Interview: Max Coates – “I Want to Stay on the TOCA Package”

2019’s UK Clio Cup was a truly great spectacle – the final two rounds at Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP were filled with drama.

Sadly for Clio Cup veteran Max Coates, a tangle at the penultimate event damaged his chances of winning the trophy. Despite his best efforts, rival Jack Young clinched the title in the final race of the championship.

In a one-to-one interview for Motorsport Radio, Max talks to William Holmes about 2019’s career journey, future ambitions, and racing mentalities.

WH: 2019’s Renault Clio Cup was obviously dramatic, arguably more so for you than anyone else on the grid. Describe how you were feeling after the incident at the penultimate round at Silverstone.

MC: When the crash happened I was panicking a bit, the car stalled and I wasn’t sure if I could get out of the gravel. I knew the significance of the incident so it was really just frustration and disappointment.

WH: You were still very much in with a chance of lifting the trophy come the final round at Brands Hatch, but despite your best efforts, it was not to be. How difficult was it coming into the final round after such a disheartening end to Silverstone?

MC: It actually meant I went into the final weekend very relaxed, with absolutely no pressure and I actually think my performances at Brands Hatch were some of the best of my career.

It was actually easier coming into the final weekend behind mentally than it was being in front, but, that said, I’d rather have had a points advantage.

WH: Thankfully, a brand new Renault Clio has arrived for 2020, and so another Clio Cup will take place. Are you still aiming to race in the series come next year?

MC: Not at the moment, for 2020 I want to stay on the TOCA package, continue my endurance racing and hopefully gain some racing in other countries to broaden my profile and appeal to the manufacturers. We will see. The new car looks great and I wish the Renault organisers all the best, they ran a great championship for me over the last 4 years.

WH: Despite racing elsewhere, you will surely be considered as one of the front-runners. Do you view yourself in this way, or is it better to keep calm and remain neutral?

MC: I’m confident that my level of driving is very high. The more you do, the more you learn so I am always getting better. But yes, in a support series to either British GT or BTCC I would feel confident of being a front runner (with the exception of Formula series).

WH: For many, the pinnacle of British motorsport is the BTCC. Is it an aim of yours to get on that coveted grid one day?

MC: Definitely, we are working on that for 2020 so let’s see. It’s where I want to be in the future and the only thing stopping me is having sufficient budget to be on the grid. A season in BTCC costs a 6-figure sum, and it doesn’t start with a 1 so it’s no small amount of money to go and find.

WH: Out of all the various championships running across the world, which is your favourite to watch as a fan of the sport?

MC: I regularly watch the FIA WorldRX, it’s an awesome series and is easy to follow on YouTube in not so long. The action is always there, quick paced and plenty going on.

WH: The UK is blessed to have some truly iconic race circuits, of which many are world famous. Which is your personal favourite to race around?

MC: My favourite UK track is probably Brands Hatch GP, the section out the back is just awesome. You carry lots of speed into blind corners, take lots of kerb and have to be on the edge to be fast. It’s a racing driver’s dream.

~ Many thanks to Max for answering our questions, and wish him well in 2020.