Kucharczyk clinches Euroformula title in Monza slipstreaming classic

Photo: Fotospeedy

BVM Racing’s Tymek Kucharczyk became Euroformula champion with a race to spare in a slipstreaming classic at Monza.

His title rival Yevan David started on reversed-grid pole, alongside Alessandro Famularo who was slow off the line. That put Ed Pearson into second, but he retired after moving across on Fernando Barrichello and breaking the latter’s front wing.

Famularo tried recovering ground by charging into turn one, except he cut the corner entirely and spun across turn two’s entry as he rejoined. That forced off Kucharczyk, who returned to track as leader while Michael Shin, Barrichello (who needed to pit) and Luca Viisoreanu all cut the chicane.

David reclaimed the lead, with Kucharczyk, Diego de la Torre, Everett Stack, Shin, Jose Garfias and Enzo Yeh completing a seven-car train behind him as lap two began. There were yellow flags from turns one to three due to Pearson’s stopped car.

Shin passed Stack into the final corner, and tried the same on de la Torre on lap three but Stack overtook both on the outside.

Kucharczyk took the lead from David starting lap five, and Shin cleared de la Torre too before the yellow flags. Garfias was then applying pressure, and got past de la Torre on the inside of Parabolica.

David lost second to Stack into turn one on lap six, and de la Torre cut turn two to reclaim fifth so hand to return the position. Stack cut the della Roggia chicane after getting alongside Kucharczyk, and the pack closed up again.

Kucharczyk locked up to fend off Stack into turn one a lap later, then Stack got around the outside of him into della Roggia but Kucharczyk got the better exit and squeezed back past into Lesmo 1.

Shin went around David’s outside at Lesmo 2, then on lap eight went to the inside of Stack through Curva Grande and Kucharczyk through Parabolica to become leader. De la Torre went off at Lesmo 2 and lost out to Yeh, and Garfias ended the lap passing David for fourth.

This time Kucharczyk’s turn one lock-up allowed Stack to go around his outside at turn two, and his attempt to reclaim second into della Roggia sent Stack off but did count as a pass. David tried overtaking around the outside into Ascari, but it allowed Yeh to clear he and Garfias for fourth.

Garfias got back past at turn one on lap 10, and Kucharczyk and Stack went either side of leader Shin as lap 11 began. Positions were held, until Stack took second through Parabolica.

They went three-wide again starting lap 12, with Kucharczyk on the outside grass but snatching the lead into turn one.

Garfias used the inside through Curva Grande to demote Stack to fourth, and at the della Roggia chicane Shin went off David went around Yeh’s outside for fifth. He gained another spot as Stack found the gravel at Ascari.

The top three now had a gap, and Garfias looked to Shin’s outside into della Roggia on lap 13. Kucharczyk braked early, Shin moved across, and Garfias was squeezed onto the grass then over the back of Shin’s car.

Garfias parked up after Lesmo 1, Shin pitted, and Kucharczyk now led comfortably over David and Stack. Until the last lap.

David slipstreamed past on the pit straight, then Kucharczyk dived down the inside into turn one to get back ahead. The outside of Curva Grande became the inside of della Roggia for David, and he led again.

He weaved down the back straight, and Kucharczyk carried more speed into Parabolica on the outside to lead. But David exited ahead, and Stack made it three-wide approaching the finish. Kucharczyk won by 0.001 seconds, clinching the title.

Race results (16 laps)