Audi beats CUPRA 2-1 in TCR México’s season opener
TCR México’s 2025 season kicked off at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez within the frame of the Copa NotiAuto, with the RE Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS and the Centur Silen Racing CUPRA Leon VZ sharing the honours.
After setting the pole position, Gerardo ‘Grillo’ Nieto drove the Audi to a pair of comfortable wins in Friday’s Race 1 and then in Saturday morning’s Race 2, while Saturday afternoon Pablo Cervantes and his CUPRA emerged victorious in the third race after a thrilling fight with Nieto’s co-driver Pablo Pérez de Lara.
Race 1 – Nieto started from the pole and cruised to an easy win, as all the three CUPRA cars of the Rejón brothers and Cervantes were sidelined before the start by technical issues.
Race 2 – Nieto led at the start ahead of Rodrigo Rejón and Nieto’s co-driver Juan Pablo Sierra, while Julio Rejón stalled at the start and dropped behind the slower cars of the ST class. Once again, the ProRally Mothers CUPRA cars were plagued by technical issues: Rodrigo Rejón retired into the pits at the end of the first lap, while his brother Julio who had recovered to third stopped on the track one lap later. Nieto resisted the pressure from Sierra during the final few laps and claimed his second win by 1.2 seconds.
Race 3 – Pérez de Lara replaced Nieto in the Audi and Cervantes retook the wheel in the Centur Silen CUPRA, while both the Rejón brothers’ cars remained in the garage. At the start, too much wheelspin for the Audi meant that Cervantes led the field; however, Pérez de Lara overtook him during the first lap. Cervantes did not lose contact and in lap 9 began to put pressure on the leader. The pair ran abreast for a couple of laps, with Pérez de Lara rejecting several attacks until Cervantes found a gap and moved ahead in lap 12. With seven minutes to go, the safety car was deployed when a ST car hit a wall, then the green flag was waved for a last lap. Cervantes kept the charging Pérez de Lara at bay and won by half a second.
Championship points
- G. Nieto/P. Pérez de Lara, 299 pts; 3. P. Cervantes/J.P. Sierra, 193
Picture: Copa NotiAuto México
