Photo: EUROV8 Media

Nicola Baldan takes maiden EUROV8 win at Mugello

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Roma Racing Team driver Nicola Baldan won the first race at Mugello in his Mercedes C63 AMG Coupé. The Italian had to fend off Max Mugelli’s BMW as Domenico Schiattarella completed the podium in his Chevrolet Lumina.

Baldan took the lead at the start ahead pole-sitter Mugelli and his BMW Team Dinamic team-mate Maurizio Copetti. At the end of the first lap, Schiattarella was up to third, with Copetti down to fourth ahead of Diego Romanini’s CAAL Racing Mercedes, Audi driver Tomas Kostka, Niccolò Mercatali’s BMW and Davide Stancheris in his Audi RS 5.

After four laps, former ETCC driver Romanini made full use of the power advantage granted by his Mercedes and overtook Copetti, who later made contact with Stancheris as they fought for fifth. The BMW driver later had a spin which relegated him to eighth and had to start making up for the ground that he had lost.

Meanwhile both Audis launched themselves all over the back of Romanini but were not able to pass. An entertaining and fair fight between the RS 5s ended when Stancheris pulled out with a mechanical problem, soon followed by team-mate Ermanno Dionisio.

Baldan still led over a charging Mugelli, with Schiattarella a lonely third ahead of Romanini, Kostka, Copetti and Mercatali. The two BMWs switched positions several times before Copetti finally made it through Kostka to take fifth.

Nothing else changed to the flag, with Baldan taking his first win in the series after a good defensive drive against Mugelli, who still came a very strong second in his home race. Schiattarella had another podium in his Chevrolet Lumina, with Romanini a nice fourth ahead of Copetti’s BMW. Kostka had to settle for sixth ahead of Mercatali’s BMW and Leonardo Baccarelli’s Mercedes, with Gianni Giudici and Domiziano Giacon rounding up the top ten.

Championship leader Francesco Sini retired from the race with a mechanical problem after starting tenth, and will start from the back of the grid from the second race, assuming the problem can be resolved.

CAAL Racing’s Leonardo Baccarelli will start from pole thanks to the reverse grid, sharing the front row with the BMW of Niccolo Mercatali. Race 2 is scheduled for 15:15 CET.