Photo: Castrol Honda WTC Team

Tiago Monteiro wins Hungary opening race as title rivals falter

Tiago Monteiro won the opening race at the Hungaroring, comfortably holding off Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën driver Tom Chilton, while team-mate and title rival Norbert Michelisz retired on the first lap after contact with Polestar Volvo’s Thed Björk.

John Filippi lined up on pole position in his independent Citroën, but the Corsican failed to get away at the start, with Monteiro leading the way into Turn 1 with Chilton up to second ahead of Björk and Michelisz.

The home hero Michelisz made a move on Björk at Turn 5, but the two made contact, with Björk out with a broken steering arm and Michelisz suffering a puncture, promoting Néstor Girolami in the #61 Volvo to third ahead of fellow Argentinian Esteban Guerrieri in the Chevrolet.

Guerrieri now had Rob Huff’s Münnich Citroën behind him, with the Briton the first driver to have opted to go around the left of Filippi’s car at the start. Huff managed to make his way past Guerrieri on lap four, and then closed in on Girolami’s Volvo.

The two were involved in a close fight during the final laps, with Huff receiving a warning after making contact with Girolami’s car at the rear at Turn 2.

Two laps later, Huff made a more committed move at the same corner, running around the outside at Turn 3 and therefore getting the inside for Turn 3 and taking the final podium spot from the Argentinian.

Guerrieri would lose one more spot to Nicky Catsburg’s Volvo, who finished fifth, while late in the race both Thed Björk and Norbert Michelisz rejoined the race to test their repairs ahead of Race 2.

Huff starts from pole position for the main race ahead of Bennani and Guerrieri.