Photo: TCR Series

Jean-Karl Vernay wraps up 2017 TCR Series title as Pepe Oriola wins Race 1

Jean-Karl Vernay secured the 2017 TCR International Series drivers’ title after finishing third in the first race at Dubai, while Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola secured his first win since the opening round of the season.

Pepe Oriola launched into the lead at the start from fourth in the grid, as Vernay had a slow getaway in the Team WRT Volkswagen, while team-mate Gordon Shedden had a comparatively good start from pole position.

Despite this, Oriola’s pace into the first turn saw the Spaniard snatch the lead from the Scotsman, with Vernay running in third on the road.

James Nash also had a great start in his Craft-Bamboo SEAT, and had launched from 11th to fourth, with the Brit passing Vernay on lap three to put his SEAT León in the final podium positions.

Meanwhile, Gabriele Tarquini, who’d started last after an engine change in his Hyundai i30 N TCR, was carving through the field and was up to fifth by lap five, when the safety car was called after a collision between M1RA Honda’s Roberto Colciago and Craft-Bamboo’s Dan Lloyd, which saw Lloyd’s SEAT left stranded on the circuit.

At the restart, Tarquini continued to work his way forward, moving up to third and was closing on Shedden’s Volkswagen before he suddenly began to slow on the penultimate lap after experiencing a puncture.

Behind, Nash was fighting a rear-guard action against Vernay and the two M1RA Hondas of Attila Tassi and Josh Files, with Vernay making a last lap lunge to pass Nash and claim the final spot on the podium on his way to taking the title.

Oriola kept complete control of the race and won by 4.4 seconds over Shedden, with Vernay’s third putting him 30 points ahead of Tassi with just 25 remaining from the final race at 15:35 GST (12:35 CET).