Ruben Volt notched up his seventh career win in TCR Europe with a victory in the rain at Spa-Francorchamps, swapping his slick tyres for a full set of wets and powering through the field to take victory ahead of Tiago Pernía’s Honda and the Audi of Nicolas Taylor.
 

With just light rain falling on the circuit throughout the morning, the track was considered dry enough by most of the frontrunners to run on slick tyres. The best-placed of those opting to run a mixed slick and wet set-up came from row six, with Junui Park and Tiago Pernía.

At the start, Gabriele Covini bogged down from pole position and Nicola Baldan swept into the lead, with Junesung Park up to second in his Hyundai ahead of Taylor.

Park then overtook Baldan at Les Combes, before a multi-car incident occurred at Bruxelles. Jac Constable and Victor Fernández made light contact, with Fernández spinning into the barrier, while the two CUPRAs of Sandro Pelatti and Victor Weyrich then collided in avoidance.

The race was suspended behind the safety car for four laps while Fernández’s car was recovered. Many drivers who were out of position at the start chose to pit for full wet tyres as the conditions worsened, including both of the ALM Motorsport Hondas of Ruben Volt and Max Hart.

Soon after the restart, Taylor took the lead from Park, diving alongside him through Raidillon and up the Kemmel straight, before completing the pass at Les Combes.

Pernía was now charging from the back of the top ten on his mixed tyre set-up, while Volt was making even faster progress and was into the top five after just three laps.

Pernía and Volt both charged at Park’s struggling Hyundai at the final corner with three laps to go. Park clipped Pernía while Volt went down the inside to take third, before taking second place at Les Combes.

Pernía soon passed Park, while Volt took the lead from Taylor, who was also struggling on a full slick set-up. Taylor was vulnerable to Pernía on the final lap as well and slipped to third, while Volt went on to take an impressive victory in difficult conditions, and Pernía secured his first podium in TCR Europe.

Park was passed by both Mike Halder and Max Hart’s Hondas at the final corner in a photo-finish drag race to the line, which proved pivotal in keeping the German at the head of the points table, eight points clear of Taylor.
 

The next round of the TCR Europe series takes place at Paul Ricard on 5–7 June.