Suzuka, Race 2: Coronel claims first victory

Finally Tom Coronel came back to the WTCC winning circle, claiming his first WTCC victory in the ROAL Motorsport BMW. The second one for him in the World Championship.

Chevrolet drivers focused on the championship and did not take the risk to try hazardous overtaking manoeuvres; Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Alain Menu filled the positions from second to fourth, while Robert Dahlgren’s hopes were frustrated once again with a fifth place that could have been a podium without a misfiring problem.

Michel Nykjær encored in the Yokohama Trophy after a race-long close fight with Colin Turkington and Javier Villa. For the whole 23 laps the Dane was able not to open the least of a gap.

Gabriele Tarquini had another unlucky race and was stopped by a drive-through after a collision with O’Young at the start.

Key moments
A few minutes before the start a light shower dampens the track
Start – Coronel takes the lead while pole sitter O’Young is hit by Tarquini and spins off at Turn 1
Lap 1 – Dahlgren overtakes Menu for fourth
Lap 4 – Muller and Huff put the pressure on Coronel
Lap 6 – Dahlgren tries to overtake Huff for third, in vain
Lap 8 – Tarquini is given a drive through for hitting O’Young at the start
Lap 10 – Nykjær is chased by Turkington and Villa
Lap 12 – Tarquini retires after observing the drive through
Lap 15 – Menu overtakes Dahlgren for fourth
Lap 16 – Bennani is given a drive through for overtaking Dudukalo under yellow flag
Lap 22 – Dahlgren dives inside Menu at Turn 5 but doesn’t find a gap
Lap 23 – Coronel wins beating Muller by inches; Nykjær wins the Yokohama Trophy from Turkington

Withdrawals
T. Monteiro, DNS: race 1 incident; F. Barth, DNS: race 1 incident; D. O’Young: race incident; G. Tarquini: withdrawn