Photo: Jacques Letihon Photographe

Tiago Monteiro wins Race 1 at Spa-Francorchamps

By

World Touring Car Championship front-runner Tiago Monteiro won the first of four races at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the first round of the TCR Benelux series, winning the race in his Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda Civic TCR by 3.5 seconds ahead of Guillaume Mondron’s SEAT León TCR.

The Portuguese driver started fourth on the grid courtesy of the fastest laps set in the one-hour qualifying race on Saturday, and worked his way into the lead in Race 1, which along with Race 2, is reserved for the second nominated driver in each car, with team-mate Stéphane Lémeret due to take over for this afternoon’s races.

Mondron finished second with his Delahaye Racing team-mate Romain de Leval completing the podium positions, albeit in a different car, running the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR.

Milo Racing’s Kevin Balthazar finished fourth in the Golf GTI TCR, with Vincent Radermecker finishing fifth in the Ferry Monster Autosport SEAT León TCR.

Team WRT’s Sam Dejonghe was initially classified in second in the RACB National Team SEAT León TCR, but was dropped to tenth courtesy of a 30-second time penalty.

12 cars finished the race from the 13 starters, with the only car not to finish being the only Opel Astra in the race, with the DG Sport entry of Frédéric Caprasse retiring on lap two.

Race 2 follows immediately after Race 1.