Photo: TCR Italy

Nicolas Taylor wins action packed Race 2 at Mugello

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Nicolas Taylor of PMA Motorsport claimed the victory in Race 2 at Mugello, host of round five of the 2025 TCR Italy season, in a high-pace race with fights for the leading positions right up to the chequered flag.

Matteo Poloni (Audi) recovered from his Race 1 crash on Saturday to take the reverse grid pole position. The race started behind the safety car as the track was damped due to persistent rainfall all night.

The race went green on lap three, with Poloni charging ahead as Michal Bartoszuk (Honda) defended from the Audis of Taylor and Nicola Baldan.

Cosimo Barberini (Cupra) attacked Alex Ley (Hyundai) on lap five for sixth position. The Cupra driver would receive a warning for driving standards after elbows came out with the Hyundais of Michele Imberti and Damiano Reduzzi, who overtook Barberini on lap six.

Taylor overtook Bartoszuk for second place at Turn 1 on lap eight, charging to attack Poloni for the lead. The Canadian couldn’t overtake the Italian, with Bartoszuk looking for a way past Taylor instead on lap ten.

The fight among the top three allowed Baldan to make contact with the group, taking Gabriele Covini (Hyundai), Ley and Imberti with him.

Taylor attacked Poloni at Turn 1 on lap 13, making contact with the Italian driver and claimed the lead. Bartoszuk also fancied his chances on Poloni but ended up overtaken by Baldan for third place instead.

Taylor stretched the gap to just over two seconds as the chequered flag fell, with Poloni and Baldan completing the podium.

Bartoszuk suffered what seemed to be a transmission issue on the last lap and lost ground, being passed by Ley, Imberti and Covini. The Polish driver finished seventh at the end.

Barberini crossed the finishing line in eighth place, with Reduzzi and Sandro Pelatti (Audi) completing the top ten.

“Yesterday we had some problems with the car but we managed to get it in shape for today,” said Taylor after the race. “It was complicated because the track was wet at the start of the race and we started behind the safety car, but we managed to progress and make an important step for the championship.”

Baldan leads the championship with 365 points, just three ahead of Taylor and 80 over Poloni.

The sixth and final round of the 2025 TCR Italy season takes place at Misano on October 10-12.