Rob Huff wins ahead of Muller at Porto

Rob Huff took victory in an action packed second race at Porto, after pole sitter Stefano D’Aste picked up a drive-through penalty for a false start.

There was action before the flag for the returning Wiechers-Sport driver, with the Italian stalling on the parade lap. He was able to retake his position as he was able to get started before the field had passed.

At the start, Robert Dahlgren stalled from fifth on the grid, but miraculously the 14 cars behind him managed to avoid the Volvo. Dahlgren was able to get moving, but now massively behind the pack could only rescue 17th place.

D’Aste had a great start from pole, leaving the Chevrolets of Yvan Muller and Rob Huff several car lengths behind before the first corner, but they soon closed him down and were attacking for the lead.

D’Aste was fighting his car to hold on the lead, with a massive tail-slide on the second lap allowed Muller a to get a run on him. At the final corner Yvan Muller lunged down the inside of the BMW, but D’Aste turned in making contact with Frenchman’s Cruze, and then cutting the chicane and held on to his lead.

A mistake on the next lap heading to the same corner saw the Italian lose the lead to Muller before the corner, D’Aste now under attack from Rob Huff skipped the Turn 21 chicane again to hold on to second, when a warning then appeared that the Italian was under investigation.

Huff took second on the final corner on the next lap, with D’Aste now having to fend off Tiago Monteiro for the final podium spot.

On lap five, former independents’ points leader Kristian Poulsen was spun around by Pepe Oriola’s SUNRED León, and headed into the pits to rejoin one lap down.

The stewards decision was then announced for D’Aste, with the Italian judged to have been out of position at the start. D’Aste took his penalty a few laps later and fell to 12th. He passed a flagging Michel Nykjaer on the penultimate lap for 11th, but contact with Mehdi Bennani at the last corner saw him spun through the chicane, but carried on to take 12th.

Alain Menu made up one more position, overtaking Gabriele Tarquini for what was now sixth on lap seven.

The battle for the lead was still on, as Rob Huff was again fighting with Yvan Muller, as he had in race one for second place. This time a charge down the inside paid off on lap nine. Muller made light contact with Huff, with the Briton cutting the chicane to stay on track and took the lead, and went on two win by 1.7s.

Tiago Monteiro finished on the final spot on the podium at his home race to the delight of the crowd.

Huff’s win means he leaves Porto with an extended lead in the championship over Yvan Muller of 27 points, with Menu now 60 points behind.