TCR Europe series regular Mikhail Simonov put on a sensational performance as he made his TCR Italy championship debut at the most recent event at Mugello, the circuit where his TCR Europe career began back in March.

Competing with SP Compétition, the team with which he races this year in TCR Europe as well, Simonov qualified on the front row in his CUPRA Leon VZ TCR, just a tenth away from pole position.

Simonov soon took the lead and went on to win the first race with a comfortable margin, whilei in Race 2 from ninth on the grid he was quickly up to third. The CUPRA driver then overtook the battling race leading duo of Marco Simoncelli and Simonov's regular TCR Europe team-mate Sandro Pelatti (here racing with PMA Motorsport) to take the lead and secure a rare double-victory in the same weekend. This was an even more impressive feat given it was his first race weekend in the leading Italian touring car category.

The 23-year-old is due to be back in action at the next weekend of the TCR Europe series at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on 25-27 September.