Comini Wins After a Close but Fair Fight with Colciago
Rounds 7 & 8 – 4 Hours of Monza – 12 / 14 May 2017
RACE 2 REPORT
Comini wins after a close but fair fight with Colciago
Only eighteen points cover the top three in the standings
Stefano Comini won his second race of the year in a breathtaking Race 2 at Monza. The reigning double champion of TCR International clinched the win in his Comtoyou Racing Audi RS3 LMS at the end of a thrilling battle. Comini made a great start, managing to take the lead on the first lap, but could never build a substantial gap. In the final part of the race, he had to defend himself from the attacks of Roberto Colciago. The winner of yesterday’s Race 1, at the wheel of the M1RA Honda Civic, made a stunning charge through the field, climbing from ninth on the grid up to P2. He even managed to pass Comini on the penultimate lap, but the Swiss responded immediately afterwards and then was able to defend P1 until the chequered flag. With the first 11 cars finishing within 4 seconds, it was a typical, exciting and close Touring Car race at Monza, with plenty of action and duels. Frédéric Vervisch took third with the second Audi RS3 LMS, completing the excellent day for Comtoyou Racing, preceding the Lukoil Craft-Bamboo SEAT León of James Nash and the Leopard Racing Team WRT Volkswagen Golf GTI of Jean-Karl Vernay.
The Frenchman still leads the standings with 113 points, but Colciago and Comini are now only 16 and 18 points behind respectively. The title fight is just starting to heat up!
The series will resume in Austria, at the Salzburgring, on June 10 / 11 for rounds 9 and 10.
Key facts
Grid – The engine on Van Lagen’s car was changed after Race 1, which demoted the Dutchman to the back of the grid
Start – Comini makes an excellent start from row 2, overtaking Valente, who comes off the worst in a first chicane incident with Vernay and Oriola; Tassi is also pushed into a spin and collects Borkovi ć, who retires
Lap 1 – Comini leads from Nash, Vernay, Oriola, Homola, Colciago and Vervisch
Lap 2 – Homola and Oriola fight for fourth
Lap 3 – Vervisch and Colciago move up to fifth and sixth overtaking Homola; Colciago overtakes Vervisch for fifth
Lap 4 – Colciago passes Oriola for fourth
Lap 5 – Vervisch passes Oriola for fifth
Lap 6 – Colciago passes Vernay for third at Lesmo 1; Comini manages to build a small margin
Lap 7 – Vervisch and Vernay are fighting for fourth; the Belgian passes at La Roggia, while Homola passes Oriola for sixth at the same spot; Colciago takes second from Nash; Kajaia takes seventh from Oriola
Lap 8 – Tassi passes van Lagen for 11th; there is a contact at the braking point of the first chicane, Morbidelli spins and Altoè cuts straight; Paulsen pits with a steering wheel issue
Lap 9 – Colciago completely cuts Comini’s advantage and sticks to the Audi’s rear bumper
Lap 10 – The first seven cars are covered by 1.5 seconds; Colciago takes the lead by passing Comini from the outside at the first chicane, with Vervisch doing the same with Nash for third; at the braking for La Roggia, Comini retakes the lead
Lap 11 – Vernay cuts the first chicane but retakes his previous position; Colciago makes a last attempt at the braking point before the Parabolica, but Comini keeps the inside line and wins by 0.170 second. Third is Vervisch, ahead of Nash, Vernay, Homola, Kajaia, Oriola, Tassi and Ficza, with Van Lagen 11th; all those within 4 seconds!
Colciago gets grid penalty for the next race
Roberto Colciago will be dropped five places on the starting grid for the first race at the Salzburgring.
The Stewards deemed that the Italian driver caused an incident on lap four of today’s Race 2 at Monza. In the collision, Frédéric Vervisch was pushed into the back of Mat’o Homola’s car and then straight-cut the Ascari chicane.
No further action were taken after the other investigation on the first lap incident at the first chicane that involved Jean-Karl Vernay, Pepe Oriola, and Vervisch.
Quotes from Race 2 podium finishers
Stefano Comini (1st): “Yesterday was really a bad day for me; Valente hit me and accelerated to make me spin, but today was great. It was a funny first lap but I knew with the Success Ballast I had to get into the lead as soon as possible. It was difficult to keep the position, but it was fun. The solution to the brake problem was to get into the lead, so more cool air goes into the brakes. Yesterday was really dangerous, and in the last three laps today I had to use all my strength to brake because the car wasn’t slowing down.”
Roberto Colciago (2nd): “I was impressed with Stefano today because he was really fast; I was in the slipstream but I couldn’t stay with him. My Honda was perfect in every single corner and this was the maximum I could do today. I don’t even want to think about Spa, which is the worst circuit to have ballast, and it’s why I was so impressed by Stefano today. He doesn’t live very far from me, so both of us wanted to win in Monza this weekend – it’s very special to win here. I tried my best to overtake him but it was impossible.”
Frédéric Vervisch (3rd): “Congratulations to Stefano, who did an amazing job, and I think the job from the whole team was really great. We’ve had the pace from the beginning and it was disappointing in Spa that I didn’t have the pace in the race. Yesterday was a bit ‘stock car’ but I’m very happy today and the next step is to go for victory. Apart from the result, all the races have been great fun; the category is like karting! I still have to get used to it but the Audi is a great car and so I hope the next time I will be where my mate is.”
2017 TCR International Series – calendar
2 April – Rustavi International Motorpark, Georgia
16 April – Bahrain International Circuit (F1 event)
6 May – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (WEC event)
14 May – Autodromo di Monza, Italy (ELMS event)
11 June – Salzburgring, Austria
2 July – Hungaroring, Hungary
9 July – Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Germany (with ADAC TCR Germany)
3 September – Chang International Circuit, Buriram (with TCR Thailand)
8 October – Zhejiang International Circuit, China (with TCR Asia & TCR China)
26 November – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (F1 event)
Sources: TCR International Series PR