TCR World Tour – Mexico: Guerrieri in boss mode

Esteban Guerrieri was the man of the weekend. After a difficult first race, he delivered in the next two rounds. In Race 2, he showed composure and opportunism, taking advantage of the chaos at the start to move from 7th position to the front of the race. As usual, the Argentinian made his way to the front of the race. He then held off Yann Ehrlacher, who was a real threat at the end of the race, despite vibrations on his tires. The result: victory by less than two tenths.

In Race 3, he led from start to finish from pole, never really being troubled. Despite a restart after the safety car, he maintained control, finishing two seconds ahead of Thed Björk (Lynk & Co 03 - Cyan Racing). A demonstration of consistency and pressure management that confirms that Goat Racing will be a team to watch this season.  Guerrieri was able to get the most out of his Honda, showing that on a circuit like Mexico, the balance between chassis, power and handling could compensate for the aerodynamic advantage and the internal organization of teams like Lynk & Co.

Lynk & Co: efficient but not dominant

Lynk & Co showed a good overall pace, notably with Thed Björk (2nd in Race 3) and Santiago Urrutia (3rd in Race 3, 4th in Race 2). But several elements revealed strategic or individual limitations:

Ehrlacher, often the team's natural leader, was inconsistent: good in race 2 (2nd after a strong comeback helped by his teammates), but faltering in race 3, weighed down by a poor start and a loss of pace towards the end of the race. The Alsatian suffered in Mexico City when he could have left the Mexican capital much higher in the general classification (he is 5th, 36 points behind Guerrieri).

The team orders, while effective in encouraging comebacks, were not enough to counter Guerrieri's solid performance. Despite the cars being well-tuned and consistent, none were able to gain the upper hand on track against the Honda with the 86 in critical moments.

Hyundai withdraws

The contrast is striking with the Hyundai Elantra N, which have completely disappeared from the debates. Mikel Azcona suffered a collision in the opening corners of Race 3, forcing him to pit. Having already been a low-profile driver in Race 2, his frustration was palpable. The same was true for Norbert Michelisz and Nestor Girolami. The team appears to have suffered from a lack of overall performance on the Mexico City track: a lack of top speed, rapid tire degradation, and a lack of competitiveness in the overtaking phase.

Esteban Guerrieri was able to thwart Lynk & Co's strategies with a clean, incisive, and defensive drive when necessary. He proves that he remains a serious contender for the championship. Lynk & Co continues to accumulate points thanks to the strength of its team; they will have to be just as convincing when ballast and the BoP hamper their performance. As for Hyundai, the Mexican weekend highlights a real performance crisis that will have to be resolved quickly or risk falling behind in the title fight. 

Aurélien Comte (SP Compétition) delivered a solid performance all weekend, even securing 3rd place on the podium in Race 2. He is currently 4th overall. 

The next round of the TCR World Tour is scheduled for June 14 and 15 at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. 

TCR World Tour – Mexico
Race 2 – Ranking

Race 3 – Ranking

TCR WorldTour
Championship – Standings