- Èric Gené takes pole position and his first victory in the European championship in the opening round, moving to the top of the overall standings, tied on points with his direct rival.
- Jenson Brickley wins the second race and maintains fourth place in the championship, just 11 points behind his teammate.
- Monlau Motul climbs to the lead in the team standings.
- “We are very satisfied with the work done. The preparation of the vehicles was impeccable, we did some testing and found improved performance in our CUPRA thanks to the efforts of the engineers and mechanics,” says David Simón, Monlau Motul team manager.
- “The performance of our drivers and technical staff was excellent. Now we look forward to the final round in Barcelona, where we will fight for both titles,” says Jaime Serrano, CEO of Monlau Motul.
An outstanding weekend for the Monlau Motul Technical School at the fifth and penultimate round of the TCR Europe series. The Barcelona-based team secured a pole position and two wins at the Red Bull Ring (Austria). Èric Gené was responsible for taking his CUPRA León VZ TCR to the top in the first race, and Jenson Brickley did the same in the second, in a championship that was tighter than ever.
The action kicked off on Friday with two free practice sessions, during which the team fine-tuned the setup of both cars. On Saturday morning, Gené stood out with a brilliant qualifying lap (1:36.605), which gave him his first career pole position in the TCR Europe series. Brickley, meanwhile, set a time of 1:37.182, placing him seventh on the starting grid.
In the first race, held that same Saturday, Gené delivered an impeccable performance. The Catalan led from start to finish, securing his first victory in the continental championship. Brickley crossed the finish line in a creditable fifth place, although a penalty for an on-track incident relegated him to 11th place.
The second race, held on Sunday with a reverse grid compared to the qualifying results, provided another spectacular experience. Brickley started fourth and Gené ninth, and both got off to a strong start. The Briton climbed to second place on the opening lap and soon after overtook the leader in an intense battle to take the win. Gené, meanwhile, made a solid comeback to fourth place, but a penalty following contact with another driver ultimately dropped him to 13th.
The Austrian track once again highlighted the close competition between the touring cars, where traffic management and aerodynamics while running in a group proved decisive factors for the team in both races.
With these results, the championship is tightening to the max. Gené moves up to first place in the standings, tied on points with his main rival and seven points ahead of third place. Brickley holds onto fourth place, just 11 points behind his teammate. In the team standings, Monlau Motul leads the way with an 18-point advantage, while in the Youth standings, Gené remains first and Brickley second.
David Simón , Monlau Motul Team Manager, praised the weekend’s performance: “We are very satisfied with the work done. The vehicle preparation was impeccable, we ran some tests and found improved performance in our CUPRA thanks to the efforts of the engineers and mechanics. Both Èric and Jenson had a great weekend, with two wins. The penalties are a shame, but the championship is extremely close and we continue to make the most of our options. We will arrive in Barcelona with several drivers with a chance of winning the title, which demonstrates how exciting this series is.”
Jaime Serrano , CEO of Monlau Motul, highlighted the team’s strength: “The performance of our drivers and technical staff was excellent. Èric achieved his first pole and his first victory in the TCR Europe, which demonstrates his sporting maturity, while Jenson knew how to seize his opportunity to score another brilliant victory. The entire team worked at an extremely high level. Now we look forward to the final round in Barcelona, where we will fight for both titles.”
The final stop of the TCR Europe series will be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the last weekend of September. Monlau Motul will be playing for everything on home soil, in a finale where they are vying for both the drivers’ and teams’ crowns.
Austrian Standings:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/events/tcr-europe-series/item/red-bull-ring
TCR Europe Standings:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/tcrstandings
