Photo: TCR Media

Ferenc Ficza takes home win in incident strewn race one

Ferenc Ficza won the first round of the the 2015 FIA European Touring Car Cup at his home circuit at the Hungaroring, passing Georgia’s Davit Kajaia on the final lap as the Engstler Motorsport driver made an unforced error, while pole-sitter Dusan Borkovic fought back from a drive-through penalty to claim fifth position.

The start of the race was high on contact, with Borkovic dropping down to third behind the SEATs of Petr Fulín and Mat’o Homola into Turn 1 at the rolling start. Borkovic was able to get back ahead of Homola within a few corners and set about fighting the Krenek SEAT of Petr Fulín for the lead. The two made side-by-side contact at the final corner, with Fulín receiving a warning for seemingly deliberately turning in on the Serbian by the stewards.

Borkovic then made contact with the rear of Fulín’s car into Turn 1 at the start of lap two, knocking Fulín wide with Homola passing the pair of them to take the lead. Homola was being fought hard by Borkovic for the remainder of the lap, with the two racing side-by-side through several corners, but on lap three Borkovic hit Homola down the inside into Turn 2, knocking the Slovakian into the tyre barriers and finally incurred the wrath of the stewards, who handed him a drive-through penalty.

After the penalty was served, it was now Davit Kajaia who was in the lead in the TC2T class Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC, with Kajaia looking set to take a shock win for the older generation car as he held a safe gap to Hungary’s Ferenc Ficza throughout the remainder of the race. However, a mistake on the final lap saw him slide wide and let Ficza through to claim the overall victory, though Kajaia still won in the TC2T class with his closest competitor, Aytac Biter, down in ninth.

Borkovic put on a sterling fight back from down the order to drive all the way to fifth place and finish in the points, also earning himself fourth for the reversed grid for the second race.

Michal Matejovsky crossed the line eighth, securing the win in the TC2 class but also grabbing pole position for race two which follows imminently.