Rocca and Park win at Mugello, while Baldan takes the lead

TCR Italy’s event at Mugello crowned two new race winners in Paolo Rocca and Junesung Park. In Race 1, Rocca took a lights-to-flag win, resisting the pressure from Nicola Baldan. Park converted the reversed pole into victory in Race 2, with Baldan second once again. Two podium results meant that Baldan took the lead in the standings, three points ahead of the previous leader Salvatore Tavano who struggled with the pace throughout the weekend. Rocca’s teammate Ruben Volt had moved up to second in the points after finishing third in Race 1, but retired in Race 2 and dropped to fourth behind Nicolas Taylor.   

In the DSG championship, Federico Scionti (Event e Service, CUPRA) made a winning debut in the series taking a double victory; Luca Franca (Aikoa Racing, Audi) finished second and third in the races and moved on top of the standings.

Race 1 – Hwarang Kim and Rocca shared the front row after they had posted identical laps of 1:56.198 in qualifying, while the points leader Tavano ranked a disappointing 19^th. At the start, Rocca led the field while Volt jumped ahead of Kim; in the middle of the pack there was a clash between Denis Babuin and Gabriele Covini, while a collision eliminated Levente Losonczy, Michele Imberti and Damiano Reduzzi. The safety car was deployed, and racing resumed in lap 3, with Baldan overtaking Kim for third; immediately behind Taylor was hit and sent off by Junui Park, which resulted in another safety car intervention. At the restart in lap 6, Rocca, Volt, Baldan and Kim retained the first four places, while Matteo Poloni passed Junesung Park for fifth, but the Korean driver retook the position one lap later. During the penultimate lap Poloni crashed from P6 after he was pushed by Alex Ley. The front positions did not change, with Rocca claiming his maiden win from Volt, Baldan, Kim and Park. Volt received a 5-second penalty for a track-limit infringements at the start and dropped to third behind Baldan, while Ley and Junui Park were sanctioned by 25 seconds for the incidents with Poloni and Taylor. Ley was demoted from sixth to 15^th and Park from 10^th to 17^th, which promoted Tavano to ninth.

Race 2 – Junesung Park had the pole on the reversed grid and led at the start from Baldan who kept Taylor at bay; during the first lap a pile up eliminated Covini, Ley and Reduzzi, while Volt, Filippo Barberi, Cosimo Barberini and Junui Park pitted for repairs. The race restarted in lap 4, with Park leading from Baldan, Taylor and Losonczy, while Volt went off and the safety car was deployed again. The green flag was waved in lap 8, Pietro Alessi and Kim made contact while fighting for P5, with the Korean driver dropping behind Poloni. Up front, Park held on to the lead and won ahead of Baldan, with Taylor successfully defending P3 from Losonczy, while Poloni passed Alessi to finish fifth.

DSG – In Race 1, Scionti followed the quartet of Luca Verdi (Planet Motorsport, Audi), Franca, Matteo Roccadelli (RPM Performance, CUPRA) and points leader Alessandro Alcidi (Tuder Motorsport, VW). Scionti passed all his competitors to take the lead and pulled away. Franca overtook Verdi for second while Alcidi retired with a broken radiator. Andrea Palazzo (RC Motorsport, Audi) had the pole for Race 2, but started from the pits due to a technical issue; Mattia Lancellotti (Pro Race, CUPRA) led the at the start from P2 on the grid. Roccadelli and Scionti battled for second and closed in on Lancellotti who had tyre troubles. In lap 8, Roccadelli and Scionti moved up into first and second; they kept on fighting until Scionti took the lead on the last lap, while Franca overtook Lancellotti for third.

The two championships will be back in action at Imola, 6/8 September.

Mugello – Race 1

1. Paolo Rocca (ALM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 13 laps
2. Nicola Baldan (Aikoa Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS), 4.395
3. Ruben Volt (ALM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 5.932

Mugello – Race 2

1. Junesung Park (Indigo Racing, Hyundai Elantra N), 11 laps
2. Nicola Baldan (Aikoa Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS), 1.581
3. Nicolas Taylor (PMA Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 2.299

Championship points

1. N. Baldan, 175 pts; 2. S. Tavano, 172; 3. N. Taylor, 157.

DSG Championship points

1. L. Franca, 222 pts; 2. A. Alcidi, 181; 3. L. Verdi, 175.

Picture: ACI Sport