Tavano wins Misano’s Race 1 and retains TCR Italy points lead

With the largest entry ever – 33 cars – the TCR Italy event at Misano resulted in Salvatore Tavano winning the first race in his Scuderia del Girasole CUPRA Leon Competición, while the CRM Motorsport Hyundai i30 N of Michele Imberti took a lights-to-flag win in Race 2.

Saturday’s race start was delayed when the CUPRA of Rubén Fernández and Francesca Raffaele’s Hyundai i30 N collided on the formation lap. When the race eventually got underway, Tavano made a strong start from the pole and led the MM Motorsport Honda Civic Type R of Marco Iannotta, who had started from P4, Matteo Poloni’s BF Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS and Cesare Brusa’s Target Competition Hyundai i30 N.

The hot conditions meant drivers struggled for grip; Mauro Guastamacchia’s Hyundai Elantra N spun and made contact with the CUPRA of Nicola Guida. Raffaele Gurrieri then clashed with the Fiat Tipo of Jonathan Giacon while attempting a passing move, with Giacon forced to limp back to the pits. Tyre issues then saw Carlo Tamburini head into the pits for a tyre change, then Poloni ran wide while attacking Iannotta, allowing Kevin Ceccon’s Aggressive Team Italia Hyundai Elantra N into third place. That’s how it ended, with Tavano winning from Iannotta and Ceccon.

Sunday’s Race 2 saw even more incidents. Imberti started from pole and was first to Turn 1, but the opening lap saw contact between the Audi cars of Victor Fernández and Steven Giacon that brought out the Safety Car. Racing resumed on lap 5 but two laps later the Safety Car was deployed again after a pair of incidents involving Tamburini, Ettore Carminati and Raffaele. When the race restarted on lap 10, a little over ten minutes plus one lap remained on the clock. Felipe Fernández passed Race 1 winner Tavano for P6 and then Iannotta for P5, but Tavano headed into the pits with a mechanical issue. After running as high as ninth place, Ruben Volt was then involved in an incident that left his Honda stranded in a gravel trap with broken steering. Then, at the start of the final lap, Ceccon made a determined bid to pass Niels Langeveld for P2 but he couldn’t quite make the move stick and so he would finish on the bottom step of the podium for the second time over the weekend. Imberti drove a flawless race including two restarts to record a maiden TCR Italy victory. He now lies in fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship, which is led by Tavano with a 19-point lead over Langeveld, with Ceccon in third position a further 26 points adrift.

The championship will resume at Mugello, on 15/17 July.

Misano – Race 1
1. Salvatore Tavano (Scuderia del Girasole, CUPRA Leon Competición), 16 laps
2. Marco Iannotta (MM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R), 1.784
3. Kevin Ceccon (Aggressive Team Italia, Hyundai Elantra N), 2.663

Misano – Race 2
1. Michele Imberti (CRM Motorsport, Hyundai i30 N), 17 laps
2. Niels Langeveld (Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N), 2.142
3. Kevin Ceccon (Aggressive Team Italia, Hyundai Elantra N), 2.442

Championship points
1. S. Tavano 188 pts; 2. N. Langeveld 169; 3. K. Ceccon 143

Picture: ACI Sport