Pau race 1: Alain Menu victorious

Alain Menu was victorious after leading the field from lights to flag in Pau. He drove his Chevrolet Lacetti solidly to turn his second pole of the season into his second win, precisely like one moth ago in Zandvoort.

Yvan Muller came home second followed by SEAT Sport team-mate Tiago Monteiro who made his first podium appearance in the championship.

The first corner saw Menu and Muller side my side for Menu to squeeze through. Mid-pack: Olivier Tielemans suffered contact, causing his Alfa Romeo to spin sideways and retire. Tielemans’ team-mate James Thompson crossed the line in tenth position chasing Tom Coronel for ninth for much of the race.

Augusto Farfus, who had his car rebuilt overnight after his serous accident in qualifying, had a great start promoting himself from thirteenth to ninth . He closed in on Jordi Gené and luck was to come his way when on lap twelve Nicola Larini (running fourth) suffered a puncture and pitted. Consequently Farfus was eighth until he made a move on the Spaniard to finish seventh. Gené will line up on pole position on the reverse grid for race two.

Larini’s puncture meant fellow Chevrolet man Rob Huff passed the chequered flag fourth. He was followed by BMW drivers Félix Porteiro and Andy Priaulx. Priaulx – who tried in vain to find a gap for overtaking the young Spaniard – took solo lead of the championship for the first time this season with 34 points ahead of Jörg Müller’s 31 and Farfus’ 30.

The independent category was closely fought with Stefano D’Aste achieving his first win of the season. Local driver Anthony Beltoise held the lead for the first half of the race until both the Wiechers-Sport man and Sergio Hernández passed him.