Photo: TCR Italy

Ramiro Zago wins intense Race 2 at Vallelunga

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MM Motorsport driver Ramiro Zago claimed the victory in Race 2 at Vallelunga, host of the second round of the 2026 TCR Italy season.

Hot temperatures welcomed the TCR Italy field, with tyre wear being a concern at a track which is known to be demanding for the tyres.

Sandro Pelatti took the lead at the start from the reversed grid pole position, but Ramiro Zago (Honda) attacked and overtook for the lead during lap one.

Carlo Alberto Bocca (Audi) settled in third place, followed by Petr Cizek (Cupra) and Marco Pellegrini (Honda). Bocca would retire from the race on lap three with a technical issue.

Race 1-winner Michele Imberti (Hyundai) was up to sixth place on lap four from tenth place on the reversed grid.

Imberti managed to overtake Matteo Poloni on lap eight for fifth, with the Audi driver soon coming under pressure from Paolo Rocca (Audi).

Poloni and Rocca had a side-by-side duel that allowed Cupra drivers Raffaele Gurrieri and Nicola Guida to close in on them.

The duel ended as both collided and Rocca spun into the gravel trap with a broken front right suspension, calling the safety car into action.

The race went green again on lap 15, with just enough time on the clock for three racing laps. Zago charged ahead to open a gap in the lead, as Imberti attacked Poloni to overtake for fourth place.

Hyundai driver Imberti made contact with Cizek on the last lap and overtook for third place, but immediately received a five-second time penalty.

Zago won the race ahead of Pelatti, with Cizek completing the podium. Poloni was fouth, ahead of Pellegrini and Gurrieri, with Guida in seventh place.

Imberti’s penalty dropped him to eighth in the end, with Antonio Citera (Hyundai) and Francesco Miotto (Audi) completing the top ten.

“The truth is that I’m very happy, we did a perfect start and then we were set,” Zago said after the victory. “It’s very hot, but we did a good start and then we just had to manage the position from then on.”

Imberti continues leading the drivers’ championship on 165 points, with Zago 28 points behind in second and Poloni 34 point adrift in third.

The next round of the 2026 TCR Italy season is scheduled for June 19-21 at Monza.