Stefano Comini took his third win of the season in a lively Race 2 at Sochi and jumped back on the top of the overall standings. The Swiss driver of Target Competition built his success from the beginning, with a great start that put him in P2 behind Mikhail Grachev, the surprising initial leader after a superb start. Comini took then the lead in lap 4, being only mildly threatened by Pepe Oriola in the last laps. The Spaniard, with another valuable second, was the other great star of the weekend and now lies second in the standings only two points behind Comini.
Mikhail Grachev took a very well-deserved first podium of the season on home soil, after a weekend where he performed beautifully, being also the best of local heroes. Sergey Afanasyev and Jordi Gené finished fourth and fifth, ahead of the first Honda driven by Kevin Gleason.
It was a black day for Gianni Morbidelli who arrived in Russia as the point leader and leaves Sochi third in the Drivers’ Championship, 13 points adrift. The Italian could not even take part in Race 2, as the turbo of his Civic broke in the last lap of Race 1 and couldn’t be replaced in time despite the efforts of West Coast Racing’s crews.
Key moments
Grid – Both Engström and Morbidelli are at the bottom of the grid because of technical interventions: change of radiator on the SEAT and of turbo on the Honda
Start – Full sunshine is back for Race 2, with Comini getting abreast with Gleason and Nykjær but Grachev pips everybody from the outside on turn 2 and takes the lead; Morbidelli is still in the pit lane, his crew working on the car
Lap 1 – Grachev leads ahead of Comini, Afanasyev, Gleason, Belicchi, Oriola and Gené
Lap 2 – Afanasyev gets slightly sideways and is passed by Gleason, Belicchi and Oriola; Nykjær drops to the very back following a contact with Engström
Lap 3 – Morbidelli gets out of the car; Belicchi and Oriola pass Gleason for 3rd and 4th
Lap 4 – Comini is chasing Grachev; Gleason is attacked by, who has passed Afanasyev
Lap 6 – Comini passes Grachev at turn 2 and takes the lead; Belicchi also tries to attack the Russian and the two collide in the last corner, with Belicchi spinning and hitting the wall
Lap 7 – Oriola is second behind Comini and is followed by Grachev and Afanasyev, who has passed Gené
Lap 8 – Oriola starts chasing Comini, with Grachev a stable third and the rest of the group further aback
Lap 10 – Oriola gets close to Comini but doesn’t seem in a position to attack him
Lap 11 – Comini takes his third success of the year ahead of Oriola, Grachev, Afanasyev, Gené and Gleason
