Wow, where do I even begin with this? Norbert Michelisz and Aurélien Comte really went for it at Monza, huh? Felt like watching a live-action roller coaster — in two parts. And, uh, spoiler alert! Both of these guys snagged wins in the FIA TCR World Tour double races. Yeah, I’m still buzzing from all the action. Could be the caffeine. Or just the pure adrenaline.
So, Michelisz? This dude nails his first pole in ages, like we’re talking all the way back to whenever. Who keeps track? Anyway, he was with the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team. Big Italian group, you know? And Mikel Azcona, his teammate, wasn’t far behind. Meanwhile, Néstor Girolami, who… oh, wait for it… secures pole for the next race by, um, turning in the tenth best time. Not the usual way, but hey, it worked.
Saturday kicks off with Drama (yes, with a capital D). Michelisz pulls off a no-nonsense victory from start to finish. Behind him? Everything gets wild. Comte sneaks into second. But then, boom! Ma Qing Hua, John Filippi, and Ruben Volt all tangled up. Filippi and Ma are out — sorry guys! Volt? Somehow, he’s back on track, don’t ask me how. Comte tries to catch the lead but… Lesmo 2 says no! Cue the puncture. And Azcona? He’s battling tire troubles, while Urrutia faces a turbo meltdown. Honestly, chaos galore. Michelisz stays cool though, wrapping it up 1.7 seconds ahead of Yann Ehrlacher — the familiar face at the top of the standings.
Esteban Guerrieri also deserves a mention, zooming from tenth to fifth — like a magic trick. Meanwhile, Thed Björk, who pops up on the podium, makes a mark. Damiano Reduzzi, a local wildcard (wildcard sounds rogue, right?), claims seventh. I mean, not too shabby.
Fast forward to Sunday — and boy, what a turnaround for Comte, who starts from eighth but steers his way to a maiden win. Girolami, starting from reverse-grid pole, doesn’t last long at the top. Björk and Comte are on his tail like they’re in a high-speed chase scene. Comte, weaving through competitors like they’re merely chess pieces, grabs the lead by lap nine. Voilà, he leads till the chequered flag.
It’s all tight roping for second with Björk and Michelisz looming behind Girolami. Comte, probably trying not to pinch himself, cruises with a sweet 1.5-second victory, bouncing back from Saturday’s blunders like a champ.
And Guerrieri? This guy… again, rises to seventh from 14th. Ehrlacher? Not his best showing, but keeps a healthy lead. He’s still 16 points ahead of Guerrieri with Urrutia tagging along in third. So, things are still all to play for in the championship. Michelisz moves up to fifth, while Girolami uses his points grab to slot into fourth.
Next? They’re all heading to Vila Real, Portugal. Streets races await. Should be interesting!
Alright, that’s it — wait, no — I could ramble more, but let’s meet again after Portugal, yeah?
