After hosting the second meeting of the season, Monza is the destination for the penultimate round of the Clio Cup Europe. Already spectacular with 28 cars on track at the beginning of the year, the battles are set to be more intense and undecided than ever at the "Temple of Speed" !

The battle continues in Europe

The battle between the last three contenders for the European title will continue in Italy. While Nicolas Milan (Milan Compétition) took the lead at the previous meeting at Circuit Paul Ricard, his rivals are eager to fight back this weekend. David Pouget (GPA Racing), who won at Monza in April, will aim for more success while Marc Guillot (Milan Compétition) will do his utmost to extend the suspense for the crown, the Alpine A110 road car at stake and the chronograph exclusively produced by BRM for the winner.

Challengers Cup title-winner Kévin Jimenez will not be at Monza and will let his pursuers fight for victory. Alexandre Albouy (GPA Racing), Mathieu Lannepoudenx (Milan Competition) and Jerzy Spinkiewicz (Uniq Racing) want to position themselves for the runner-up spot, but the local competitors led by Filippo Berto (Oregon Team), Alessio Alcidi (Caal Racing) and Lorenzo Nicoli (Progetto E20 Motorsport) promise to deliver fierce competition in Lombardy.

Everything is still up for grabs in the Gentlemen Drivers Cup. Horn (GPA Racing) arrives at Monza with the lead but will have to keep an eye on Lionel Viguier (TB2S), Alessandro Sebasti Scalera (Oregon Team) and Stephan Polderman (Chefo Sport), who are still in the running. Michel Faye (GM Sport) and Jean-Marc Thévenot (Milan Compétition) are among the few drivers who will only compete on the European front this weekend and try to create a surprise.

Three titles at stake in Group A

After Monza, Misano, Budapest, Imola and Spielberg, the Group A field returns to conclude their campaign at Monza.

The title will be decided between Marc Guillot, Anthony Jurado (Milan Competition) and Gabriele Torelli (Faro Racing), even if the latter will have to repeat his feat at the beginning of the season by winning both races while hoping his rivals struggle. Three men will also fight for the crown in the Challengers category, namely Filippo Berto, Alessio Alcidi and Lorenzo Nicoli, whilst Alessandro Sebasti Scalera arrives in a very favorable position against Quinto Stefana (Oregon Team) in the Gentlemen Drivers category.

On home soil, Federico Scionti (Scuderia Costa Ovest), Gustavo Sandrucci (Progetto E20 Motorsport), Massimiliano Danetti and Felice Jelmini (PMA Motorsport) will want to excel one last time in front of their fans. This will also be the case for Challengers Yeraly Ospanov (Carpek Services), Daniele Pasquali (Caal Racing), Giacomo Trebbi (MC Motortecnica) and Sandro Cutini (Proteam Race) as well as Gentlemen Drivers Due (Oregon Team), Matteo Rughetti (Faro Racing), Andrea Argenti (SI Racing Team) and Vittorio Zadotti (Scuderia Costa Ovest).

Other competitors making their debut to get a feel for the Clio Cup Europe and prepare the 2022 season include Challengers Matteo Bigogno (Faro Racing), Jacopo Cimenes (Essecorse) and William Mezzetti (Progetto E20 Motorsport) as well as Gentlemen Drivers Pietro Bacchi (PMA Motorsport) and Andrea Chierichetti (MC Motortecnica). Lastly, Lorenzo Peiroleri and Stefano Bargiggia will share the #333 Clio Cup entered in the Press League.

The final battles in Group C

The Group C season will also conclude at Monza after rounds at Hockenheim, Budapest, Spa-Francorchamps and Spielberg.

Marc Guillot heads to Italy with one hand on the cup, but he will have to watch out for a final surge from Tomas Pekar (Carpek Services). Meanwhile, Andreas Stucki (Stucki Motorsport) will aim for third place currently occupied by Jerzy Spinkiewicz. Already the winner among the Challengers, the latter will face his rivals Henrik Siebel (Carpek Services), Paul Cocaign (TB2S), Mariano Alonso (GPA Racing), Alessio Alcidi and Daniele Pasquali for the last time while Serbian Nikola Miljkovic (Tempo Racing Team) will make his debut in Clio Cup Europe.

Lionel Viguier, who has already won the Gentlemen Drivers Cup, will be able to focus on his quest for the European title in the same category this weekend.

Group D, still undecided

Following Magny-Cours, Le Castellet and Valencia, the Group D competitors will meet again in Monza, before the season finale in Barcelona, for a penultimate meeting that is crucial for the hopes of many of the challengers.

Nicolas Milan and David Pouget have pulled away, but Mathieu Lannepoudenx and Alexandre Albouy will try to make up ground while continuing their duel at the top of the Challengers Cup, where Nicolas Abella, Antonio Herrerias (Chefo Sport) and Guillaume Maio (GM Sport) are still in the running. The Gentlemen Drivers Cup will also be intense as Stephan Polderman will look to extend his lead over Horn as well as his compatriot Rene Steenmetz (Chefo Sport), Joaquin Rodrigo (Vearsa Sport) and Gabriel Alonso (GPA Racing).

In each of the four Clio Cup groups, the overall winner will win - if they have not already done so in another category - a three-hand watch designed by BRM Chronographs. The Clio Cup Europe partner will also reward the winners and the runners-up in the Challengers and Gentlemen Drivers Cup with a piece of jewellery from his new collection.

The Renault Sport Series Facebook page and Renault Sport YouTube channel will have live coverage of race one from the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, scheduled for Saturday at 2.20 pm and race two on Sunday at 9.10 am.

Entry list

TIMETABLE

Friday 29 October
8h30-9h00 : Collective test 1
12h10-12h40 : Collective test 2
17h50-18h10 : Qualifying 1

Saturday 30 October
9h55-10h15 : Qualifying 2
14h20-14h55 : Race 1 (25 minutes + 1 lap) - Facebook | Youtube

Sunday 31 October
9h10-9h45 : Race 2 (25 minutes + 1 lap)- Facebook | Youtube