NEWS // MULLER & TARQUINI SHARE THE SPOILS @ CURITIBA

Just as in the opening round of the World Touring Car Championship last season, Curitiba saw a win apiece for Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini.

However there the similarity ends, as Muller was at the wheel of a RML Chevrolet Cruze for the first time along with reigning Champion Tarquini now aboard a privately entered Seat Leon TDI after Seat's official withdrawal at the end of last year... [read more]

Race one saw Muller lead the field away from a safety car start due to heavy rain and the Frenchman was never truly threatened once he had made the first couple of corners his own. The 2008 champion led home a Chevrolet 1-3 with Robb Huff and Alain Menu joining him on the podium. "The race was complicated because at the beginning there was some standing water. Then the track dried out and to be on the wet tyres on a dry track was not easy. After five laps I wanted to save the tyres because I knew it was drying but I was saving a bit too much and when Huff came up behind me I had to wake up.” said Muller.

Fredy Barth took the Rookie Challenge victory after putting a move on Norbert Michelisz on the penultimate lap. While Scuderia Proteam Motorsport’s Sergio Hernández was the top Independent.

Race One Result:

1. Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 26mins 57.181secs 16 laps
2. Rob Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze +1.053secs
3. Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze +5.582secs
4. Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI +7.136secs
5. Andy Priaulx BMW Team RBM BMW 320si +11.625secs
6. Augusto Farfus BMW Team RBM BMW 320si +12.098secs
7. Jordi Gene SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI +14.379secs
8. Tom Coronel SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI +14.647secs
9. Fredy Barth SUNRED Engineering SEAT Leon TDI +18.773secs
10. Norbert Michelisz Zengo-Denison Team SEAT Leon TDI +20.359secs
11. Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI +21.691secs
12. Michel Nykjaer SUNRED Engineering SEAT Leon TDI +22.645secs
13. Sergio Hernandez Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si +34.973secs I
14. Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si +38.092secs I
15. Darryl O'Young bamboo engineering Chevrolet Lacetti +44.692secs I
16. Harry Vaulkhard bamboo engineering Chevrolet Lacetti +50.005secs I
17. Stefano D'Aste Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si +50.742secs I
18. Mehdi Bennani Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si +1min 20.825secs I

DNF. Andrei Romanov Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si 5 laps completed I

With the weather surrounding the Brazilian circuit for race two significantly improved it was Tom Coronel who lined up on pole for the reverse grid race two. The Dutchman however made a terrible start and suffered contact with Rob Huff on the run down to the first corner. Gené took over the lead with Tarquini, Huff, Menu and Muller behind. Another making a bad start was Augusto Farfus who made contact with fellow BMW Team RBM racer Andy Priaulx off the start with the latter making it back to the pits but also out of the race due to the front suspension damage. Farfus then ran wide at the Esse de Baixa dropping from his third grid spot down to seventh.

Lap 3 saw Tarquini through past Gene as the pair of TDI's now were able to pull a gap on the chasing Chevrolets of Huff, Menu and Muller. With Huff now begging to lose pace both Menu and Muller demoted the Englishman back to fith place before the flag. The final order across the line was Tarquini from Gené, Menu, Muller, Huff, Farfus, Monteiro, Nykjær and Michelisz.

Sergio Hernández took his second Independents’ victory of the day rounding out the top ten, despite pressure from Franz Engstler in the closing stages. Nykjær’s eighth place finish also gave him the Rookie Challenge win.

Tarquini (above) felt that the SR-Sport Team had already exceeded expectations commenting “We have no team orders so it was a great race.I had a tough time over the winter but in qualifying the car was great . The plan was to get a podium and maybe a win and I did that so it’s a fantastic start to the season.The SR-Sport team have done a fantastic job. I feel really satisfied and this victory is special. Last year I knew I could fight for the title but this year my plan is to score some victories and the first one is here.“

Race Two Result:

1. Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI 2mins 13.311secs 14 laps
2. Jordi Gene SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI +1.276secs
3. Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze +5.407secs
4. Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze +5.985secs
5. Rob Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze +8.295secs
6. Augusto Farfus BMW Team RBM BMW 320si +8.596secs
7. Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI +10.419secs
8. Michel Nykjaer SUNRED Engineering SEAT Leon TDI +11.808secs
9. Norbert Michelisz Zengo-Denison Team SEAT Leon TDI +17.576secs
10. Sergio Hernandez Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si +24.244secs I
11. Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si +24.643secs I
12. Mehdi Bennani Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si +30.072secs I
13. Harry Vaulkhard bamboo engineering Chevrolet Lacetti +30.923secs I
14. Fredy Barth SUNRED Engineering SEAT Leon TDI +39.780secs
15. Stefano D'Aste Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si +40.328secs I
16. Darryl O'Young bamboo engineering Chevrolet Lacetti +40.481secs I

DNF. Tom Coronel SR-Sport SEAT Leon TDI 1 lap completed
DNF. Andy Priaulx BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 0 laps completed
DNS. Andrei Romanov Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Did not start I

The next round of the WTCC is scheduled for May 2nd in Marrakech, Morocco.

Images and Info: WTCC
Editorial: Neil Tozer