Taylor wins the TCR Italy title in dramatic season finale at Monza

Canadian driver Nicolas Taylor was crowned TCR Italy champion in a tense and dramatic season finale at Monza, winning Race 1 from pole, while seventh in a red-flagged second race was enough for him to clinch the title on equal points with Ruben Volt, while Nicola Baldan fell out of contention following a technical problem at the start.

Race 1 - Taylor had qualified his PMA Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS on pole in an aborted qualifying, which was first red-flagged when Denis Babuin’s Audi stopped on circuit, and then called early due to fading light. Conditions were very wet, which meant the officials chose to start the race behind the safety car. Taylor led ahead of Damiano Reduzzi, while Salvatore Tavano fought to keep third into the first corner ahead of guest driver Teddy Clairet. Reduzzi ran wide at Lesmo 1, falling behind Tavano, Clairet and Volt, and was soon under attack from Baldan. However, Baldan was struggling for pace and instead of mounting an attack on Reduzzi, he was passed by Alex Ley. Baldan would lose another spot to Junesung Park two laps later, dropping down to eighth where he would finish the race. Taylor held on to win, while Clairet managed to get a draft on Tavano at the Parabolica and steal second at the line by just 36-thousandths of a second. Volt finished fourth, and so the title was now very close between Baldan, Volt, and Taylor.

Race 2 - The start was in damp conditions; Baldan was the best-placed of the title contenders in P3 and just needed to keep his rivals behind, but his title tilt ended before the lights even went out as his Audi slowed on the pit straight with an electrical bug and dropped to the back of the 39-car field. Clairet made a sensational start and launched from P5 into the lead ahead of pole-sitter Michele Imberti. Into the first corner, Tavano and Reduzzi made contact, tapping Volt into a half spin and forced him to cut the chicane. Ley also cut in avoidance, but clipped Reduzzi’s car that in turn spun Park right back into Ley, causing terminal damage to the Briton’s car.

Another drama further down the field saw Sandro Pelatti crash out at the Roggia, with the safety car called to recover the two stricken cars. At the restart, Giacomo Ghermandi, who had made the correct call to start on wet tyres, shot past Volt who was struggling with suspension damage after the first lap contact; the Estonian then dropped behind his teammate Paolo Rocca and title rival Taylor. Clairet was building a big lead from Imberti, who was passed by both Park and Tavano on lap 5. Imberti lost another spot to Ghermandi a lap later, while Babuin passed the ailing Honda of Volt. The safety car was called again as Luciano Martínez crashed out at the Parabolica on lap 6. Racing resumed on lap 9, when Marco Pellegrini made a dive on Volt and cut the chicane, moving up to ninth. Volt was flashing Pellegrini to return the position, but the Italian held station through the Roggia, where their cars made contact. Pellegrini’s Honda crashed into the barriers and caught fire. The race was immediately red-flagged with Clairet confirmed as the winner ahead of Park and Tavano on countback to the results at the end of lap eight. Taylor was classified seventh and Volt ninth, with Baldan recovering only as far as 22nd and outside of the points.

Taylor and Volt therefore finished the season tied on 352 points, which hands the Canadian driver the title for dead heat, with both drivers having won two races this season, but Taylor having had one second place finish to none for Volt.

DSG - In the category, which this weekend raced together with the TCR Italy sequential cars, Matteo Roccadelli notched up another pair of victories at the wheel of his RPM Performance CUPRA, but second place in Race 1 was enough for Aikoa Racing’s Luca Franca to be confirmed as this year’s champion, him too at the wheel of an Audi car.

Monza – Race 1

1. Nicolas Taylor (PMA Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 12 laps
2. Teddy Clairet (Team Clairet Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 1.420
3. Salvatore Tavano (Scuderia Girasole, CUPRA Leon VZ), 1.456

Monza – Race 2

1. Teddy Clairet (Team Clairet Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 8 laps
2. Junesung Park (Solite Indigo Racing, Hyundai Elantra N), 0.486
3. Salvatore Tavano (Scuderia Girasole, CUPRA Leon VZ), 1.280

Championship points

1. N. Taylor, 352 pts; 2. R. Volt, 352; 3. N. Baldan, 344

DSG Championship points

1. L. Franca, 426 pts; 2. L. Verdi, 381; 3. M. Roccadelli, 377

Picture: ACI Sport