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Another season of TCR Eastern Europe has come to an end, with a nail-biting finale at Salzburgring that saw a battle for the championship title between teammates Maťo Homola and Adam Kout of Hyundai Janík Motorsport.
Salzburgring, described by many drivers as an “old-school” circuit, hosted the TCR Eastern Europe series for the first time in its history. Although most drivers were familiar with the Austrian track, it had been several years since many had last raced there. The high-speed circuit, nestled in a mountainous valley, provided a stunning spectacle during both races.
Maťo Homola entered the final weekend with a 34-point lead over Adam Kout. For Homola, this lead offered a relatively comfortable cushion, allowing him to adopt a conservative approach. Kout, however, had no choice but to take risks and give it everything. He began by winning pole position in qualifying. Homola took third place, with René Kircher, driving a Honda Civic for Mertel Motorsport, splitting the two Hyundai teammates.
Kircher had the best start, taking the lead early on. However, it soon became clear that both he and Homola had been handed 10-second penalties for jumping the start. Kout eventually seized the lead and maintained it, even after a red flag caused by Davit Kajaia’s crash.
Kout did exactly what was required – he won the race in front of Giacomo Ghermandi and René Kircher. Homola, despite finishing third, his 10-second penalty relegated him to sixth place, reducing the gap between the two drivers to just 16 points.
Ghermandi seemed to have a natural affinity for the Salzburgring circuit, as he demonstrated in the second race by carving his way through the field from eighth to take the lead. It looked as though victory was his, but technical problems forced him to retire from the lead.
With Ghermandi out, Kout took over at the front, despite starting from ninth, stalling his engine, and having to make up ground. He overtook car after car, taking greater risks than ever before. His only hope was to win and then pray for fortune to favour him.
Homola, meanwhile, stuck to a clear strategy – take no unnecessary risks and maintain a position that would secure him the title. In the end, he finished third, which was more than enough. Maťo Homola celebrated his second TCR Eastern Europe title from the podium, alongside race winner Adam Kout and and Ivars Vallers, who claimed his second top-three finish of the season.
Thus ended another thrilling and captivating season of TCR Eastern Europe, once again dominated by Hyundai Janík Motorsport. On his way to the title, Maťo Homola secured five race wins, while runner-up Adam Kout took four. The only other driver to break the Czech team’s dominance was Attila Bucsi of M1RA Motorsport, with three victories.
TCR EASTERN EUROPE – Qualifying
