Gabriele Tarquini wins rain-interrupted final race in Hungary
BRC Racing Team’s Gabriele Tarquini won the final race of the weekend in Hungary, taking his third win from six races and extending his lead of the drivers’ standings, crossing the line ahead of local hero and team-mate Norbert Michelisz in a race which was held up behind the red flag due to rain.
Tarquini launched from second on the line into the lead ahead of Michelisz into the first corner, with the two BRC Racing Team Hyundais running ahead of the Münnich Honda of Esteban Guerrieri.
The safety car was soon deployed as Aurélien Panis’ Audi RS 3 LMS was off at Turn 3 and required recovery, just as it became clear that Guerrieri was deemed to have jumped the start and was given a drive-through penalty.
When the race restarted, Guerrieri headed into the pits which promoted the YMR Hyundai of Yvan Muller to third, but the race would only last two more laps before light rain began to douse the circuit, with the race director calling for the red flag to allow the teams to change tyres on the grid.
The race resumed just 15 minutes later, with the field remaining on their slicks with the rain having quickly cleared, with Tarquini holding position ahead of Norbert Michelisz, with the BRC squad holding the pair in position under team orders.
Tarquini would cross the line three-tenths ahead of Michelisz, with Muller three seconds adrift, with Yann Ehrlacher the best-placed Honda in fourth, just behind his uncle on the track.
Benjamin Lessennes secured his best WTCR finish to-date in fifth in the Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda, ahead of Daniel Nagy’s M1RA Hyundai and James Thompson in the #15 Münnich Honda.
Race 2 winner Rob Huff in the Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR was able to hold back last year’s WTCC champion Thed Björk in the YMR Hyundai, despite a few knocks, while Jean-Karl Vernay again picked up points with tenth in the Team WRT Audi RS 3 LMS.
Tarquini now leads the championship on 118 points, 36 clear of Ehrlacher, with Muller just three points further back, heading to the next round at the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in two weeks’ time
