in the team, how can that experience help the team, and the other Janik Motorsport drivers.
Well, I think without an experienced driver it is pretty tough to improve the team and other drivers. I am happy I helped the young drivers to develop a lot and some of them are now in GT’s where they are successful, so it gives me a good feeling to know I helped them.
In 2023, you won the TCR Eastern Europe championship. When you win a championship, do you feel more pressure when the new season starts? If so, how do manage stressful situations?
Honestly, this year I feel less stressed than the previous season. I think it comes with experience, I am more relaxed before the races and try to work on myself to concentrate more on performance than on some negative effects that could happen. I feel the pressure, but I don’t allow that to affect me. I think I am managing the mental preparation quite well.
The Janik Motorsport team won the 2024 Teams’ title with a round to go after the Brno weekend. What does it mean to the team to win the title for a third time, and especially to win in such a dominant way.
Yeah, it is great to be part of a winning team 🙂 It shows how the team is motivated and that we have right members in the right places. For the result you need to have fast and reliable car, good mechanics, smart engineers and fast and consistent drivers. I think we have all of that these years, so that’s why we were so successful.
What was the best moment of your 2024 season?
As always, victory in front of my home crowd at Slovakia Ring. Many fans cheering for me on grandstands, lot of photos and autographs. It is always nice to be successful in front of the fans, so the best moment is the event at Slovakia Ring, for sure.
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