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Despite their cars being among the heaviest in the field, the extra weight did not stop Maťo Homola and Attila Bucsi from claiming victories at the Red Bull Ring. Their battle for the title continues, with just two points separating them in the standings.
The second round of TCR Eastern Europe at the Red Bull Ring followed a similar pattern to the season’s opening races in Hungary. Maťo Homola, driving a Hyundai Elantra from Hyundai Janík Motorsport, and Attila Bucsi, in a Hyundai i30 N TCR from M1RA Motorsport, were among the fastest drivers of the Austrian weekend. They were joined by Homola’s teammate, Adam Kout.
Despite carrying an additional 40 kilograms at the Red Bull Ring, Homola secured victory in the first race. Bucsi and Kout each carried 30 kilograms but remained part of the fastest trio. The starting grid was arranged with Bucsi in pole position, followed by Homola, Giacomo Ghermandi in a Honda Civic, and Kout. Their times were so close that Kout was only 0.088 seconds behind the pole position on the 4326-meter-long Red Bull Ring.
Spectators were entertained from start to finish. Bucsi led for the first seven laps, then Homola took the lead and held it until the end. However, his position was far from secure. Kout was closing in towards the end, creating some nervousness within the team due to the battle between teammates. Homola managed to maintain his lead, crossing the finish line 1.176 seconds ahead of Kout. Bucsi lost over five seconds to the first place, and his disappointment at the missed opportunity was evident.
Bucsi redeemed himself in the second race, starting from seventh position and winning it. However, he had to fight hard for the victory. Jiří Zbožínek from Hyundai Janík Motorsport and Ivars Vallers from LV Racing started from the front row.
Vallers had a clear strategy to stay on the inside line in the first corner, slip into the lead, and hold on for as long as possible. This worked perfectly for him. After the first corner, he took the lead and built a gap while traffic ensued behind him. This gave him a significant advantage, as by the time Kout and Bucsi caught up and overtook him, there were only four laps left. Vallers finished the race in third place after an excellent drive, achieving his first podium in TCR Eastern Europe. If there had been a public vote for the best driver of the second race, Vallers would have undoubtedly won.
And how did the battle for victory between Kout and Bucsi end? The Czech driver was very close to his first win of the season. In the final two laps, he defended fiercely and successfully against the young Hungarian. However, on the backstraight in the last lap, Bucsi launched an attack and took the lead in the fourth corner. It was a close fight to the finish line.
Bucsi collected the most points in the second round of TCR Eastern Europe, earning 40 points with his third and first-place finishes, bringing him within two points of Homola, who finished fourth in the second race. Kout finished second in both races, and together with Bucsi and Homola, they have pulled ahead of the competition in the standings. Leader Homola has 80 points, Bucsi 78, and Kout 71. Their next battle will continue in three weeks at the Slovakia Ring.
TCR Eastern Europe – Qualifying
