Danny Kroes given penalty for Race 2 contact with Attila Tassi

Danny Kroes has lost his third-place finish in Race 2 at Zandvoort in TCR Europe, after the Dutchman was given a time penalty which dropped him to fourth behind the KCMG Honda of Attila Tassi.

Kroes was defending third position on the final lap from Tassi, but Tassi had a run around the outside at Schievlak and overtook the Cupra driver, but Kroes dived to the inside and edged the Hungarian out wide and onto the grass, allowing him to retake the position.

Kroes had started from pole position, but fell behind the other KCMG Honda of Josh Files at the start, and was then overtaken by the WRT Audi of Jaap van Lagen on lap eight.

“The fights were amazing with van Lagen, and especially with Tassi on the last lap, it was like my old days of karting, door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper, it was crazy,” said Kroes to TouringCarTimes.

“I was defending and then van Lagen drove in my back and I lost my rear. I was keeping with him hoping his tyres would fade later in the race, and then Tassi came, they have a lot of experience and I don’t.

“I tried everything to keep him behind, he drove in my rear and came past me, but I went to the inside of him and pushed him wide.”

Tassi was upset with Kroes for the move, calling it an unfair pass.

“I had already overtaken him and he decided to just hit me in the back really hard, my visor came down in the car it was that hard,” said Tassi. “After that he was on the inside and was pushing me off the circuit, which is not how we race.

“I’m sure that was not fair and we’ve gone to the stewards. I know that I should be on the podium and not him.”