Yvan Muller wins chaotic race at Valencia

Yvan Muller has taken the lead of the World Touring Car Championship after victory in race one at Valencia, whilst the other two Chevrolets of Alain Menu and Rob Huff made controversial contact on the first lap.

The first start was aborted with the cars not lined up correctly for the rolling start, with Huff noticably behind his team-mate heading down the start/finish straight.

On the second attempt, Huff got a good run on Muller down the outside into Turn 1, but it was Tarquini who snuck through to take the lead from third on the grid, squeezing down the inside of Muller and holding on through the next left-hander to slot ahead of the Frenchman’s Chevrolet.

Huff and Muller were now battling for second place, but then Huff was pushed into a half spin by Alain Menu, who was now up to fourth after outdragging Coronel at the start and having also dived down the inside at Turn 1 to pass Tiago Monteiro.

Tarquini held on the lead until lap four, eventually being passed by Muller, and the Chevrolet began to pull away from the Italian’s SR Leon.

On lap eight, Tarquini began to slow, dropping behind Menu and then eventually pulling over and allowing the pack through as he headed back to the pits. It was then the stewards decision came through that a drive through penalty had been awarded to Alain Menu for the incident at the start.

The team put out the signal for Menu to pit for his penalty on the following lap, before the stewards then put out a notice that the penalty had been withdrawn.

Further replays then appeared to show Menu had been hit from behind by Tiago Monteiro, with Monteiro now listed as under investigation.

Huff worked his way up the order after his contact earlier, and went on to finish fifth, seemingly struggling with his tyres at the end, holding off Javier Villa’s Proteam Racing BMW.

Tom Coronel finished on the podium in third behind Menu, whilst Kristian Poulsen took his first independents’ class victory since Brno with fourth overall, and retakes the lead of the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy standings.

Muller’s win with Huff in fifth sees the reigning champion back in the points lead for the first time this season on 308, with Rob Huff now on 299.

Race two follows at 15:05 CET with Franz Engstler on pole position alongside Tom Coronel.