Zandvoort, Race 2: Guerrieri beats SLR Volkswagen duo for win

Esteban Guerrieri stretched his title lead with a tight victory in the reverse-grid Race 2 at WTCR Race of Netherlands at Zandvoort.

The ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport driver was chased hard by SLR Volkswagen duo Benjamin Leuchter and Johan Kristoffersson, but the Honda Civic Type R TCR just held on for his second win of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup season to stretch his points lead.

“It was a tough one,” said Guerrieri. “I qualified in P10 this morning to get the pole, and it was just luck. My team-mate Néstor [Girolami] was P11. This is for the team, we have a great bunch of guys here. We made little improvements from yesterday and I’m really happy to score good points. I had a little problem with the rear on the last lap and I think Benjamin had a problem with his lights because he kept flashing them…”

Guerrieri made a strong start from his Pole Position to establish his lead on the first lap, as KCMG’s Attila Tassi crashed into the gravel following contact from Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing’s Tom Coronel. The safety car was called upon as Tassi’s Honda was retrieved.

Racing resumed on lap four, at the end of which Yvan Muller ran wide at the last corner and dropped four places to eighth. He lost a further position on the next lap to Lynk & Co team-mate and nephew Yann Ehrlacher. Muller had started sixth despite taking the Pole Position for Race 3 after losing his Q3 time for non-compliance regarding the maximum boost pressure and the maximum engine speed values as published in the Balance of Performance chart issued for the event.

Behind Guerrieri and the two Golfs, local hero Nicky Catsburg gave the huge Zandvoort crowd something to cheer with fourth for BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team. PWR Racing’s Mikel Azcona was next ahead of the Hyundais of Augusto Farfus and Norbert Michelisz, Erhlacher and Muller. Girolami rounded out the top 10.

The other points scorers were Rob Huff in P11, who led home Race 1 winner Thed Björk, Gabriele Tarquini, Aurélien Panis and Jean-Karl Vernay.

Race 3 of WTCR Race of Netherlands is scheduled to start at 16h35 local time.