Thed Björk officially reprimanded over race-winning manoeuvre

Thed Björk’s last lap pass around Norbert Michelisz may have helped the Polestar Volvo squad secure their first WTCC victory, but it didn’t escape the attention of the stewards, who gave the 35-year-old Swede a reprimand for the move.

The Volvo driver is believed to have escaped a time penalty after Honda driver Norbert Michelisz had already been deemed as being too aggressive when he defended his lead at Turn 14 two laps earlier, for which he received a black and white flag during the race.

Björk was also investigated for contact with Campos’ John Filippi at the start, but this was ruled a racing incident.

Michelisz was the only other driver reprimanded, with the Hungarian penalised for repeating the same move he made on Björk in the opening race on Lada’s Hugo Valente in the second race as he defended 11th position.

The two Ladas of Nicky Catsburg and Gabriele Tarquini were also investigated for incidents in the first race. Catsburg was called for having put all four wheels off the track while battling Yvan Muller’s Citroën for third, and Tarquini for the race-ending incident with Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Tom Chilton, but no action was taken against either driver.