Lukoil SEAT driver Aleksei Dudukalo and Chevrolet’s Alain Menu both received reprimands from the stewards over separate incidents in the first race at Portimão.
Menu had started ninth and Dudukalo 12th in the first race, Menu had a bad start and ended up deeper in the midfield during the first phase of the race.
On the opening lap, Menu and Dudukalo had a coming together which propelled the Russian driver into a slide. Further on the lap, Dudukalo lost control of the SEAT León, sliding wide and rejoined the track and hit Gábor Wéber’s Zengõ Motorsport BMW, which put them both out of the race.
“I overtook (Menu) at corner six on the outside, and at the next corner I started braking and he pushed me in my rear right side and I had a big slide,” said Dudukalo to TouringCarTimes. ” I think I destroyed my right suspension, when going up the hill I started braking and slid wide and went off the track, and after I came back on track I hit (Gábor) Wéber.”
Menu was reprimanded for the incident with Dudukalo, whilst Dudukalo was also reprimanded by the stewards for his unsafe return on to the track.
