Renault: Tough going at the Clio finale 🎥

INTERNATIONAL FINAL All countries with Renault Cups met in the south of France at the weekend for the International Cup Final. The action was tough. For Andreas Stucki there was another podium in the Clio Cup Central Europe. In the Renault one-make cups, the going gets tough. This was the case at the International Clio Cup finale at Circuit Paul [...].

Editorial - November 6, 2018

The Clio finals in Le Castellet brought together drivers from all over Europe and China. There were no presents in the back places either (Photo: Marc de Mattia / DPPI).

The Renault one-make cups are played hardball. The Swiss drivers involved in the final International Clio Cup at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet also felt the effects of this.

In the first of the two final rounds of the Central Europe Cup with double points, Roland Schmid finished after ten laps in a good ninth place and second best driver in the Gentlemen classification (over 40 years). Andreas Stucki, who was still in contention for a podium place in the overall standings, received a time penalty retrospectively and thus dropped back from fifth to 20th place.

Andreas Stucki: "They declared me to be the culprit in a scuffle. You can have different opinions about that."

Andreas Stucki has been competing in the Central European Cup for years with the Clio RS IV entered by Stucki Motorsport.

Finally a podium
The 33-year-old from St. Gallen in the Linth region then showed his elbows in the second run, which ultimately earned him sixth place in the race and third in the Clio Central Europe Cup standings.

Andreas Stucki: "Unfortunately, we had three Brits racing with us, who were not supposed to interfere in our championship. But the Englishman who started in front of me locked me out for laps, even though I was turning faster lap times than the front runners up to that point. In the end, it didn't matter anymore because I wouldn't have made the podium in the championship anyway."

How hard the fight for the podium was fought between Stucki and the German Sandro Soubek (who finished ahead of the Swiss because he had shortened and received a time penalty for it afterwards) is shown by the recording at 36:20 minutes:

After seven events of two races each, Stucki is in fifth place overall. He was runner-up in 2016 and third the previous year. His best classification in the past season was second place at the Red Bull Ring. The title was won by Dutchman Sebastiaan Bleekemolen.

Roland Schmid took part in only four events. If he had not dropped out in the second race, he would have been runner-up in the Gentlemen's race.

The three best at the international final (from left): third Bernard Castagné, youthful winner Jack Young and third Max Coates.

A 17-year-old takes the top prize
In the final international race on Sunday afternoon, 38 drivers from all six national Renault Clio Cups including China met. Overall victory went to 17-year-old Jack Young from the Renault UK Clio Cup. As a prize, the young Northern Irishman received a new Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy on Sunday evening.

As the only Swiss in the field, Stucki was in 16th position until two laps before the end, when a Spaniard drove into the back corner of his car, spinning him around and causing a collision with a third vehicle. A completely unnecessary action, as there was only something to be gained for the winner.

The International Final can also be followed in a recording.