Race one winner at Monza Franco Girolami believes he and championship rival Mikel Azcona’s battle on the final lap was “part of the race.”
Girolami, who’s victory ensures the title fight continues despite another fine drive through the field by rival Azcona, held off the championship leader in the later stages of the opening race of the weekend in Italy with the pair making contact several times as both drivers attempted to take the win.
However, despite the slight contact by both drivers, Girolami was able to hold on to the lead of the race and claim the victory, much to his delight.
“I’m really, really happy for team PSS! We delivered a fantastic show, even with the 60 kilos of Compensation Weight,” explained Girolami after crossing the finish line.
“The final lap was very close with Mikel. I tried to fight to keep him back and be clever. Yes, we had a little touch, but I think it’s part of the race.”
Azcona was able to close on Girolami after he ran wide at turn ten on lap nine that saw the CUPRA driver close up the gap quickly as a result, but the PSS Racing driver admitted that he was delighted to hold on to the win.
“I made a mistake during the penultimate lap, as I saw Azcona’s car in the mirror closing the gap quickly,” added Girolami.
“I tried to push, but it was too much so I went wide, and this helped him to catch me up. I don’t know if there was some engine issue in my car of it was just the weight difference, but he was able to close gap very quickly recovering 600 metres in the last two laps.
“I tried my best to defend my position. It is true that we had some contact, but it was fair enough.”
Girolami now trails Azcona by 31 points with three races of the season remaining.