Race 1: Gené back to winning ways in Zolder

Jordi Gené took his first victory of the season in Race 1 in Zolder, Belgium this afternoon, his first win since Mexico 2008. Gené’s SR-Sport teammate and poleman Gabriele Tarquini came home in second while Chevrolet’s Yvan Muller completed the podium.

Norbert Michelisz was top in the Rookie challenge finishing seventh overall. Kristian Poulsen found a way around local favourite Pierre-Yves Corthals to win the Independents in 12th. Further down the field Andy Priaulx made an important move to get ahead of Coronel and finish eighth giving the BMW Team RBM driver pole for Race 2.

Gené had a good run on his teammate as the field came across the line for the rolling start. Priaulx dropped down to tenth while Darryl O’Young made contact with Michel Nykjær. After a promising weekend O’Young spun into the gravel although got his Chevrolet Lacetti going to rejoin in last position.

As the top three edged away the order by the end of the first racing lap was Gené from Tarquini, Muller, Menu, Monteiro, Huff, Michelisz, Coronel, Priaulx and Barth.

By lap four Gené had pulled out a 1.4-second lead on his teammate but Monteiro was beginning to push Menu for fourth. Muller began to hunt down Tarquini for second but at half race distance began falling back into the grasp of his teammate Menu as the Frenchman tried to save the front-left tyre on his Chevrolet Cruze.

Kristian Poulsen was bouncing his BMW 320si across the kerbs while chasing local racer Pierre-Yves Corthals for 12th and the Independents lead, which he eventually took from the Belgian driver to claim his first category win this season.

On lap seven Priaulx found his way through to take P8 from Tom Coronel when the Dutchman ran wide at the chicane and with it claimed pole position for Race 2 at what is his BMW Team RBM’s home event. His teammate, Augusto Farfus also made up a position to take 10th from Fredy Barth.

Gené took the chequered flag to claim his first WTCC victory since Mexico in 2008, 2.6 seconds ahead of Tarquini. Despite the pack beginning to bunch up behind the Chevrolet of Muller, the current championship leader held off the challenge to hold onto the third place. Menu finished fourth ahead of Monteiro in fifth and Huff, sixth.

Norbert Michelisz finished seventh to win the Rookie Challenge ahead of Fredy Barth (P11) and Mehdi Bennani (P15). Michelisz will now start alongside Priaulx on the front row for Race 2. Poulsen took victory in the Independents’ from Corthals (P13) and Sergio Hernández (P14).