The venue for the Belgian Grand Prix rewards slipstream management, race intelligence and adaptation to changing weather conditions. All these attributes could prove crucial in gaining the upper hand in each category and group of the Clio Cup, which returns to Belgium after a year’s absence !

Round two for Clio Cup Europe

The winner of the season’s first two races, Gabriele Torelli (Rangoni Corse), will arrive in Belgium at the top of the general classification. If he wants to continue his winning streak, the Italian must beware of his closest rivals, David Pouget (GPA Racing) and Nicolas Milan (Milan Compétition). European title holder Anthony Jurado (Milan Compétition) will be keen to reverse the early trends by returning to the pointy end of the order, while Cristian Ricciarini (Essecorse), Jerzy Spinkiewicz (Uniq Racing), Tomas Pekar (Carpek Racing) and Fernando Navarrete (Chefo Sport) will be gunning for big points to get back into contention.

In the Challengers Cup, Mattia Lancellotti (Faro Racing) and Julien Baziret (Baziret Sport) will try to increase the gap after sharing the victories at Monza. Jacopo Giuseppe Cimenes (Essecorse) and Alejandro Schimpf (AST Competition), who were on the Italian podium, will have other ideas, as will Adrian Schimpf (AST Competition) and Nikola Miljkovic (Tempo Racing Team). The battle promises to be particularly intense in the category, where Guillaume Maio (GM Sport), Leonardo Arduini (MC Motortecnica), Damiano Puccetti (Rangoni Corse), Pierre Bredeaux (Comte Racing Team), Mickaël Carrée (T2CM) and Ludovico Longoni (MC Motortecnica) will all want to step up their game.

With the leading quartet separated by only eight points, the Racers Cup promises to be just as breathtaking. Luca Franca (MC Motortecnica) and Andrea Cherichetti (MC Motortecnica), who won at the "Temple of Speed", will aim for repeat successes, whilst Benjamin Cauvas (GPA Racing), Daniele Pasquali (Tuder Motorsport) and Rene Steenmetz (Chefo Sport) will aim for their first European victory of 2023. Lionel Viguier (T2CM), Stephan Polderman (Chefo Sport) and Alex Lancellotti (Faro Racing) have the same goal to kick-start their campaigns.

Clio Cup France heads toward the midway point of the season

Twice winner at Nogaro, Nicolas Milan saw David Pouget cut his deficit to 15 points after his pair of victories at Magny-Cours. The two drivers, already at the top of the Clio Cup Series, will resume their duel in the Belgian Ardennes to determine who will lead at the midway point of the French calendar.

This duo must keep close tabs on Alexandre Albouy (GPA Racing) and Alexandre Finkelstein (GPA Racing), who is still unbeaten in the Challengers Cup this season. The latter will try to continue his winning streak while getting closer to the leaders. But Aurélien Renet (JSB Compétition), Florian Venturi (GM Sport), Mickaël Carrée and Florian Coruble (GM Sport) intend to give him a hard time and break his domination.

In the Racers Cup, Jérémy Bordagaray (Milan Compétition) and Fabien Julia (LR Performance) want to widen the gap after having shared the spoils so far this year. Among their rivals, the challenge could well come from Laurent Dziadus (Team Lucas) and Lionel Viguier (T2CM). Meanwhile, Raphaël Cuadrado (GM Sport), Samuel Chaligne (T2CM) and Veenesh Shunker (T2CM) want to raise their level to upset the hierarchy.

Is it time for revenge in Clio Cup Italia ?

After beginning his season with a victory at Monza, Cristian Ricciarini heads to the two Belgian races as the leader of the Clio Cup Italia. Although he has a five-point advantage over Mattia Lancellotti, the Italian knows that his main adversary could easily be Jerzy Spinkiewicz, who also won in Italy and is determined to make up for the ground he lost after retiring in Race 1.

With his two wins in the Challengers Cup, Mattia Lancellotti wants to consolidate his lead over Giacomo Trebbi (MC Motortecnica), Jacopo Giuseppe Cimenes and Alessandro Brigatti (Progetto E20 Motorsport), who all podium finishes on home soil. Opposite them, Leonardo Arduini and Francesco Savoia (Progetto E20 Motorsport) want to continue their promising debut in the Clio Cup. Lastly, Gianalberto Coldani (MC Motortecnica), Adam Sascha (Sevenhills Motorsport), Alessio Alcidi (Tuder Motorsport), Federico Danova (Essecorse), Francesco Miotto (Progetto E20 Motorsport), Ludovico Longoni and Francesco Pagano (Scuderia Costa Ovest) will look to make marked improvements.

The Racers Cup will also feature some stout battles. Thanks to their podium finishes, Sandro Cutini (Faro Racing) and Due (Oregon Team) are chasing the two Monza winners, Luca Franca and Alessandro Alcidi (Tuder Motorsport). Both will try to get the upper hand on their rivals, but they should not overlook the ambitions of Daniele Pasquali, Andrea Cherichetti, Manuel Stefani (Sevenhills Motorsport) and Alex Lancellotti !

Can Torelli continue to dominate in Clio Cup Mid-Europe ?

Although an initial hierarchy has been established in Clio Cup Mid-Europe with the Italian double of Gabriele Torelli, ahead of Anthony Jurado, Julien Baziret and Nikola Miljkovic, the leader will have to be wary of retaliation from his rivals. All determined to regain the ascendancy, they must watch out for Tomas Pekar and Andreas Stucki (Stucki Motorsport), who are determined to bounce back after their performances in Italy.

Meanwhile, Julien Baziret will try to maintain his winning streak in the Challengers Cup despite the efforts of Nikola Miljkovic, Guillaume Maio and Daniel Nyffeler (Stucki Motorsport). His compatriot Sébastien Gehin (T2CM) will have the same objective in the Racers Cup after his double success versus Rene Steenmetz and Stephan Polderman in Monza.

Two confrontations not to be missed under any circumstances

Five drivers complete the field, with Spaniards Mariano and Gabriel Alonso (GPA Racing), Italians Andrea Bonifazi (Sevenhills Motorsport) and Clio Cup Italia winner in 2008 and 2018, Simone Di Luca (Faro Racing), and France’s Julien Briché (JSB Compétition). The field of 60 cars will hit the track on Friday for the collective tests. The two races on Saturday at 5:25 pm and Sunday at 4:30 pm will be streamed live on the Renault Clio Series Facebook page and YouTube channel.

PROGRAMME

Friday 26 May
9:00-9:30 am : Colective test 1
1:55-2:25 pm : Colective test 2

Saturday 27 May
12:50-1:10 pm : Qualifying 1
5:25-5:55 pm : Race 1 (25 minutes + 1 lap) | Facebook | YouTube

Sunday 28 May
9:00-9:30 am : Qualifying 2
4:30-5:00 pm : Race 2 (25 minutes + 1 lap) | Facebook | YouTube

Entry list