Clashes of the titans at Le Castellet

The Clio Cup season is in full swing with round 13 of 2022 on the Grand Prix de France track for the Clio Cup France season-finale and the penultimate round in Clio Cup Europe and Clio Cup Spain!

The fight intensifies in Clio Cup Europe

Four French drivers will clash on home soil to take the lead in Clio Cup Europe ahead of the season-finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (11-13 November). Nicolas Milan (Milan Compétition) and Anthony Jurado (Milan Compétition) will continue their duel after swapping the lead at Monza last week, but they will be challenged by their teammate Marc Guillot (Milan Compétition), who won his ninth Clio Cup title by winning the Clio Cup Eastern Europe crown on Sunday. Fourth on the points table, David Pouget (GPA Racing) also hopes to accelerate his climb up the leaderboard following his victory last weekend in Italy.

Jerzy Spinkiewicz (Uniq Racing), who has already won the Challengers Cup, will do his utmost to stay in contact with this quartet, even though he will have to score big points to keep his chances alive. However, the Pole will once again face rivals Nikola Miljkovic (Tempo Racing Team), Guillaume Maio (GM Sport) and Juuso Panttila (Carpek Service), who has clinched the category crown in Clio Cup Eastern Europe. These three drivers will continue to battle for the top spots while Jacopo Giuseppe Cimenes (Essecorse), Nico Abella (Chefo Sport) and Lin Chen Han (Uniq Racing) will aim for their first success of the season on the European scene.

The suspense remains in the Gentlemen Drivers Cup, where Stephan Polderman (Chefo Sport), Quinto Stefana (Milan Competition) and René Steenmetz (Chefo Sport) will fight for the top spot. Although the leader comes in with the advantage, his adversaries will have nothing to lose after sewing up the titles in the same category in Clio Cup Italia and Clio Cup Eastern Europe. Against this trio, Horn (GPA Racing) and Michel Faye (GM Sport) will try to impress in their home country while hoping to preserve their fading title hopes.

An intense season-finale in Clio Cup France

The Clio Cup France season-finale will pit Nicolas Milan against David Pouget, two competitors who have monopolised the wins this season. With five victories apiece, both are equal on points and can claim a title - and the three-hand watch offered by B.R.M. Chronographes to the winner - which would be the first in France for David Pouget or the 14th for Nicolas Milan in the Clio Cup!

In parallel to this clash of the titans, the Challengers Cup will be a fierce contest, as five drivers can win and receive the jewel awarded by B.R.M. Chronographes. Alexandre Albouy (GPA Racing) can seal the deal on Saturday, but Léo Jousset (Milan Compétition), Joran Leneutre (JSB Compétition) and Alexandre Finkelstein (GPA Racing) intend to give their all to achieve the feat. Meanwhile, Aurélien Renet (JSB Compétition) and Guillaume Maio want to conclude their campaign in style with a maiden victory.

The fight is just as fierce in the Gentlemen Drivers Cup, where Mathieu Rigoulet (Vic'Team) is in the lead while Pierre Monmaneix (GPA Racing), Lionel Viguier (T2CM) and title-holder Laurent Dziadus (Team Lucas) are chasing him. Even a single point could make all the difference while Cédric Delcroix (GPA Racing), Jérémy Bordagaray (Milan Compétition), Horn, Michel Faye, Yann-Maël Navillod (GPA Racing), Stéphane Nevers (GPA Racing) and Gaël Rostant (GPA Racing) will look to finish on a high.

Clio Cup Spain back on track

After a long summer break, the Clio Cup Spain competitors return for the penultimate meeting of their campaign before the Barcelona season-finale.

Alex Royo (Team VRT), who has led since the start of the season, will look to extend his advantage over the chasing pack of Nico Abella, Jordi Palomeras (Team VRT) and Alex Lahoz (Cotauto Motorsport), all engaged in a stout battle at the top of the Challengers Cup. Although the leading quartet has slightly pulled away, Turkey's Emre Can Ünal (Team VRT), twins Alejandro and Adrian Schimpf (Cotauto Motorsport) and Renault Group Fundación España backed Lydia Sempere (Team VRT) are eager to join the battle at the front.

In the Gentlemen Drivers Cup, Frenchman Fabien Julia (LR Performance) will have his first chance to secure the title on home soil, but Joaquin Rodrigo (Vearsa Sport) will do his best to postpone the outcome and keep his title chances alive.

Two drivers entered by Guillaume Maio's GM Sport team and ineligible for points complete the field. French Hillclimb Championship regular Julien Paget will return to the Clio Cup three years after his last appearance while Florian Coruble from Reims will debut in the discipline after distinguishing himself in other single-make cups.

The weekend will kick off on Friday with the first collective tests. Both races will be streamed live on the Renault Clio Series Facebook page and the Renault Clio Series YouTube channel.

TIMETABLE 

Friday 14 October
12:10-12:40 pm: Collective test 1
9:20-9:50 pm: Collective test 2

Saturday 15 October
11:10-11:30 am: Qualifying 1
8:05-8:40 pm: Race 1 (25 minutes + 1 lap) | Youtube | Facebook

Sunday 16 October
9-9:20 am: Qualifying 2
4:45-5:20 pm: Race 2 (25 minutes + 1 lap) | Youtube | Facebook

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