Esteban Guerrieri throws his name in the independents’ fight with China win

Campos Racing’s Esteban Guerrieri became a chief contender for the WTCC independents’ fight after a sensational second overall win in the WTCC at Ningbo in China in the rain, and with all three of the independents’ leading Citroëns crashing out, has made significant gains in the privateers’ class.

The Argentinian dropped a spot to the Volvo of Nicky Catsburg at the start, but then fought his way past Catsburg, the Citroën of John Filippi and the Lada Vesta of early race leader Yann Ehrlacher in the only race that had any green flag running on Sunday, going on to take his second win of the season, his first since the season opening weekend in Morocco back in April.

“It was extreme conditions, all the time raining heavily,” said Guerrieri.

“It was aquaplaning on the straights, so you never knew where to brake, where to be safe and which was the safe line. I tried to take my references at the beginning to see where was the biggest problems were for the car on the track.

“After that I got profit from Nicky’s mistake in Turn 1, his car was quite slow in the first sector and I could overtake him and straightaway I could also overtake (John) Filippi. Yann was a bit far away but I was lucky with the safety car.

“Then I saw Yann wasn’t on it onto the straight and I was catching him on the straight line and I had two choices: to lift on the straight because I was aquaplaning everywhere, or keep it flat and keep catching him to try a move into the first corner. I chose the second one, and it paid off because I could overtake him and then I had a clear track…I’m very happy and proud of my team because they gave me a great car. It was perfect, I’m so happy.”

Guerrieri has closed to within seven points in the independents’ classification of current leader Tom Chilton, with three race weekends to go.