Roberto Colciago was the first driver to take a second win in this year’s TCR International Series. The Italian, who lives a few kilometres from the Autodromo, completed a brilliant performance in a very lively Race 1 at Monza to beat his young teammate Attila Tassi and giving M1RA and the Honda Civic an impressive 1-2 finish. Pepe Oriola, with the Lukoil Craft-Bamboo SEAT León finished third ahead of Jean-Karl Vernay (Leopard Racing Team WRT Volkswagen Golf GTI) who had a relatively quiet race and scored useful points that helped him to maintain the championship lead with a 24-point gap ahead of Colciago.
Ferenc Ficza (Zele Motorsport SEAT León) was classified fifth, beating pole sitter Frédéric Vervisch (Comtoyou Racing Audi RS3 LMS) by inches.
Once again, Monza provided the ingredients for a spectacular race, plenty of duels and contacts that jeopardized the hopes of the likes of Valente, Homola, Comini and Borković. They all were able to salvage some points, something that Morbidelli, van Lagen and Kajaia could not.
Race 2 will take place at 10:50 tomorrow, with the two Lukoil Craft-Bamboo SEAT León cars of Hugo Valente and James Nash on the front row of the top-ten reverse grid.
The race will be streamed live at www.tcr-series.com and www.tcr-series.tv.
Key facts
Start – Vervisch starts well from the pole, but Colciago and Tassi pass him before the first chicane
Lap 1 – Homola and Oriola make contact at the first chicane, involving Comini and Morbidelli; Homola spins and rejoins; Altoè goes out in the gravel at the Curvone following a contact with Valente; Colciago leads from Tassi, Vervisch and Kajaia
Lap 2 – Kajaia touches Vervisch at the first chicane; Vernay goes straight
Lap 3 – Colciago is chased by Tassi, Oriola, Vernay, Nash, van Lagen, Ficza and Valente; Vervisch has dropped to 10th, ahead of Homola; there is contact between Valente and Ficza at the Parabolica
Lap 4 – Ficza and Nash go straight at the chicane; Vervisch makes contact with Valente and cuts the Roggia chicane, gaining two positions
Lap 5 – There is a battle for 6th between Vervisch, Valente, Nash, Borković, Homola, and Morbidelli with plenty of contacts
Lap 6 – At the first chicane, Borkovićhits Morbidelli; Comini overtakes them both for 9th; Homola passes Vervisch and Nash for 6th
Lap 8 – Vervisch, Valente, Borkovićand Morbidelli keep fighting; Colciago has a 4-tenth lead over Tassi who is trailed by Oriola, Vernay and Ficza
Lap 9 – Tassi and Oriola get closer and closer to Colciago, but the Hungarian goes wide at Lesmo 2 handing the second place to Oriola; Corthals and Kajaia retire in the pits
Lap 10 – Tassi attacks Oriola and re-takes the second place at the Roggia; there is contact and a fender is rubbing on a rear tyre of Oriola’s SEAT; Vernay closes the gap from the Spaniard
Lap 11 – Colciago wins ahead of Tassi, Oriola, Vernay, Ficza, Vervisch, Valente, Homola, Comini and Borković
