Photo: TCR Italy

Denis Babuin claims first TCR Italy pole of 2022 at Monza

Audi driver Denis Babuin claimed the first pole position of the 2022 TCR Italy season for team Planet Rally/Bolza Corse at a very wet Monza track.

Babuin set a best lap time of 1:57.983 in a session with constant improvements and without major incident, despite the conditions.

Niels Langeveld, driving a Hyundai Elantra TCR for Target Competition, pulled a last lap effort to climb to second place, just 0.056 seconds behind Babuin.

MM Motorsport driver Carlo Tamburini (Honda Civic Type R TCR) was third, 0.094 seconds off the pace, with Kevin Ceccon, driving the second Elantra for Target Competition, right behind, 0.161 seconds adrift.

Salvatore Tavano was fastest of the Cupra Leon Competición drivers for Scuderia del Girasole to qualify in fifth position, 0.262 seconds behind Babuin, with series newcomer Jack Young (Honda) in sixth position, just a further three-thousandths behind.

SP Compétition’s Sylvain Pussier (Cupra) was seventh, 0.323 seconds off the pace, followed by Marco Iannotta (Honda) eight-tenths behind Babuin.

ALM Motorsport drivers Ruben Volt and Mattias Vahtel completed the top ten with their respective Honda Civic Type R TCRs, with the latter 0.818 seconds off the pace.

Race 1 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 14:55 CEST.