Photo: WTCC Media

Esteban Guerrieri wins the final race while Thed Björk wins the championship

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Esteban Guerrieri took his third win of the season from pole position in the final race in Qatar, while fourth for Volvo’s Thed Björk was more than enough to secure the Swede the 2017 WTCC drivers’ championship title.

The Argentinian led the way from pole position in his Honda Civic, while Rob Huff in the Münnich Citroën blasted past the Volvo of Nicky Catsburg for second into the first corner.

Further behind at the start, the Volvo of Yvan Muller and the Citroën of Mehdi Bennani came together, with Bennani coming off worst, falling down the order end eventually into retirement with a front-right puncture. Bennani’s retirement handed his Sébastien Loeb Racing team-mate Tom Chilton the independents’ title on the spot.

Muller’s battle-damaged Volvo immediately lost a spot to the Campos Chevrolet of Kris Richard and dropped to seventh, and from there the Frenchman kept the Honda of Norbert Michelisz under guard, who’d worked his way forward from 11th on the grid to eighth by the end of the first lap.

From then on, the race settled down into a rhythm, with the two Volvos of Nicky Catsburg and Thed Björk swapping third positon between each other on lap two, only for Björk to return the position when his title was assured on the final lap.

Guerrieri dominated up front, winning the race by 3.7 seconds ahead of Rob Huff, while Nicky Catsburg completed the podium for Volvo.

Björk’s fourth place means the Swedish driver wins the drivers’ championship by 28.5 points, while Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Tom Chilton ended up in third, 35 points behind.

Polestar Cyan Racing and Volvo win the manufacturers’ title, 28.5 points clear of Honda, while Chilton wrapped up the independents’ title ahead of Rob Huff by nine points.

“It’s amazing, I can’t even believe it,” said Björk. “Now I can breathe again. Thank you to everyone. I felt there was so much pressure that could come, but everyone around me, my family and coach have helped me and I felt so happy starting the race.”

The race is set to be the last of the Super 2000 TC1 era, with the championship due to confirm the adoption of TCR regulations and its 2018 calendar.