New post-race shower of penalties in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. Race 1 of the last round of the season also confirms the trend of this (too) hard-fought second half of the season, where tension and pressure are also playing tricks on even the most experienced riders.
Simone Iaquinta and Keagan Masters in particular benefit from tonight’s decisions, who can now play for the 2024 title in game 2 from a privileged position.
The ones who paid the price, however, were above all Marvin Klein, winner at the finish line but guilty of an early start at the start which cost him a drive through, i.e. 25 seconds and with them the success which becomes only a placing outside the points, and Lirim Zendeli, third at the finish line but in turn guilty of a variant cut paid for with 5 seconds which took him down from the podium to tenth position, even if in his case the 2024 Rookie title is already a reality.
On the other hand, Iaquinta, second at the finish line, thus achieved his first success of the season, returning to victory with Prima Ghinzani almost exactly one year after the last time, but everything is sub judice. In fact, the appeal that Iaquinta presented after he too was penalized post-race (5 seconds for cutting the chicane) now hangs over the race 1 rankings.
For the Masters the situation is very different: now the standard bearer of Team Q8 Hi Perform has significantly increased his lead in the standings and tomorrow in race 2 at 12.40, in which among other things he will start from pole position, he has all it takes to definitively conquer the first title in Carrera Cup Italia.
Larry Ten Voorde can still fight him, but instead of third on the grid he will sit further back due to the 8 penalty positions to be served on the grid for the contact caused on Robert De Haan on this crazy Saturday, and Marvin Klein, who in turn has to but hope for a half-miracle.
The only consolation for the Frenchman is the fastest lap of race 1, achieved in 1’48″725 and returned to his hands after the one set on the last lap today by Francesco Braschi was “spoiled” by a couple of cuts variant.
Diego Bertonelli also climbs onto the virtual and sub judice podium of race 1 in Monza, with Iaquinta and Masters, finishing third after a further penalty, the one which also hit Oliver Gray with 5 seconds for cutting the variant.
And there would be more, but we’ll just mention another one that affects the chase for the Michelin Cup. Paolo Gnemmi was also penalized for cutting the variant. The Lombard driver had finished second behind Alberto De Amicis, while he is now classified only fifth, with Francesco Fenici moving up to second and Stefano Stefanelli third.
At this point in race 2, only De Amicis and Fenici can compete for the title: whoever wins the category on Sunday will also win the crown. And the thriller is complete!
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