Thed Björk apologises to Mehdi Bennani for Race 1 contact in China

New championship leader Thed Björk has apologised to Mehdi Bennani for the incident in Race 1 at Ningbo which saw both drivers taken out of the race.

The Swedish driver locked wheels with Bennani’s Citroën on lap seven, with both cars forced to pit for repairs to their suspension.

The Volvo team hurried to repair Björk’s car as with his team-mate Néstor Girolami also out of the race, they would only have one car able to score points in the manufacturers’ championship, but the team ultimately missed the cut-off, with Björk only completing 66% of the race distance, with 75% required to be classified.

Björk held his hands up for the incident after the race when he spoke with Bennani, explaining the poor visibility in the wet conditions was the key factor.

“There was a problem with the vision, I couldn’t see anything,” said Björk. “Norbert (Michelisz) could easily overtake me when I braked, and then I hit (Mehdi) Bennani. He didn’t know I couldn’t see so well, there is not so much to say.”

Mehdi Bennani told TouringCarTimes: “He came to me and explained he was sorry he didn’t see me as he couldn’t see out of his mirrors. It’s a shame for me, but he’s a good gentleman to come and say he’s sorry, as a lot of drivers wouldn’t do this when they make a mistake, or they never admit they made a mistake. I really appreciate what he’s done.”