ALTAS ROTAÇÕES - Marco Butti and Clairet brothers shine at Spa

Monday, 19 May 2025 10:59

Marco Butti and Clairet brothers shine at Spa

Written by Super User

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Marco Butti and Clairet brothers shine at Spa

The TCR Europe weekend at Spa-Francorchamps delivered thrilling races marked by dramatic overtakes, challenging conditions, and significant shifts in the championship standings.

Marco Butti claimed a maiden victory in a chaotic Race 1, while Teddy Clairet secured his first win in four years, leading a dominant 1-2 for Team Clairet Sport in an attrition-filled Race 2. The results see Teddy Clairet emerge as the new championship leader, holding a narrow advantage over his brother Jimmy.

Race 1: Butti capitalises on early drama

The opening race on the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit was instantly action-packed. Starting from fifth, Marco Butti in his MM Motorsport Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR launched an aggressive opening lap, scything through the field to take the lead by the ‘bus stop’ chicane. This rapid ascent was facilitated by a challenging start for pole-sitter Felipe Fernández and a fierce battle between Santiago Concepción and Junesung Park.

The race saw misfortune strike the initial championship front-runners. Jimmy Clairet, who led the standings heading into the weekend, had a trip through the gravel after contact with Park, dropping him down the order.

Ruben Volt's strong start was halted by an issue with his front-left on lap four, triggering the first of two safety car periods. When the race resumed, Junesung Park in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR battled back, retaking third from Felipe Fernández. Eric Gené also made a strong move to take fourth for Monlau Motorsport.

A daring move through Eau Rouge saw Teddy Clairet climb to fifth, but the race was neutralised again shortly after when Jenson Brickley stopped on the run up the hill. The final lap dash to the flag saw Butti hold on for a memorablefirst TCR Europe victory. Junesung Park managed to snatch second place from Santiago Concepción at the final corner of the final lap, securing his best result in the series to date. Nicola Baldan also benefited on the final lap, taking the Diamond Trophy class win from Felipe Fernández.

The turbulent race had a big affect on the championship. While Jimmy Clairet retained the lead, his advantage was reduced to a single point over his brother Teddy. Marco Butti's victory then propelled him into third place, just five points adrift of the lead.

Race 2: Team Clairet Sport dominates as rivals falter

Race 2, held later in the day, saw a reverse grid start with Viktor Andersson on pole. However, it was Teddy Clairet in the Team Clairet Sport Audi RS 3 LMS TCR who got a stellar start, immediately challenging and passing Andersson before Eau Rouge to take a lead he would not relinquish. His brother Jimmy Clairet also made quick progress, moving into third behind Andersson.

Marco Butti, fresh from his Race 1 win, was again on the move, climbing to fourth and engaging in a fierce battle with Jimmy Clairet before eventually finding a way past for third. Further down the field, intense battles raged, with drivers who had difficult Race 1, such as Jenson Brickley and Santiago Concepción, fighting through the pack.

Butti's charge was briefly checked when he was ordered to give a position back to Andersson after overtaking off the circuit, but he quickly retook the place. However, drama struck for Butti on the penultimate lap when he crashed heavily at Blanchimont, sustaining significant damage but thankfully emerging from the car unaided.

Teddy Clairet controlled the race beautifully to take his first win in four years, leading home his brother Jimmy for a historic Team Clairet Sport 1-2 finish, separated by nine seconds at the flag. Viktor Andersson secured his best result of the season in third, also claiming the young drivers' classification win. Nicola Baldan continued his strong form, finishing seventh and taking his second consecutive win in the Diamond drivers' class, establishing a 12-point lead in that trophy over Felipe Fernández.

The results of Race 2 caused another shift in the points. Teddy Clairet's victory and Jimmy Clairet's second place saw them extend their lead at the top, with Teddy now leading over his brother Jimmy by four points. Eric Gené's consistent performance over the weekend moved him up to third in the standings, 27 points behind the leader as the series heads to the Hockenheimring in Germany for the next round on June 6th-8th.

Teddy Clairet, Race 2 winner, championship leader, said:

“We are really team-mates and working together for these kinds of results. In this race I knew the start was the key, and I was able to get P1 after Turn 1 and then focussed, and after two or three laps I was in a really good position and really comfortable in the car, so I want to thank the team for the amazing job they’re doing. It’s really great after two weekends to be on top of the standings, but the season is long and we know a lot of things can happen, so we have to focus on ourselves and try our best.

Marco Butti, Race 1 winner, said:

"We did an amazing start, and then after Eau Rouge we were P2, and then I managed to overtake Santi (Concepción). In Race 1, we had a very good car, and tried to not stress the car, or the tyres. The team did a very good job to repair the car after the crash on Thursday, working through the night, and in the race the confidence had come back to me."

Junesung Park, P2 in Race 1, said

“I didn’t expect to get a podium or a second position, so I'm really very happy. My start was really good, but after a few laps I had a huge contact on my rear which slowed me down, but the problem solved itself and so I kept my pace. Then there were two safety cars and I had a very lucky run on Santiago at the end."

Jimmy Clairet, P2 in Race 2, said:

“It’s unbelievable. With the huge ballast that I have here, it’s an amazing result. If I look at all the other drivers results today, P2 is a really good result. I didn’t push too much in Race 2 as in Race 1 I was a bit too aggressive and I lost a lot, so the second race was better for me. I also got a big of luck after the accident of Butti, so I finished P2 and I’m happy to share the podium with Teddy in P1."

Santiago Concepción, P3 in Race 1, said:

"I had a very good start and left enough space for (my team-mate) Felipe, unfortunately he didn’t come with me for the rest of the race. Then after that at the front, it was a very boring race for me compared to my recent races.

"At the first corner, when I saw Marco in my mirror, I was very surprised. He tried a few times to pass me, and then eventually he got past me on the inside."

Viktor Andersson, P3 in Race 2, said:

"When you start on pole you always hope for a win, but today a podium is like a win, it’s the maximum we could have expected. My start was fine, but we had nothing on the straight compared to the Audis and the Hondas. We didn’t want to have any issues, so we played it safe and slowed down a little at the end. I’m super-happy with our first podium of the year, and P1 in the young drivers’ trophy.”