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WTCR Race 3 flash: Two out of three for Tarquini

Italian star Gabriele Tarquini scored an emphatic second win at WTCR AFRIQUIA Race of Morocco in Marrakech to cap a thrilling first weekend of the all-new WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO.

The BRC Racing Team driver thwarted the challenge of fellow Hyundai i30 N TCR drivers and YMR team-mates Yvan Muller and Thed Björk to take a slender seven-point championship leader as three world champions filled the podium.

"The car is fantastic, the pace was great," said an ecstatic Tarquini. "It was not easy after the crash I had in Race 2, but the guys worked hard and the car was perfect. Incredible. I am over the moon and I hope the dream continues."

Tarquini made a perfect start from his DHL Pole Position, but fellow front row starter Muller was slow away and pulled left to block the BRC Hyundai of Norbert Michelisz. Contact was made between the two, which allowed fourth placed starter Björk to sweep into second place.

Tarquini had to negotiate two safety car restarts to ensure he kept his lead, but typically he judged both to perfection to maintain a gap to Björk.

After the second restart, Swede Björk lost what looked like a certain second place when his Hyundai briefly lost speed, allowing Muller to pass. The two white Hyundais circulated together to the flag, with the team boss claiming the runner-up spot. Björk revealed afterwards that he had accidentally knocked the power off.

Yann Ehrlacher completed a strong first weekend for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport by claiming fourth in his Honda Civic Type R TCR, ahead of the BRC Hyundai of Norbert Michelisz. The Hungarian did well to nurse a car hobbled by a gearbox oil leak throughout the race to hold off the Sébastien Loeb Racing duo of Mehdi Bennani and Rob Huff. The Briton spent the whole race glued to the back bumper of the sister Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR driven by home .

James Thompson finished eighth for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, ahead of Race 2 winner Jean-Karl Vernay.

The final point for P10 was claimed by Spaniard Pepe Oriola, who held off Team OSCARO by Campos Racing team-mate John Filippi and Dutchman Tom Coronel in an entertaining three-way battle.

The first safety car interruption was caused on lap eight by Frédéric Vervisch, whose Audi Sport Team Comtoyou entry almost collected Oriola at the end of back straight after what appeared to be a lack of braking power in his Audi RS 3 LMS.

The second safety car period followed a clash between DG Sport Compétition's Mato Homola and Comtoyou Racing's Nathanaël Berthon that left the latter's Audi stranded across the road at the fast right after the chicane.

Zdroj: fiawtcr.com