TCR / 02 June 2025

More poles and class wins for Civic Type R TCR

The Honda Civic Type R TCR was again at the head of the action over the weekend as the JAS Motorsport-built touring car claimed pole positions on two continents and a double class win in Argentina.

 

TCR South America

Nelson Piquet Jr was the star of qualifying at Rio Hondo as he continued Honda Racing YPF’s unbeaten pole position record in 2025; his championship-leading team-mate Leonel Pernia making it an all-Civic front row.

Both drivers made slow getaways; Piquet falling to third and Pernia to 11th, but each showed superb in-race pace to recover lost ground.

On several occasions Piquet drew level with the leader, but never had enough of an advantage to complete the pass. By two-thirds distance Pernia – by now fifth – had caught the lead battle that included Piquet, but made little more progress and finished fourth.

Piquet added to his Race One runner-up spot with third in Race Two – this time a spot behind Pernia, and was the top-scoring driver of the weekend as he climbed to third in the championship and helped Honda YPF Racing cement their spot at the top of the Teams’ points.

Tiago Pernia – Leonel’s son – made a superb getaway to climb from 15th to eighth on the first lap of Race One and continued to make up ground to finish fifth. His uncle Mariano Pernia was sixth, but went a spot better in Race Two for a season’s-best result.

Their team-mate Adrian Chiriano took pole position in the Trophy class for Pro-Am drivers and won the category in Race Two from Porthack Racing’s similar Civic, driven by Enzo Gianfratti.

Gianfratti beat Chiriano to the class win in Race One and the pair now hold the top two spots in the points with Chiriano ahead.

 

TCR Eastern Europe

Giacomo Ghermandi scored his first series pole position as the MM Motorsport driver – a winner last time out at the Red Bull Ring – topped qualifying at the Salzburgring.

Losing the advantage at the start, he remained in the hunt for the victory throughout and crossed the line in third place, only to be pushed back to sixth later on due to a time penalty incurred for on-track contact.

He was again fighting for a podium finish in Race Two when he crashed out on the opening lap.