communiqués de presse
communiqués de presse

Royo and Abella share the victories at Valencia

Alex Royo (Team VRT) and Nico Abella (Chefo Sport) were a cut above the rest in the sixth meeting of the season at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia to move clear at the top of Clio Cup Spain ahead of the final sprint this autumn. The two drivers are now respectively in command of Clio Cup Spain and the Challengers Cup while Fabien Julia (LR Performance) took a big step towards the Gentlemen Drivers Cup title with another a pair of victories.

26 June 2022

The Ricardo Tormo Circuit hosted round six of the season and the field featured mainly Clio Cup Spain contenders, who began their race weekend with the collective tests led by Alex Lahoz (Cotauto Motorsport).

RACE 1: ROYO DOMINATES

Leader of the general classification, Alex Royo dominated the first qualifying session despite the efforts of Alex Lahoz, who came up 0.005s short of winning the pole. Nico Abella and Jordi Palomeras (Team VRT) qualified third and fourth ahead of Gentleman Driver Javier Cicuendez (Team VRT).

When the lights went out, Alex Royo held onto the lead while Jordi Palomeras and Nicolas Abella made impressive starts to pass Alex Lahoz. This leading quartet quickly escaped from the rest of the field led by Javier Cicuendez, who was being pestered by his pursuers until Alejandro Schimpf (Cotauto Motorsport) found an opening on lap two.

The battle intensified on lap four. Alex Lahoz took third place from Nico Abella before doing the same to Jordi Palomeras two laps later. Nico Abella took advantage of this second duel to attempt to retake his position and the three drivers exchanged swapped places several times. Jordi Palomeras finally took the upper hand while Alex Lahoz spun after contact with Nico Abella.

Meanwhile, Alex Royo extended his lead to control the race as second and third place wasn't decided until after the chequered flag. In the final laps, Nico Abella attacked Jordi Palomeras again as Alejandro Schimpf joined the fight and overtook his compatriots. His twin brother Adrian Schimpf (Cotauto Motorsport) slotted between Nico Abella and Jordi Palomeras before some changes post-race. While Royo kept his win, Alejandro Schimpf's Clio Cup was two kilograms underweight and disqualified. Nico Abella inherited second place but then lost this position and the Challengers Cup victory to Jordi Palomeras due to a five-second penalty for not respecting the track limits.

Alex Lahoz finished fourth ahead of Fabien Julia, who won the Gentlemen Drivers Cup after getting the better of Javier Cicuendez on lap six. Adrian Schimpf was classified sixth, ahead of newcomer Hugo Hernandez (Cotauto Motorsport), Emre Can Ünal (Team VRT) and Lydia Sempere (Team VRT) in the top ten completed by Javier Cicuendez.

RACE 2: ABELLA IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN

On Sunday morning, Alex Lahoz won the pole ahead of Nico Abella and Jordi Palomeras. Saturday race-winner Alex Royo was fourth on the grid ahead of Fabien Julia.

At the start, Nico Abella took the lead while Jordi Palomeras and Alex Royo took advantage of the poleman's slow start to gain positions as the Schimpf twins looked on. The order changed quickly as Alex Royo passed Jordi Palomeras for second place, but the reply of his rival was welcome news for the leader. The fight was also on the boil among Alex Lahoz, Adrian Schimpf and Alejandro Schimpf, who got the advantage on lap three before his two rivals had a run-in.

Nico Abella was unchallenged after having built up a gap to the field, while Alex Royo felt the pressure of his rivals increasing. The Spaniard caught a break on lap nine when the Schimpf brothers passed Jordi Palomeras, who was involved in a collision with Alex Lahoz three laps later.

Challenger Nico Abella finally won uncontested ahead of Alex Royo despite the efforts of Alejandro Schimpf after his twin had retired at the beginning of the last lap. Alex Lahoz inherited fourth place, followed by Gentleman Driver Fabien Julia and Hugo Hernandez, who were promoted to fifth and sixth after Jordi Palomeras was penalised for track limits. Javier Cicuendez, Emre Can Ünal and Lydia Sempere completed the top ten.

With a win and second place in Valencia, Alex Royo slightly increases his lead in the Clio Cup Spain. He now has a 20-point advantage over his pursuers led by Nico Abella, leader of the Challengers Cup ahead of Jordi Palomeras and Alex Lahoz. In the Gentlemen Drivers Cup, Fabien Julia now has a more than 50-point lead over Joaquin Rodrigo after taking his sixth win in as many races this season in Clio Cup Spain.

The next meeting of the Clio Cup Spain will take place at Circuit Paul Ricard this autumn. However, some of the competitors will be back behind the wheel this week at Zandvoort as part of a meeting hosting Clio Cup Europe, Clio Cup France and Clio Cup Eastern Europe. Forty cars will battle in the Clio Cup's return to the venue of the Dutch Grand Prix. 

Collective tests 1 - Collective tests 2 - Qualifying 1 - Starting grid - Race 1 - Qualifying 2 - Starting grid - Race 2 - Clio Cup Spain

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Royo and Abella share the victories at valencia

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Renault Press Office

Renault Press Office

Guillaume Renard

Guillaume Renard

Press Officer Renault Customer Racing

Since the launch of the R8 Gordini Cup in 1966, Renault has maintained a continuous presence on circuits around the world. Several thousand Clio Cups have been sold since 1991, and all five generations have been recognised for their performance, reliability and affordability. With its experience in promotional formulas and one-make series, Renault provides its savoir-faire and expertise to professionals and amateurs by offering a modern product adapted to their needs. In 2022, the Clio Cup will be in action in the Clio Cup Europe but also in Clio Cup France, Clio Cup Spain, Clio Cup Italia and Clio Cup Eastern Europe, thanks to an innovative calendar opening up numerous opportunities for competitors from all backgrounds: experienced drivers, Challengers and Gentlemen Drivers!

Renault, a historic mobility brand and pioneer of electric vehicles in Europe, has always developed innovative vehicles. With the ‘Renaulution’ strategic plan, Renault has embarked on an ambitious, value-generating transformation moving towards a more competitive, balanced and electrified range. Its ambition is to embody modernity and innovation in technology, energy and mobility services in the automotive industry and beyond.

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Document

Royo and Abella share the victories at valencia
Royo and Abella share the victories at valencia

Since the launch of the R8 Gordini Cup in 1966, Renault has maintained a continuous presence on circuits around the world. Several thousand Clio Cups have been sold since 1991, and all five generations have been recognised for their performance, reliability and affordability. With its experience in promotional formulas and one-make series, Renault provides its savoir-faire and expertise to professionals and amateurs by offering a modern product adapted to their needs. In 2022, the Clio Cup will be in action in the Clio Cup Europe but also in Clio Cup France, Clio Cup Spain, Clio Cup Italia and Clio Cup Eastern Europe, thanks to an innovative calendar opening up numerous opportunities for competitors from all backgrounds: experienced drivers, Challengers and Gentlemen Drivers!

Renault, a historic mobility brand and pioneer of electric vehicles in Europe, has always developed innovative vehicles. With the ‘Renaulution’ strategic plan, Renault has embarked on an ambitious, value-generating transformation moving towards a more competitive, balanced and electrified range. Its ambition is to embody modernity and innovation in technology, energy and mobility services in the automotive industry and beyond.

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