Photo: WTCR

Néstor Girolami to start from the back of the grid for Estoril Race 2

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Münnich Motorsport’s Néstor Girolami will start from the back of the grid for the second World Touring Car Cup race at Estoril following a request to neutralise the parc fermé window from the Honda team.

Girolami, who was due to start third on the grid for Race 2, was involved in a first-lap incident with the Hyundai drivers Norbert Michelisz and Jean-Karl Vernay at Turn 1.

Both Vernay and Michelisz suffered damage but made it back to the pits for repairs and subsequently, back out on track.

Girolami on the other hand, stopped on track which brought out the safety car before being towed back to the pit-lane by a course car. Although the Honda made it back to the pits, the team elected to break parc fermé in order to ensure it was repaired before Race 2.

WTCR rules state that the cars cannot be worked on in the parc fermé period between the first and second races, with the window starting at the end of Race 1.

Münnich Motorsport issued a request to the stewards to neutralise this period so that they could work on Girolami’s cars, a request which was approved on the proviso that the Argentinian starts from the rear.

Race 2 at Estoril is scheduled to start at 16:15 CEST.