Photo: WTCC Media

Tom Coronel takes his second win of the season at Vila Real

By

Tom Coronel won the opening race at the Vila Real street circuit, leading all the way from pole position in his ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet Cruze, finishing ahead of his former team-mate Tom Chilton’s Citroën, moving him into the top ten in the championship.

The Dutchman led a largely processional race, which saw the majority of movement take place at the start. Citroën’s José María López got the jump from sixth to fifth ahead of the Volvo of Thed Björk, and Chilton was able to get ahead of Nicky Catsburg’s Lada through the first sequence of corners.

Coronel then had to defend against Chilton throughout the duration of the race, but there were no opportunities for the Briton to pass the Chevrolet around the tight street circuit, allowing him to take his second win of the year, again on a street circuit after his first win came at the opening race at Marrakech. Tom Chilton went on to finish second with Catsburg completing the podium.

“Of course I felt the pressure, he’s been one of my best team-mates,” said Coronel on his battle with Chilton. “I know his thinking and his mind, I know he’s strong in the braking points, but I knew I was strong in the straights and could get a bit of a gap before the braking zones.”

The race saw very few incidents or manoeuvres after the start. Hugo Valente retired on lap eight from 12th position, while Gabriele Tarquini worked his was past Robert Dahlgren’s Volvo a lap later who’d now inherited 12th, with the Italian making the most of a good start after lining up 17th on the grid, but would still finish outside of the points.

Rob Huff pressured Thed Björk’s Volvo throughout the race for sixth position, and the Briton made his move at Turn 26 on the penultimate lap, with Björk leaving the Honda driver racing room, allowing Huff to move one place up the order.

Catsburg’s second place now elevates him to a clear second place in the drivers’ standings, 101 points behind José María López, but the Lada driver will start the next race from ninth position, with López fifth on the grid, and local driver Tiago Monteiro starting from pole.