Tabacchi comes back to win, Paulsen takes third season win

Emanuele Tabacchi won Race 1 of the Trofeo Pirelli on the Mugello circuit, after making a comeback against Fabienne Wohlwend. In the Trofeo Pirelli Am class, Frederik Paulsen beat Matús Vyboh at the end of a very heated battle.

The start proved decisive with Emanuele Maria Tabacchi immediately taking the lead to surprise polesitting rival Fabienne Wohlwend. Frederik Paulsen moved into third place at the first turn, with Matús Vyboh hot on the heels, followed by Frederik Espersen. Florian Merckx, from sixth place, staged a determined comeback, managing to return to third place just several turns into the race. Immediately out of the action was Olivier Grotz, third in the Trofeo Pirelli Am table, who was unable to take part in the race due to an issue that left the car stranded on the starting grid.

The head of the course had turned into a two-horse race between Tabacchi and Wohlwend, with the former looking in control. Merckx remained further back, ahead of an unbridled Paulsen and Vyboh, both in the chase for the victory in Trofeo Pirelli Am.

On the seventh lap Dhillon came out of the Poggio Secco turn wide, losing control of the vehicle to end up stuck in the gravel. The position of the stationary car was deemed to be dangerous by race stewards who called out the Safety Car to remove the 488 Challenge Evo. The race remained momentarily frozen over the coming laps. As racing restarted Tabacchi managed to defend his position, with a close-behind Wohlwend hounding her rival, although without success. Merckx too was close to the tail-end of the pair, but not near enough to attempt an attack. In fourth and fifth position the close battle between Paulsen and Vyboh raged, but the Danish driver fended off each of the assaults to maintain the gap.

Tabacchi made it past the chequered flag first, earning a fourth win of the season, ahead of Fabienne Wohlwend. Thanks to this result, the Rossocorsa driver consolidates the lead, holding 107 points compared to the 84 of the Luxembourgian. Accompanying them on the podium, on the bottom step, was Florian Merckx who for the first time this season posts a top three finish. Final fourth place, sixth overall, went to John Wartique.

Frederik Paulsen claimed the spoils in Trofeo Pirelli Am, for a third win of the season ahead of Matús Vyboh by a mere five tenths-of-a-second. Third came Frederik Espersen, followed by a consistent Roman Ziemian who, starting from the back of the grid, managed to claw back six positions.