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WTCR Race 3 flash: Tarquini defeats home hero Michelisz

Gabriele Tarquini broke the hearts of the enthusiastic masses in the main grandstand at WTCR Race of Hungary by beating national hero and team-mate Norbert Michelisz to victory in Race 3, as the WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO put on another fine display of action-packed racing at the Hungaroring.

The Italian veteran extended his points lead as the BRC Racing Team claimed a comfortable one-two with its Hyundai i30 N TCRs.

The key was Tarquini's trademark scorching start that allowed him to streak ahead of DHL Pole Position winner Michelisz before they braked for Turn 1. At that point, the Hungarian must have been painfully aware his chances of victory had already slipped away.

Behind them, Yvan Muller made advances on the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Hondas and established himself in fourth ahead of Race 1 winner Yann Ehrlacher. That quickly became third when Esteban Guerrieri was judged to have jumped the start in his Civic Type R TCR. He would eventually serve his drive-through penalty and drop down the order.

Mehdi Bennani was the first casualty of the race when he was punted off into a fast spin as the pack negotiated Turn 2 for the first time, as Ehrlacher, Benjamin Lessennes, Dániel Nagy, James Thompson and Race 2 winner Rob Huff settled into the race behind the three leading Hyundais. Bennani recovered to finish in a lowly P19.

On lap three the safety car was called upon as marshals worked to clear the Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS of Aurélien Panis, which had been caught up in a clash between Zsolt Szabó and Tom Coronel. Once the Audi had been removed, racing resumed on lap five.

But not for long. The threat of rain had hung over the circuit before the start and it finally came during lap six. A lap later, the race was red flagged.

The rain quickly abated and after a brief pause the race restarted behind the safety car in dry conditions. Once the field was back up to racing speed on lap 9, Tarquini and Michelisz re-established their grip on the race. The Hungarian clung to the back of the Italian's Hyundai, but Tarquini had everything under control to score his third victory in the WTCR's first six races. He now holds a 36-point lead in the standings over Race 1 winner Ehrlacher.

Muller scored his second third place of the day in his YMR Hyundai, ahead of Ehrlacher in fourth while 18-year-old Belgian Lessennes claimed an impressive fifth for Boutsen Ginion Racing.

Dániel Nagy completed a great weekend's work by adding a sixth place to his runner-up finish in the reverse grid Race 2. He finished ahead of experienced Britons Thompson and Huff.

Thed Björk climbed from P18 on the grid to ninth at the flag, his YMR Hyundai chasing Huff hard after a difficult weekend for the Swede. Jean-Karl Vernay completed the top 10 as he once again proved to be the best of the Audi RS 3 LMS entries.

As a coda to an entertaining weekend of action, the rain returned with a vengeance - but only as the drivers celebrated on the podium. A biblical hailstorm swept across the Hungaroring, scattering the dedicated fans who had added so much to a riveting WTCR Race of Hungary.

Had the hail arrived minutes earlier, the race might have ended in a very different story - and perhaps in a way that might have sent them home happier, and with their hearts intact.

Zdroj: fiawtcr.com