Yann Ehrlacher leads Münnich Honda 1-2 in Hungary Race 1
Yann Ehrlacher has won the first race of the weekend in Hungary, finishing ahead of team-mate Esteban Guerrieri, after the Argentinian came together with pole-sitter Norbert Michelisz on the opening lap.
Guerrieri launched from second into the lead into Turn 1 in his Münnich Honda Civic, but Michelisz in the BRC Racing Team Hyundai i30 N TCR took the fight back to him at Turn 2, but the two drivers leaned on each other through the corner, allowing the #68 Honda Civic of Yann Ehrlacher through into the lead, with Guerrieri dropping to second and Michelisz down to fourth behind the YMR Hyundai of Yvan Muller.
Ehrlacher and Guerrieri began to pull away as Muller and Michelisz enjoyed a race-long battle, with the 48-year-old Frenchman holding off the Hungarian lap after lap in front of his home crowd, who spurred him on every time he came across the finish line.
After a few failed attempts into Turn 1, Michelisz was finally able to make it past Muller down the inside on lap 11, with Muller demoted to fourth position.
Finishing behind them was Rob Huff, who had made a great start in the Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, who was fighting off the two Hyundais of Gabriele Tarquini and Daniel Nagy until the finish.
Jean-Karl Vernay worked his way forward to finish eighth, with the reigning TCR International Series champion passing the reigning WTCC champion Thed Björk on lap four into Turn 2, while Benjamin Lessennes completed the top ten in his Boutsen Ginion Honda Civic.
Lessennes’ position is under threat however, as his pass came at the expense of the third Münnich Honda of James Thompson, after Lessennes lunged into Thompson’s Honda on lap eight at Turn 1, with the incident under investigation from the stewards.
Races 2 and 3 take place tomorrow, with qualifying for both races scheduled for 10:00 CET.
