Teddy Clairet wins Misano finale to claim points lead
Teddy Clairet won the final TCR Europe race of the weekend at Misano to head the standings and become the first double race winner of the season.
The Audi driver started from the reversed grid pole position and headed the field from lights to flag after a strong start.
MM Motorsport driver Marco Butti made his way past rival Honda driver Felipe Fernandez on lap two for third place.
The safety car was called into action on lap three as Audi driver Filippo Barberi went off into the gravel.
The race resumed after just one lap and then disaster struck Barberi’s Aikoa Racing team-mate Nicola Baldan who also stopped to retire from the race.
There were no major changes in the field as the race progressed, although the top four cars remained close in the form of Teddy Clairet, Eric Gené, Butti and Felipe Fernández.
Race 1 winner Ruben Volt struggled to climb the order from tenth place on the reversed grid, going off on the very last lap which dropped him from the top ten to finish 13th.
Clairet won the race by a margin of eight tenths over Gene while Butti claimed the final podium spot.
Felipe Fernández came home in fourth ahead of Monlau Motorsport driver Jenson Brickley in fifth, Jacopo Cimenes in sixth and Hyundai driver Junesung Park in seventh.
Viktor Andersson (Lynk & Co), Santiago Conception and Junui Park rounded off the top ten.
As the TCR Europe field heads into the summer break, Teddy Clairet has taken over the points lead from brother Jimmy Clairet, who retired from this race, with a margin of 14 points. Gené is third a further four points adrift.
The next race takes place at the Red Bull Ring on September 5-7.
