Penalties blight tricky WTCR début for Josh Files

After a year away from driving competitively, Josh Files made his World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) début this weekend at Motorland Aragón. However, with persistent car problems and a pair of time penalties, it wasn’t the most welcoming of returns to the sport.

Files’ difficulties began in qualifying when his Hyundai cut out prematurely after just a few flying laps. Having solved that problem, he was then plagued with clutch issues on Sunday.

The reigning TCR Europe champion crossed the line in sixteenth place in race one after a bruising encounter with Attila Tassi, before finishing twelfth in race two.

But, after being accused by the stewards of illegally overtaking Tiago Monteiro at turn one, the Brit was handed a five-second time penalty, which dropped him down to fourteenth.

Race three marked a big improvement as Team Engstler got to grips with the mechanical issues plaguing his car, eventually finishing in eighth position.

However, excessive track limits abuse meant that another penalty was headed his way. After having ten seconds added to his total race time, Files’ eighth place was downgraded to tenth.

Overall though, the 29-year-old was largely competitive throughout the weekend; a sizeable feat considering how long he has been away from the track, and after having to learn how to handle Goodyear tyres instead of the Yokohamas that he would’ve been used to in other TCR series.

In his own words, Files said, “After yesterday’s qualifying drama, I think it’s gone not so bad.”

Question marks remain over whether he will be back in the car again for the season finale, with the decision hinging on whether or not Nicky Catsburg tests negative for Covid-19 in time.

Should that be the case, the Dutchman may have a claim to the seat as the team’s regular driver, but after an event like this one, Files will undoubtedly feel as though he has unfinished business with the WTCR.

Revised race two result

POS	NO	DRIVER	NAT	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	BEST	GD
1	96	Mikel AZCONA		Zengő Motorsport	CUPRA Leon Competición	10	21:23.600	2:07.194	1
2	100	Yvan MULLER		Cyan Racing	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	10	2.990	2:07.235	4
3	12	Santiago URRUTIA		Cyan Performance	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	10	3.499	2:07.272	7
4	17	Nathanaël BERTHON		Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	10	4.613	2:06.881	5
5	30	Gabriele TARQUINI		BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse	Hyundai i30 N TCR	10	5.949	2:07.214	3
6	68	Yann EHRLACHER		Cyan Racing	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	10	9.362	2:07.956	12
7	11	Thed BJÖRK		Cyan Performance	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	10	11.538	2:07.484	11
8	16	Gilles MAGNUS		Comtoyou Racing	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	10	13.770	2:07.735	8
9	8	Luca ENGSTLER		Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team	Hyundai i30 N TCR	10	16.926	2:07.672	2
10	86	Esteban GUERRIERI		ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	10	21.563	2:09.287	18
11	29	Néstor GIROLAMI		ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	10	22.128	2:09.020	9
12	18	Tiago MONTEIRO		ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	10	27.486	2:09.562	13
13	9	Attila TASSI		ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	10	28.067	2:09.471	19
14	40	Josh FILES		Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team	Hyundai i30 N TCR	10	28.449	2:09.297	16
15	1	Norbert MICHELISZ		BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse	Hyundai i30 N TCR	10	31.219	2:07.055	21
16	15	Nicolas BAERT		Comtoyou Racing	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	10	37.109	2:10.220	15
R	99	Gábor KISMARTY-LECHNER		Zengő Motorsport	CUPRA Leon Competición	8	DNF	2:10.106	20
R	31	Tom CORONEL		Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	5	DNF	2:08.979	17
R	69	Jean-Karl VERNAY		Team Mulsanne	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR	5	DNF	2:07.661	6
R	34	Aurélien COMTE		Vuković Motorsport	Renault Mégane RS TCR	3	DNF	2:09.520	14
R	55	Bence BOLDIZS		Zengő Motorsport	CUPRA Leon Competición	0	DNF	N/A	10

Revised race three result

POS	NO	DRIVER	NAT	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	BEST	GD
1	11	Thed BJÖRK		Cyan Performance	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	14	14 LAPS	2:07.757	2
2	12	Santiago URRUTIA		Cyan Performance	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	14	0.565	2:08.219	3
3	30	Gabriele TARQUINI		BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse	Hyundai i30 N TCR	14	6.783	2:08.012	8
4	17	Nathanaël BERTHON		Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	14	8.240	2:08.129	4
5	16	Gilles MAGNUS		Comtoyou Racing	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	14	9.139	2:08.225	1
6	69	Jean-Karl VERNAY		Team Mulsanne	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR	14	10.159	2:08.670	5
7	96	Mikel AZCONA		Zengő Motorsport	CUPRA Leon Competición	14	10.751	2:08.538	10
8	31	Tom CORONEL		Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	14	17.354	2:08.985	18
9	86	Esteban GUERRIERI		ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	14	23.807	2:09.104	19
10	40	Josh FILES		Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team	Hyundai i30 N TCR	14	26.768	2:09.049	17
11	15	Nicolas BAERT		Comtoyou Racing	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	14	33.427	2:09.416	16
12	68	Yann EHRLACHER		Cyan Racing	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	14	33.546	2:08.469	13
13	99	Gábor KISMARTY-LECHNER		Zengő Motorsport	CUPRA Leon Competición	14	40.712	2:09.968	21
14	100	Yvan MULLER		Cyan Racing	Lynk & Co 03 TCR	14	59.064	2:08.932	7
15	55	Bence BOLDIZS		Zengő Motorsport	CUPRA Leon Competición	14	1:36.471	2:08.017	12
16	1	Norbert MICHELISZ		BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse	Hyundai i30 N TCR	12	+ 2 LAPS	2:07.800	6
R	9	Attila TASSI		ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	6	DNF	2:08.918	20
R	34	Aurélien COMTE		Vuković Motorsport	Renault Mégane RS TCR	5	DNF	2:10.038	15
R	8	Luca ENGSTLER		Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team	Hyundai i30 N TCR	1	DNF	N/A	9
R	29	Néstor GIROLAMI		ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	0	DNF	N/A	11
R	18	Tiago MONTEIRO		ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR	0	DNF	N/A	14