Top Run Motorsport has been ruled out of the season finale of the TCR International Series in Macau due to an engine failure on Alain Menu’s Subaru STi TCR car.
Menu failed to complete even one lap in first practice, coming to a halt in the second half of the session on the pit straight with an engine which was losing power.
The Swiss driver had earlier missed the first half of the session as his team worked to make set-up changes based on his advice.
“When we checked on the engine, we found that it had seized up,” explained Team Manager Renato Russo. “And yet there are no signs of failure such as overheating, oil leaks or lack of water. We have to open the engine and see what happened.”
The news comes as further frustration for the Italian team, who had to miss the second race in Thailand due to differential problems.