Motorsport: Kris Richard is ETCC champion
Switzerland has another 2016 FIA champion. Two second places in Imola were enough for Kris Richard from Bern in a Honda Civic TCR from Rikli Motorsport to win the European Touring Car Cup. The calculation just worked out. Not in the way that Kris Richard had imagined. But he had the foresight to [...]
The calculation just about worked out. Not in the way that Kris Richard had imagined. But Honda works partner JAS and Rikli Motorsport had the foresight to provide strong support and hit the bull's eye. The experienced Finn Aku Pellinen put his JAS Honda on pole position, while Kris Richard had to settle for third place on the grid behind his title rival Petr Fulin. As a result, the Czech was once again one point ahead before race day.
Kris Richard immediately took command at the start of the first race, while Aku Pellinen and Petr Fulin dropped back a little. The fast Macedonian Igor Stefanowski, who had already proven his speed as European Hillclimb Champion, put pressure on Kris Richard in his Seat Leon, which was around 50 kilos lighter, and the latter wisely gave way. Behind him, Aku Pellinen kept him at bay in a Seat that was also optimally tuned, and so the Swiss driver retook the top spot in the standings with second place.
Decisive support
Aku Pellinen's shooting assistance was to be decisive for the match. In the final race, with the top 8 starting in reverse order, Petrr Fulin soon surged into the lead, while Kris Richard had to fight his way forward and took second place on the penultimate lap. With the same number of points and season wins (five each), it was not only Kris Richard's second place that decided the title win. If Petr Fulin had finished third instead of fourth in the penultimate race, the two-time European Cup winner would have had two more points to his name.
Kris Richard won a free entry in the 2017 World Touring Car Championship as the main prize: "I'm particularly pleased about that. The FIA will decide where I will drive, but I hope it will be with Honda." Following his great success, the 21-year-old Swiss driver may now have the chance to be promoted to the international TCR series or a strong national championship such as TCR Germany with the help of Honda - he certainly deserves it.
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Photo: ETCC
