Néstor Girolami, 1st
“I knew that if I could survive the slow section and build a gap, the race would come to me. The car was strong on the straights, so I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. That was the strategy, make sure the setup worked in the fast parts and keep it clean everywhere else. At one stage I started to feel a vibration, and I wasn’t sure the car would hold together. There was a moment where I thought we might not make it.
I want to congratulate everyone at BRC Hyundai and thank them for their hard work. And regarding Mikel coming through into P2, that was a team order from the start. We know how to play it smart. Bringing the cars home 1–2 was the main goal, and once I saw Mikel behind me, I was happy because this result is fantastic for the team.”
Mikel Azcona, 2nd
“I’m happy with P2, especially after yesterday. I touched the wall in qualifying, lost my chance for a proper lap, and felt terrible about it. So, to come back today with a podium feels amazing. The key was the start. I knew that if I could launch well, I had a small chance to attack into T1, and I did it. After Mandarin I had the run to go inside, and that’s the best place to be. From that moment, once I was already on the podium, the focus was on managing the tyres. In the middle of the race, I felt competitive, but I could also feel the car starting to lose a bit of performance. Even so, the pace was good, and I was still competitive until the end. When I got close to Yann, I realised he didn’t want to risk because of the championship, and that’s when I settled into P2.”
Yann Ehrlacher, 3rd and 2025 champion
“It has been a good season. We were leading very early, and we just kept the lead until the end. There was quite a lot of pressure in the last part of the season, from Korea onwards, but we kept doing a very good job every weekend, scoring podiums in almost all the races. Today was about surviving. I had a good start, a bit better than Mikel, but with the 30 kilos I couldn’t challenge him. At one point I thought maybe I should try something, because winning in Macau is still winning in Macau… but following Bebu through the mountain overheats the front tyres so much. And when Mikel came back at me, I preferred to let him go because it was too risky to start defending. In the end, we got what we needed. I’m very happy and very proud of the job we did this year. This third world title feels really deserved!”
Picture: WSC/Jun Qian Motorsport
