Daniel Haglöf leads the championship after strong weekend at Knutstorp

Daniel Haglöf leaves Knutstorp with the lead of the 2018 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship after a strong opening round of the season with PWR Racing, winning Race 1 and driving from ninth to fifth in Race 2, and is just one point ahead of team-mate and reigning champion Robert Dahlgren.

Haglöf made a great start in Race 1 to take the lead from new team-mate Philip Morin, and despite a minor run-in with Dahlgren after the first safety car, it was plain sailing to the finish, taking victory by just under two seconds from Dahlgren.

In the reversed grid Race 2, he worked his way forwards up the order, eventually crossing the line in a comfortable fifth behind Fredrik Ekblom’s WestCoast Racing Volkswagen, and several seconds clear of Micke Ohlsson’s Brink Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS

“It’s been a very good weekend, I’m very happy with what we achieved,” said Haglöf to TouringCarTimes. “I’m first and Robert is second, and we’re leading the teams’ championship, so all-in-all it’s pretty good I think.

“I’m very happy with my second race going from ninth to fifth, I think that’s about all you can do on a track like this

“It was also a great drive from Mikaela (Åhlin-Kottulinsky) in Race 1, and a great result for Philip (Morin) with a podium; it’s too bad about his puncture in Race 2, but I think he’s shown he belongs with the top drivers in the championship, and he has time to learn and continue to rise.”

The next round of the championship takes place at Anderstorp, which Haglof believes should also work well for Cupra, depending on any STCC compensation weight changes.

“Last year at Anderstorp we were very strong, so it depends on whether we get some extra weight from this weekend or not. I think the reversed grid there will be better, as it’s easier to overtake and more difficult to block. We will go there to bring home the big points and do our best no matter what.”