De inschrijvingslijst voor TCR International Series 2017 is compleet:
no16 Davit Kajaia - GE-Force (GEO) - Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
no65 Dušan Borković - GE-Force Dušan Borković - Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
no15 Abkhazava - GE-Force - Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
Romeo Ferraris is er met de eigen inspanningen (geen fabriekssteun) in geslaagd twee top tien rijders te strikken die de Giulietta in het nieuwe GE-Force team uit Georgie gaan vullen. Vooral Dusan Borkovic is een snelle rijder en Kajaia leert snel en beiden dus top 10 vorig seizoen. Kajaia liet in Midden Oosten al zien dat de vernieuwde Giulietta in staat bleek goede resultaten neer te zetten.
Op het nieuwe circuit Rustavi in Georgië trad het GE-Force team aan met 3 TCR Giulietta's. Kajaia behaalde poleposition voor race 1, Borkovic had probleem met de stuur bekrachtiging en circuit eigenaar Abkhazava werd 16e in de kwalificatie. Michela Cerruti is nu team manager.
Kwalificatie en races waren in live stream te volgen op het TCR kanaal.
http://www.tcr-series.com en
http://www.tcr-series.tv
Rounds 1 & 2 – Rustavi International Motorpark, Georgia – 1 / 2 April 2017 Race report, TCR press release:
Georgian fans delighted by first TCR experience. Local hero Kajaia first victory with Alfa.
The third season of the TCR International Series couldn’t have started in a more exciting way, as the first-ever visit by the series to Georgia’s Rustavi International Motorpark resulted in two breathtaking races that delighted the thousands of fans that crowded the grandstand to full capacity. The icing on the cake for them was local hero
Davit Kajaia’s victory in the first race at the conclusion of a thrilling four-way fight that involved cars of four different brands. The Georgian policeman showed speed and a cool head in keeping his pursuers at bay and giving the first victory to the
Romeo Ferraris-built Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
Race 1 – Kajaia and
Alfa Romeo win a breathtaking first race
Georgia’s local hero Davit Kajaia and his Romeo Ferraris-built Alfa Romeo Giulietta run by the GE-Force team claimed a fantastic victory after a close fight that involved five drivers representing four different brands of car manufacturers.
After sprinting from pole position, Kajaia pushed to the limit and created a gap in the first half of the race, while Attila Tassi (M1RA Honda Civic Type-R), Ferenc Ficza (Zele Racing SEAT León) and Stefano Comini (Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS) where fighting behind him.
Once Ficza managed to overtake Tassi and close the gap, Kajaia was able to keep him at bay, while Comini and Roberto Colciago (M1RA Honda Civic Type-R) were also chasing the leading pair. Eventually the crowd roared when Kajaia crossed the finish line with a slim margin ahead of Ficza, while Comini kept third place despite Colciago’s last effort.
Grid – the track is still wet after it rained the whole morning
Start –
Kajaia takes the best start, from Tassi, Ficza and Colciago
Lap 1 – Comini and Vernay make contact, Comini moves up to fifth;
Borković and Valente clash
Lap 3 – Borković overtakes Morbidelli for ninth
Lap 11 – Kajaia leads shrinks to four tenths
Lap 12 – Kajaia, Ficza, Comini and Colciago are nose to tail
Lap 13 – the first four are covered by less than one second
Lap 14 – Ficza knocks on Kajaia bumper, but the leader maintain the position
Lap 15 – Colciago dives inside Comini at Turn 1, but the reigning champion maintains second place; Kajaia wins from Ficza, Comini and Tassi
Davit Kajaia (winner): “I am more than happy, it is so great to win my first race here at home, I have no words... I just want to thank my country for all the support, the team that did a fantastic job and TCR for bringing such a great show to Georgia. The race was very tough. My start was good and I could build some gap, but as from lap 6, my front tyres started to suffer and then I had to fight to keep Ficza at bay.”
Race 2 – Oriola keeps up impressive opening event record
Pepe Oriola confirmed his winning record in the opening event of the TCR International Series; after being victorious at Sepang in 2015 and Bahrain in 2016, the Catalan won the second race in Georgia. Oriola beat his Lukoil Craft-Bamboo teammate Hugo Valente. While the two SEAT León cars of Oriola and Valente pulled away when the race resumed after the safety car, there was a red-hot fight for the fifth position. Eventually Dušan Borković managed to resist the pressure from the likes of Ferenc Ficza, James Nash and Roberto Colciago.
Grid – the track is drying, all cars are on slicks, reversed grid;
Lap 1 –
Abkhazava hits Homola at Turn 1, the Slovak’s Opel spins and stalls; there is battle for the leading positions: Oriola and Valente overtake Altoè who drops to third ahead of Tassi, Vernay and Morbidelli
Lap 5 –
Borković overtakes Morbidelli for fifth; Ficza overtakes Kajaia for ninth
Lap 10 – Nash overtakes Borković for fifth
Lap 11 – Colciago and Nash go wide and Borković retakes fifth; Ficza overtakes Nash for sixth
Lap 13 – Borković, Ficza, Nash, Colciago, Morbidelli and Nash have a close battle
Lap 16 –
Kajaia overtakes Morbidelli for eighth
Lap 17 – Oriola wins from Valente, Tassi and Vernay; Borković keeps fifth ahead of Colciago who overtakes Nash for sixth; Corthals claims the last point
2017 TCR International Series – calendar
16 April – Bahrain International Circuit (F1 event)
6 May – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (WEC event)
14 May – Autodromo di Monza, Italy (ELMS event)
11 June – Salzburgring, Austria
2 July – Hungaroring, Budapest (GT Open event)
9 July – Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Germany (with ADAC TCR Germany)
