Photo: TCR Series

Attila Tassi takes his first win ahead of Norbert Michelisz at home in Hungary

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18-year-old Hungarian Attila Tassi has scored his first win in the TCR International Series, leading team-mate Norbert Michelisz to the finish, while the third Honda of Roberto Colciago takes the lead of the championship.

Tassi launched from third on the grid into the lead ahead of pole-sitter Michelisz, who dutifully tucked in behind his team-mate, with Team WRT’s Jean-Karl Vernay dropping one spot to third.

Dusan Borkovic was the first key retirement of the race, with the Serbian’s Alfa Romeo pitting at the end of lap two, while Rob Huff was soon out of the race as well, with the Team WRT Volkswagen driver pulling over to retire on the third lap while running in sixth with a technical issue.

This promoted the two Craft-Bamboo SEATs behind of Dan Lloyd and James Nash, with Lloyd closing up to join team-mate Pepe Oriola, who was then involved in a race-long battle with the Honda of Roberto Colciago for fourth.

There were few moves up front, but carving through the field from the back of the grid was Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch in the Audi, and the DG Opel of Mat’o Homola, with the two drivers just outside of the points by half-distance.

It wasn’t to be for Vervisch however, with the Belgian stopping on lap eight at Turn 4 to retire, leaving Homola to close down the Alfa of Davit Kajaia and battle for tenth.

The Slovakian, who’d qualified in fourth before being excluded due to a technical issue, made his move at Turn 2 on lap 12, grabbing the final points paying position from the Georgian.

Roberto Colciago now takes the lead of the championship on 135 points, with Jean-Karl Vernay now up to second, while Attila Tassi moves ahead of former championship leader Stefano Comini, with the Swiss driver not scoring in 12th, dropping to fourth, just ten points behind Colciago.

Five drivers are under investigation for multiple track limits infringements however, including Craft-Bamboo’s Pepe Oriola, DG Sport’s Grégoire Demoustier, GE-Force’s Davit Kajaia, Reno Racing’s Jens Moller and new points leader Roberto Colciago.

Race 2 is scheduled for 13:00 CET, with Jens Moller starting from pole position in his Honda Civic.