Chevrolet take top three places in race one

Former World Touring Car Champion Yvan Muller has won the first race of the season at Curitiba. The Frenchman, new to the Chevrolet team, took the win ahead of his team mate Robert Huff and Alain Menu.

The races started behind the safety car due to heavy rain. After the field was released on lap 3, pole sitter Muller endured some presure from SEAT’s Jordi Gene, but the spaniard ran wide at the first corner.

Gene was able to continue in second, but was immideatly under attack from Robert Huff and Alain Menu. The drivers drove three wide over the track, and at the following corner Gene ran wide agian, giving Chevrolet the top three positions.

At the beginning of the fourth lap both Tarquini, fourth, and Coronel, seventh, ran wide, but both were able to hold on to their positions. The rest of the race saw more drivers, mainly SEAT’s, run wide at the first corner, but all continued without problems.

Lap six however saw Andrei Romanov in trouble, after running wide he hit the barriers and sustained some damage on the front left of his car. He was able to get back onto the track, but had to retire in the pits.

On lap seven Coronel started to put pressure on Augusto Farfus, who was stuck behind his team mate Andy Priaulx. After a left hander Coronel was able to put his car alongside Farfus and passed him for sixth place.

However, three laps later Farfus managed to take back sixth from Coronel, who promptly lost seventh to Jordi Gene as well.

The final six laps the field settled down, and Yvan Muller’s lead was not threatened. Robert Huff followed closely and set several fastest laps, but was not able to challenge. Alain Menu finished in third a couple of seconds down.

Stefano D’Aste looked to take the win in the independents trophy, but dropped back in the final stages of the race, after contact with Darryl O’Young’s Chevrolet Lacetti caused a puncture. This gave the independents win to Sergio Hérnandez, ahead of Franz Engstler and Darryl O’Young.