Pedro Cardoso wins intense battle at Termas de Río Hondo

Peugeot driver Pedro Cardoso won the first race of the weekend at Termas de Río Hondo, host of the fourth round of the 2025 TCR South America season, after an intense battle with Honda’s Nelson Piquet Jr.

Clear but very cold conditions welcomed the TCR South America field, with just six degrees Celcius air temperature at the start of the race.

Cupra driver Fabricio Pezzini came into the pit lane at the end of the formation lap with technical issues.

At the start, both pole sitter Piquet Jr. and his team-mate Leonel Pernía made a slow launch, with Cardoso taking the lead ahead of the Brazilian driver and Pernía falling to ninth place.

The troubles at the start favoured Honda driver Tiago Pernía, who started from the back of the grid after an engine change, and climbed up to sixth position after the opening lap.

Piquet Jr. managed to overtake Cardoso for the lead on lap three, but ran wide and Cardoso regained the lead.

Further back, Lynk & Co driver Fabián Yannantuoni fended off third place against the attacks from Raphael Reis (Cupra) and Juan Ángel Rosso (Lynk & Co).

Leonel Pernía recovered ground, climbing up to seventh place by the third lap, putting on the pressure on his son Tiago. Both closed the gap to Rosso who suffered an issue on lap five, falling down the order and later retired to the pits.

Reis overtook Yannantuoni for third place on lap six.

The two leaders continued their battle with side-by-side fighting, overtakes and contact, with Piquet Jr. forced to go wide on lap eighth. The intense battle allowed Reis and his pursuing group to make contact with the leaders on lap nine. Leonel Pernía overtook his son Tiago for fifth position on the same lap.

Cardoso won the race at the chequered flag, with Piquet Jr. and Yannantuoni completing the podium as Reis had a problem on the last lap and dropped down the order. Leonel, Tiago and Mariano Pernía came next in positions four, five and six.

Peugeot driver Genaro Rasetto was seventh, followed by his team-mate Luís Ramírez, with Exequiel Bastidas (Toyota) and Enzo Gianfratti (Honda) completing the top ten.

“It was a sensational race, it was clear that the Honda was quicker than us,” said Cardoso after the race. “But I have to thank my team that they gave me a car that allowed me to stay ahead.”

After the first race at Termas de Río Hondo, Leonel Pernía leads the championship with 253 points, 29 ahead of Cardoso and 91 over Piquet Jr.

Race 2 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 12:00 local time, 17:00 CEST.