Colciago storms to podium in TCR Race 1

Manama : Italian Roberto Colciago (20 minutes 15.241 seconds) driving a Honda Civic Type-R won Race 1 of Round 2 of this season’s TCR International Series support race yesterday at the 2017 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

The winner completed nine laps of the circuit over a distance of 48.462 kms with 16 cars in the starting line-up.

Second place went to France’s Hugo Valente (20:20.743) driving a SEAT Leon TCR  who was 5.502 seconds behind the winner, with the final podium position going to another Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay (+7.637) driving a Volkswagon Golf GTi TCR.

Fourth to sixth placings went to Serbia’s Dusan Borkovic (+8.763) in a Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, followed by Pierre-Yves Corthals (+9.681) of Belgium in a Opel Astra TCR and Pape Oriola ((9.912) driving a SEAT Leon TCR.

The seventh to tenth places went to James Nash (20.26.525) of Britain in a SEAT Leon TCR, followed by Stefano Comini (11.581) of Switzerland in a Audi RS 3 LMS TCR, followed by Gionni Morbidelli (+12.200) of Italy in a Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR, with another Italian Giacomo Altoe (+19.061) in a Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR in tenth.

The fastest lap was by Georgian Davit Kajaia (2:13.635) on the second lap, but he did not finish the race.

Earlier in qualifying, the top six were Mak’o Homola (Slovakia), Corthals, Valente, Colciago, Kajaia and Vernay.

The 10-round series began inGeorgia at the start of this month and after Bahrain goes to Belgium, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Thailand, China and concludes in late November at the Yas Marina Circuit as a support race for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Today race 2 is set to be flagged off at 1pm and is either 10 laps or a 20 minute time limit.