Girolami and Volt share wins, as Comte takes a one-point lead
The third event of TCR Europe at the Salzburgring delivered two action-packed races that were won by Franco Girolami’s Monlau Motorsport CUPRA Leon VZ and Ruben Volt’s ALM Motorsport Honda Civic Type R FL5.
In Race 1, Girolami was victorious after a thrilling battle with Ignacio Montenegro, while Volt won the second race leading his teammate Levente Losonczy in the second 1-2 finish of the season for the Estonian outfit.
Aurélien Comte, who had arrived to Austria on top of the standings on equal points with Girolami, finished fourth and fifth in today’s races and is now a lone leader, one point clear of the Argentine.
Race 1 – After a day of rain, the circuit was still wet and slowly drying, with the bulk of the field opting for wet tyres; only Nicola Baldan and Sandro Soubek risked slicks. Girolami got away well from the pole ahead of Montenegro, while Volt had a rocket start from the fifth row and up to third. Viktor Andersson was sent into a slide at T1 after a touch with Santiago Concepción and fell to the back. On lap 3, Soubek slid off into the barriers, causing the deployment of the safety car. After the race resumed, Comte made a move past Felipe Fernández to take fourth on lap 9. The race erupted on lap 10; Montenegro took the lead into T9, but at the chicane Girolami moved back ahead before touching the gravel. Girolami rejoined behind Montenegro but retook the lead at T5 and held on to win, while Comte attempted to snatch third from Volt on the last lap but to no success.
Race 2 – Giovanni Scamardi started from pole and Volt was challenging him from second on the grid; Scamardi cut the chicane, rejoining ahead of Volt before relinquishing the lead to him before T9. Rubén Fernández had held on to third, but he was passed by Losonczy on lap 2. Comte was fifth behind Fernández, with Girolami having already moved up from tenth to sixth. On lap 4, Losonczy nudged the tyre stack at T1, while Comte and Girolami made minor contact, with Girolami cutting the chicane and rejoining behind his rival. On lap 6, Losonczy moved up to second ahead of Scamardi, while Rubén Fernández made an error and fell behind both Comte and Girolami. A few corners later, Fernández crashed at T4, and the race was red-flagged. It resumed on lap 11, with Girolami back on the offensive for fourth place with Comte who was able to keep the position. One lap later, Girolami dived down the inside of Comte into the chicane but lost control and hit the barriers, dropping to last. Comte then put a move on teammate Scamardi with two laps to go at T10 to grab the final podium spot, while the Belgian lost one more place to Montenegro on the final lap.
TCR Europe will resume at Spa-Francorchamps, on July 5/6.
Salzburgring – Race 1
- Franco Girolami (Monlau Motorsport, CUPRA Leon VZ), 15 laps
- Ignacio Montenegro (ALM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 1.958
- Ruben Volt (ALM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 4.178
Salzburgring – Race 2
- Ruben Volt (ALM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 15 laps
- Levente Losonczy (ALM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 0.712
- Aurélien Comte (SP Compétition, CUPRA Leon VZ), 3.147
Championship points
- A. Comte, 206 pts; 2. F. Girolami, 205; 3. I. Montenegro, 169
Picture: TCR Europe
