- Jenson Brickley is crowned champion after an epic finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
- Èric Gené takes the Youth Trophy and finishes fourth overall in his debut season.
- Monlau Motul takes the constructors’ title and completes an outstanding year in the continental competition.
- “The team has worked tirelessly, from the engineers to the mechanics, students, and teachers, to ensure our CUPRAs performed at their best. The championship was extremely close, and winning these titles demonstrates the effort,” says David Simón, Monlau Motul team manager.
- “We’re very proud to close out the TCR Europe championship with a team crown and with Jenson as champion. It’s been an extraordinary season,” said Jaime Serrano, CEO of Monlau Motul.
Monlau Motul Technical School closed out an unforgettable season in TCR Europe with a total of three titles. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the sixth and final race of the series, where Jenson Brickley was crowned champion, the Barcelona-based team took the constructors’ crown, and Èric Gené won the Youth Trophy.
The finale came in an unprecedented situation: no fewer than 12 drivers still had a mathematical chance of being crowned champion before the final round, reflecting the level and extreme closeness of the championship. Among them, the two Monlau Motul drivers occupied privileged positions aboard their CUPRA León VZ TCRs. Spaniard Èric Gené arrived at his home circuit as the leader of the standings, tied on points with his direct rival, while Briton Jenson Brickley was just 11 points behind, with everything to be decided on a thrilling weekend.
The race kicked off on Thursday with two free practice sessions, which allowed the team to work on adapting the setup to the Barcelona track. In Friday’s qualifying, both drivers put in notable performances despite the handicap accumulated by their previous strong results. Brickley posted the fourth-fastest time (1:49.966) and Gené the fifth (1:50.440).
The first race took place that same Friday, with a bumpy start. Gené made a spectacular start and went from fifth to second place despite having to avoid a stationary rival on the straight, which caused a multiple accident and a red flag. At the restart, the Spaniard maintained his position at the front, but a collision with another competitor relegated him to 14th. Ultimately, although he crossed the finish line in that position, he climbed to ninth place (5th among the Youth drivers) thanks to penalties imposed on several drivers. Brickley, solid throughout, finished second in both the overall standings and the Youth Trophy. The Briton thus became the new leader of the standings, with a five-point advantage.
With the title contenders reduced to five riders, Saturday saw a highly tense finish. The reversed grid with respect to qualifying placed Gené fifth and Brickley sixth. The Spaniard once again shone at the start and moved up to third, although he subsequently lost pace and crossed the line in ninth (4th in the Youth category). This result earned him the Youth Championship title and fourth overall, capping off a sensational campaign in which he has scored a win, a pole position , and two podium finishes in his debut at just 18 years of age.
Brickley, meanwhile, finished fifth, a result that placed him first in the championship, one point ahead of his direct rival. However, the disqualification of the second-place finisher in the final race saw both title contenders move up one place. This result left them tied on 208 points in the standings, and as both had achieved two wins throughout the season, the title was decided by the greatest number of second places. Brickley had three to his rival’s one, giving him the TCR Europe crown, the closest in the series’ history.
In this way, Monlau Motul sealed an outstanding year, with both of its representatives fighting for the championship until the final outcome, consolidating its position as one of the leading teams.
David Simón , Monlau Motul team manager, spoke highly of the result: “It was a complicated but very rewarding weekend. We arrived as leaders in all the classifications and with a lot at stake, and we knew how to manage it. Despite the extra weight the cars were carrying, we managed to place them in the top five in qualifying, which was key. In the race, Èric once again demonstrated his speed and maturity despite his youth, and Jenson maintained the consistency that has characterized him all year. The team has worked tirelessly, from the engineers to the mechanics, students and teachers, to ensure our CUPRAs performed at their best. The championship was extremely close, and winning all three titles demonstrates the level of dedication and effort of the entire team.”
Jaime Serrano , CEO of Monlau Motul, highlighted the collective value of the victory: “We are very proud to close out the TCR Europe with the manufacturers’ title and with Jenson as champion. The season has been extraordinary. Èric had a brilliant debut and took home the Youth Trophy, while Jenson fought until the last lap to claim the crown. The entire technical staff worked with total commitment, from the start to this home finale, and that was evident on track. This result reaffirms our technical and sporting prowess alongside CUPRA in such a competitive series.”
Monlau Motul’s next challenge will be to fight for the drivers’ and teams’ titles in the TCR Spain, which will also hold its final at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from November 14 to 16.
Barcelona Classifications:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/events/tcr-europe-series/item/circuit-de-barcelona-catalunya
TCR Europe Final Standings:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/tcrstandings
