Jean-Karl Vernay given double drive through penalty for Race 1

Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay has been handed two penalties for two separate incidents in the first race in Imola. The Frenchman was deemed guilty of having caused a collision, as well as not respecting track limits.

Vernay had a clash with B3 Racing’s Dusan Borkovic at Rivazza, resulting in the Serbian to retire on the spot as he was beached in the gravel. The stewards decided the Leopard Racing driver deserved a post-race drive through penalty, which was converted into a 30-seconds time penalty post-race.

The Frenchman was also punished for not respecting track limits in the first heat, which triggered another post-race time penalty, as well as a 5-places grid drop suspended for two events, in Austria and in Germany, the next two rounds of the TCR International Series.

Vernay had finished the race in sixth, but his penalties mean he is now down to eleventh as a minute was added to his race time. Jordi Gené is therefore sixth for Liqui Moly Team Engstler, ahead of Attila Tassi and Race 2 winner Mikhail Grachev. The two BD Racing drivers also score points, with Carlotta Fedeli finishing ninth ahead of Alessandra Neri, who scores the final point.