Photo: WTCC Media

Tarquini leads SEAT 1-2 for race two

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Gabriele Tarquini showed the SR-Sport team will be able to fight with the manufacturer squad, securing a win in the León TDI.

Chevrolet claimed 3rd, 4th and 5th to finish off a very strong points scoring position for the marque.

Tom Coronel started from pole, but was passed before the first corner by fellow front-row sitter Jordi Gené, but disaster was to strike heading into the first corner as he fell behind Tarquini, as it appeared that Coronel had contact with Huff or Muller’s Chevrolet and suffered damage to the rear suspension.

BMW’s start was even worse, especially considering their rear wheel drive starting advantage, swamped by SEAT’s and Chevrolet’s at the start, Andy Priaulx suffered front suspension damage from Norbert Michelisz, and retired at the end of the first lap.

Michelisz settled ahead of BMW of Farfus, but was soon passed by Farfus, and would slowly fall back eventually finishing in 9th place behind fellow rookie challenge competitor Michael Nykjaer.

On lap 3, the major moves took place, as Alain Menu and Yvan Muller lunged inside team mate Rob Huff and moved into third & fourth. They then pulled away from the British driver, leaving him to battle with BMW’s Augusto Farfus for fifth for the rest of the race.

2009 champion Tarquini also passed team mate Gené for the lead, and would hold this position for the remainder of the race, as the two SR-Sport SEAT’s held themselves a safe distance from the Chevrolet’s.

Sergio Hernandez, who had won the independent’s class in race one, repeated the feat in race two, but was challenged constantly by Franz Engstler during the race.

“Fantastic, I always win the second race these three years. It’s amazing because I repeat the same result of last year, fourth in the first one, first on the second one (races).” said Tarquini

“It was fantastic to score the first victory for SR-Sport Sunred team with not a lot of support from SEAT”.

With Tarquini and Muller sharing identical results, both last year’s title contenders leave Curitiba with joint lead of the championship, with 37 points using the new FIA points system.