Mari Boya takes lights-to-flag Eurocup-3 win at Monza

Photo: Eurocup-3

MP Motorsport’s Mari Boya took a lights-to-flag win in the first Eurocup-3 race at Monza.

Boya started from pole and got defensive on the run to the first corner on lap one to ensure he stayed ahead. His team-mate Sebastian Ogaard passed front row starter Esteban Masson for second, but Masson reclaimed the place by passing around the outside at the della Roggia chicane. But Ogaard got back past again, and it helped Boya pull away.

Masson ended up having to defend from Javier Sagrera on lap two, with the sixth-placed starter on a charge. He passed Masson, then went around the outside of Ogaard at the opening corner a lap later.

Boya had not got far enough away to break the tow and he ended up weaving down the pit straight to avoid also coming under attack from Sagrera, while pre-race points leader Francesco Braschi cleared Masson for fourth.

Ogaaard returned to second place on lap four, as the top three initially pulled away from the fighting Braschi and Masson. But Sagrera then fell into the clutches of those behind, and on lap seven it was Braschi who held third place into turn one while Masson tried passing Sagrera there and again later in the lap.

He could not get through, and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak was on their tail too. This all helped the top two gap themselves, and Braschi started lap eight my weaving left and right as he attempted to break the tow. There was an incident going into turn one, and Masson emerged ahead of Braschi.

On the next lap Sagrera cut the first chicane as he tried to hold off Inthraphuvasak, and Braschi went off at the final corner and dropped to 11th.

Boya went into the second half of the race with a lead of 1.174 seconds over Ogaard, with Masson a furter 3.766s behind and Inthraphuvasak now leading a fight for fourth with Sagrera and Jose Garfias.

He almost got too comfy with his gap, as he went off exiting Lesmo 2 but managed to stay in the lead. From there he had to build his advantage back up again, and finished the 18-lap race 1.301s ahead of Ogaard who set the fastest lap on the final tour.

Masson dropped back by several seconds in third, almost leaving him vulnerable to Inthraphuvasak except he had a two-second penalty for gaining an advantage by cutting a chicane.

That dropped him to fifth behind Sagrera, who was attacked late on by Garfias who also had a penalty for chicane-cutting.

Daniel Nogales had the same penalty, and it did not cost him seventh place ahead of the battling Miron Pingasov and Cenyu Han.

Braschi failed to score in 11th, meaning Masson now holds the points lead, while Sebastian Gravlund picked up a drive-through penalty then had a car issue that slowed him down and kept him in the pits for several laps.

Race result (18 laps)