The first actual win for Felice Jelmini in TCR Italy

For the third time this season, Felice Jelmini was the first driver to pass under the chequered flag in the TCR Italy championship, however the victory he took in Imola’s Race 1 was the first one he should keep after he was stripped twice of his previous wins at Mugello and Misano.
Jelmini led from the lights to the flag, beating Damiano Reduzzi who completed a Hyundai 1-2 and Eric Brigliadori who jumped on top of the standings.
The race started behind the safety car because the track was still damp after a brief shower and Jelmini took the lead, while Reduzzi overtook Jacopo Guidetti for P2. Brigliadori recovered from P13 on the grid and moved into P6 by the end of lap 4, while Igor Stefanovski overtook Salvatore Tavano for P4.
The Macedonian began chasing Guidetti and eventually passed him for P3 in lap 6, soon afterwards Guidetti and Tavano made contact and the former dropped to sixth behind Brigliadori who then passed Tavano for P5. 
Stefanovski pushed to the limit for closing the gap to Reduzzi, but went off at the Rivazza 2 bend, his Hyundai beached in the gravel, which prompted the safety car into action. When racing resumed on lap 10, Reduzzi and Brigliadori tried to find a gap to pass Jelmini, but the latter was able to pull away; behind the leading trio, Guidetti and Mauro Guastamacchia passed Tavano for P4 and P5. 
During the penultimate lap, Francesca Raffaele spun off at the chicane and the safety car was deployed again for the final lap that saw Jelmini crossing the line ahead of Reduzzi, Brigliadori, Guidetti, Guastamacchia, Tavano and Eric Scalvini who won the DSG class over Michele Imberti.
Marco Pellegrini who was leading the championship before the race, was running in seventh position during the first laps, but then dropped at the back of the field because of a technical issue.
Race 2 is scheduled to start tomorrow at 11:30 local time (CEST) and will be streamed live at www.tcr-series.com.

Race 1
1. Felice Jelmini (PMA Motorsport, Hyundai i30 N), 13 laps
2. Damiano Reduzzi (Team WRT Trico, Hyundai i30 N), 0.457
3. Eric Brigliadori (BF Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 0.953
4. Jacopo Guidetti (MM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R), 2.053
5. Mauro Guastamacchia (Team Aggressive Italia, Hyundai i30 N), 2.182

Championship points
1. Eric Brigliadori 80 pts; 2. Marco Pellegrini 76 pts; 3. Salvatore Tavano 70

Picture: ACI Sport