Nicolas Baert given three-place grid penalty following Race 1 incident

Comtoyou Racing’s Nicolas Baert has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the second TCR Europe series race at Spa-Francorchamps after his Race 1 clash with Jessica Bäckman.

The Audi RS 3 LMS driver’s race ended along with Bäckman’s on the opening lap of the race following contact between the pair exiting the Les Combes chicane.

Bäckman had taken a tighter line coming out of the corner, looking for the switchback into Malmedy, but Baert moved across on the Target Competition driver, forcing Bäckman into the tyre barriers and Baert into the gravel.

The stewards decided that Baert was at fault and as a result, the Belgian will drop three places on the grid from 13th to 16th for Race 2.