Viktor Davidovski claims his maiden win in TCR Europe

After Tom Coronel’s lights-to-flag victory in TCR Europe’s Race 1 at Circuit Paul Ricard yesterday, his Comtoyou Racing teammate Viktor Davidovski repeated the feat today in Race 2. Klim Gavrilov finished second in a Volcano Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición while the Brutal Fish Racing Honda Civic Type R of Pepe Oriola completed the podium.

Starting from the pole, Davidovski was first into Turn 1, while Gavrilov passed Oriola for P2. The opening lap was quite frantic, with Franco Girolami passing Isidro Callejas for P4, Josh Files passing John Filippi for P6 and then closing up on Callejas and Coronel passing Filippi to move up another place after starting from ninth on the grid. Mike Halder and Jack Young started from the back of the grid following engine changes in their Honda Civic cars.

Coronel moved up into sixth when he passed Files who headed into the pits with blue smoke streaming from the front of the car; the Target Competition mechanics soon had the Elantra on its way again one lap behind.

Coronel continued his charge by passing Callejas for P5. There were two distinct battles going on; Gavrilov was steadily catching Davidovski while Oriola, Girolami and Coronel were fighting for the remaining podium place.

On Lap 8, Coronel passed Girolami and began to reel in Oriola, while Filippi was finally able to pass Callejas for P6. On the final lap, Oriola squeezed out Coronel as the pair headed through the chicane and the Dutch driver had no option other than to cut the corner. It meant he moved into P3, but then Coronel gave the position back to Oriola. In doing so, however, Girolami also passed his teammate and so Coronel had to settle for fifth place.

The victory firmly belonged to Davidovski who drove faultlessly throughout the ten-lap race to hold off a determined challenge from Gavrilov. 

In the Drivers’ championship standings, Girolami has a thirteen-point advantage over Coronel with Gavrilov in third place, a further eleven points behind.

The next event will be at Spa-Francorchamps on June 17/19.

Le Castellet – Race 2
1. Viktor Davidovski (Comtoyou Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 10 laps
2. Klim Gavrilov (Volcano Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición), 0.502
3. Pepe Oriola (Brutal Fish Racing Team, Honda Civic Type R FK7), 2.407

Championship points
1. F. Girolami 133 pts; 2. T. Coronel 120; K. Gavrilov 109

Picture: TCR Europe