After the first two rounds of the Italian championship, Levente Losonczy, who drives for Aggressive Team Italia with the support of the Hungarian Motorsport Academy, made his debut in the TCR Europe. The young touring car driver competed in one of the continent’s strongest touring car fields during a break from school exams.
The third round of the TCR Europe series was held in Spa-Francorchamps, the venue of the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, where Aggressive Team Italia’s Levente Losonczy was also in action. The Hungarian Motorsport Academy-supported driver was competing for the first time in the championship.
He is already familiar with his team and the Hyundai Elantra N TCR, having already started in the TCR Italy championship but TCR Europe has an even stronger field, including the 2019 World Touring Car Cup winner Norbert Michelisz and two-time World Cup winner Yann Ehrlacher.
Spa is the longest and one of the most, if not the most difficult venue in the series, with 20 typically fast and medium-fast corners on its 7,004-metre circuit, including the Raidillon and Eau Rouge, the Pouhon and the Blanchimont. The majority of the turns have considerable elevation changes, which is a real challenge for the drivers.
Due to the nature and location of the track, testing opportunities are limited, so drivers are forced to practice primarily on simulators for Spa but even with the most advanced technology, real-world experience is still a lot more useful. Levente had two free practices with a total 60 minutes of track time to learn as much as possible.
After Friday’s practice sessions came the decisive qualifying session, where Levente finished 22nd. This made the start of Race 1 difficult, as the rear wing of the car in front of him obscured the start light, making the start less than ideal. The race distance was just 8 laps, and it was interrupted by the Safety Car.
Levente finished 19th in Race 1 and 21st in Race 2 on Sunday, but seeing the level of competitiveness this weekend, the team opted to change tactics in terms of tyre allocations and prepare for the next round, which will take place between 16-18 June 2023 at the Hungaroring.
“I had two practice sessions with 30 minutes of track time each time, which is approximately 20 laps in total. It was not even close to be enough time to prepare for Qualifying on such a complex and unfamiliar track. As a result, I lacked confidence with the car and did not have the pace,” said Levente.
“We felt it was right to take the new tyres with us to the Hungaroring and not use them here. We have a lot of work to do to compete with our rivals in such a strong field but thanks again to Pepe Oriola, Bálint Hatvani and the team for their work, and to my father, our partners and the Hungarian Motorsport Academy for their support,” said Levente.
Levente Losonczy, TCR Europe Spa results
Free Practice 1: P19
Free Practice 2: P20
Qualifying: P22
Race 1: P19
Race 2: P21
Points standings: P16
