Stéphane Lemeret wins Race 1 at Zandvoort from Giacomo Altoè

Boutsen Ginion Honda driver Stéphane Lémeret won the first sprint race at Zandvoort from pole position, holding off a race-long challenge from the Delahaye Volkswagen Golf of TCR International regular Giacomo Altoè.

Lémeret had a relatively slow getaway, at least for a TCR-spec Honda, into Turn 1, and found himself flanked by both Altoè’s Volkswagen and the fast-starting Peugeot 308 of Kevin Abbring into the corner.

Lémeret was able to hold the lead through Tarzan, with Altoè slotting in behind ahead of Abbring, while the safety car was quickly deployed as the Renault Clio Cup car of Bartosz Pazeiwski crashed out at Turn 3 on his own.

The race resumed on lap three, with the #2 Boutsen Ginion Honda of Benjamin Lessennes diving down the inside of Abbring’s Peugeot to take third a lap later.

The top three then started to break away from Abbring, who was fighting off Mathieu Detry in the Team WRT Volkswagen Golf.

Detry made his move on lap seven, trying to repeat Lessennes’ move around the outside from lap four, but the Peugeot held firm, but with Detry now on the inside, the Volkswagen popped ahead into fourth at the next left-hander.

Lémeret was continually under threat up front from Altoè’s Volkswagen, with Lessennes right behind in case a mistake happened.

The reigning champion managed to hold off the Italian to take his first win of the season.

Race 2 follows with the grid as Race 1.