I think getting the most from the tyres will be the biggest difficulty for me - especially when I saw how Michel Jourdain Jr was coming from Champ Car and NASCAR. He's not used to front-wheel-drive either. The WTCC tyres are very thin and work in a strange way. Being front-wheel-drive, you have to forget about the things you know and learn about new things, and that is where the experience will make a difference. I think the hardest thing for new drivers is how to use the tyres in qualifying, so initially that will be the main problem to get used to.
Between now and Zandvoort, we have a pretty good testing plan, with the WTCC-organised training days - two days in Germany, two days in the Czech Republic, two days at Monza - so we're going to be testing pretty much every week up until my first race, which is great.
I have no idea what to expect from that first weekend in Holland. At the moment, I am learning so much that it is a bit early to be having expectations. I want to be as close as possible to the front, but I have to be realistic as well, so it won’t be that simple. We'll just see how testing goes. At the moment that is what I am focusing on and we'll see from there.
What I do know is that I am really looking forward to getting going and getting to the front...
T
www.tiagomonteiro.com
![Tiago Monteiro prepares to test the SEAT Leon [Pic credit: SEAT Sport]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/285483.jpg)
