Scalvini converts the pole into victory in Hockenheim’s Race 1
Eric Scalvini claimed his third victory in the 2021 ADAC TCR Germany, as he converted the pole position into a lights-to-flag win in Race 1 at Hockenheim; the third for him in the season so far. The championship leader Luca Engstler started from P2 and finished second, retaining a 53-point lead in the standings over the Italian. Dominik Fugel, third in the race, is also third in the classification, 18 further points adrift.
Scalvini got off well from the pole and led the field ahead of Engstler, Marcel Fugel, Martin Andersen and Philipp Regensperger. During the first lap, Dominik Fugel moved into P5 ahead of Regensperger and two laps later he had a brief fight with Andersen; they ran abreast and swapped positions a couple of times until Fugel took fourth for good. Further behind, Nico Gruber overtook Regensperger for fifth.
In lap 4, Dominik Fugel passed his brother Marcel for third, while René Kircher’s Volkswagen Golf GTI spun after making contact with Robin Jahr’s Hyundai i30 N and stopped in the middle of the track, which prompted the safety car into action.
Racing resumed in lap 6, and Scalvini was able to pull away, while Dominik Fugel tried to close the gap to Engstler. Jahr served a drive through for causing the collision with Kircher and dropped from eighth to 13th.
Behind the top three, Marcel Fugel was under pressure while defending the fourth place from Andersen and Gruber, but suddenly Fugel’s Honda slowed down in lap 10 and stopped on the grass.
In lap 12, the pace of Regensperger’s Opel Astra began to fade and the Lubner Motorsport driver was passed by both Jonas Karklys and Roland Hertner, dropping from sixth to eighth. In the following lap, Regensperger lost another position to Peter Gross before retiring into the pits.
Up front, Scalvini’s advantage grew up lap after lap and the Italian took the flag nearly three seconds before Engstler, with Dominik Fugel completing the podium, seven further tenths behind.
Track action will resume tomorrow morning at 09:00 (CEST) with the Qualifying session for Race 2.
Hockenheim – Race 1
1. Eric Scalvini (Wimmer Werk Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición), 17 laps
2. Luca Engstler (Hyundai Team Engstler, Hyundai i30 N), 2.877
3. Dominik Fugel (Team ADAC Sachsen, Honda Civic Type R Fk7), 3.600
4. Martin Andersen (Hyundai Team Engstler, Hyundai i30 N), 5.460
5. Nico Gruber (Hyundai Team Engstler, Hyundai i30 N), 8.534
Championship points
1. L. Engstler 214; 2. E. Scalvini 161; 3. D. Fugel 143
Picture: ADAC Motorsport/Gruppe C Photography
