John Filippi became the eighth race winner from ten rounds of the 2022 TCR Europe season when he took victory in Race 1 at Monza. The Sébastien Loeb Racing – Bardahl Team CUPRA Leon Competición crossed the line just over six-tenths ahead of the HYUNDAI | Janík Motorsport Hyundai Elantra N of Jáchym Galáš with the Halder Motorsport Honda Civic Type R of Mike Halder completing the podium positions just over a second behind.

One of the most entertaining races of the entire season took place in a heavy drizzle, which made driving conditions tricky and guaranteed some great racing. Filippi started from pole position but was beaten to Turn 1 by Nicola Baldan in a Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N, although Filippi retook the lead as the field headed out of the first chicane. Marco Butti had made up two places and his Comtoyou Racing Audi was third ahead of Galáš, who’d started from P3. Going through the chicane, there was contact between Levente Losonczy and Rubén Fernández and the pair would both retire on Lap 2.

On the opening lap, the lead changed hands yet again when Baldan passed Filippi at the second chicane. Franco Girolami had made up one place after starting from P7, although Mike Halder passed him for P6 and Girolami’s nearest rival for the Drivers’ title, Josh Files was fifth after starting from P11. Girolami passed Mike Halder again on the next lap, while Halder’s teammate Jack Young was already in eleventh place after starting from the back of the grid thanks to an engine change penalty, and when Pepe Oriola dropped from ninth to eleventh, Young was inside the top ten.

On Lap 3, Young made up a further place when he passed Klim Gavrilov’s CUPRA for P9. Galáš passed Butti for P3 on the same lap and Mike Halder passed Girolami for P6 once again. Mike’s sister Michelle, however, ended up in the gravel at Turn 11 and, just after Files passed Butti for fourth place on the next lap, the Safety Car was deployed so that Michelle’s car could be recovered.

After two laps behind the Safety Car, racing resumed on Lap 7. Filippi immediately attacked Baldan and briefly took the lead before Baldan struck back and passed the CUPRA once again. Young made contact with Girolami at the first chicane and the Honda dropped down to P20 as a result. Going through the long final corner of the lap at the Parabolica, Filippi once again passed Baldan for the race lead. Girolami, meanwhile, had dropped to ninth but passed Oriola on the next lap to move into eighth. The change of position would be short-lived, however, as Girolami out-braked himself at the second chicane and Oriola retook P8. Gavrilov then also passed Girolami for P9 while Mike Halder passed Files for P4.

On Lap 9, Files was coming under attack from Isidro Callejas in another of the Volcano Motorsport CUPRA cars. Galáš passed Baldan for P2 and set off in pursuit of Filippi over the remaining three laps. Callejas then managed to pass Files for P5 at the Curva Grande on the next lap, but Files retook the position and there was contact between the pair at the second chicane. Mike Halder passed Baldan for P3 and despite both Halder and Galáš clearly having ideas about gaining further places, the podium positions wouldn’t change. Young, though, passed Girolami for eleventh place on the penultimate lap while Files was able to take precious points away from Girolami by finishing seven places ahead of the Argentinian driver.

But after a thrilling battle with Baldan for much of the race and then having to defend from Galáš over the final few laps, John Filippi finally took his first win of the season. Behind the podium finishers, Baldan was fourth ahead of his teammate Josh Files and Butti – already having secured the 2022 Rookie title – was sixth. In the battle for the Drivers’ title, Files has closed the gap to Girolami to 62 points, while Callejas has moved up into third place ahead of Tom Coronel.

Race 1 result

1.     John Filippi (Sébastien Loeb Racing – Bardahl Team, CUPRA Leon Competición)   12 laps

2.     Jáchym Galáš (HYUNDAI | Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N)   +0.637

3.     Mike Halder (Halder Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R)   +1.722

4.     Nicola Baldan (Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N)   +2.860

5.     Josh Files (Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N)  +3.585

6.     Marco Butti (Comtoyou Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS)   +4.615

Championship points

1.Girolami 314pts; 2. Files 252pts; 3. Callejas 223pts; 4. Coronel 219pts; 5. Gavrilov 214pts

Race 2 is scheduled to start at 12.25 CEST on Sunday and will be streamed live via the TCR Portal, on TCR TV and the TCR Europe series’ social media platforms.

Race 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrN8HDhVMr8