Photo: WTCR

Rob Huff holds off local star Daniel Nagy for Hungary Race 2 win

By

Rob Huff has taken his first win of the season in the second race at the Hungaroring, leading the way in his Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, keeping at bay the M1RA Hyundai i30 N TCR of Daniel Nay throughout the distance.

Huff managed to hold the lead into Turn 1 ahead of Nagy, while Yvan Muller made a strong start from fifth in his YMR-run Hyundai, leaping to third ahead of the slow-starting Volkswagen of Mehdi Bennani and Honda of James Thompson into the first sequence.

Muller initially threatened Nagy for second, which allowed Huff to get a little bit of a break, but Muller soon settled down in third, which allowed Nagy to harry Huff for the lead for the remainder of the race.

Esteban Guerrieri soon moved past his Münnich Honda team-mate James Thompson for fourth on lap two, with Thompson and the other Münnich Honda of Yann Ehrlacher both running into mechanical issues just two laps later and headed for the pits.

The cars on the move were the BRC Hyundais of Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz, with Tarquini making his way up to fourth, passing Guerrieri’s Honda with a switchback manoeuvre at Turn 2 on lap ten.

Michelisz was stuck behind Mehdi Benanni’s Volkswagen throughout much of the race, but he was able to pass the Moroccan on lap eight, but was unable to catch Guerrieri’s Honda.

Benjamin Lessennes had a steady run to finish eighth in the Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda, with Zsolt Szabo scoring a points-finish in his home race with ninth in the Zengõ Cupra TCR, with Jean-Karl Vernay completing the top ten in the Team WRT Audi RS 3 LMS.

“I want to thank my Sébastien Loeb Racing team and Volkswagen, what an awesome car they’ve given us this weekend to achieve that and keep a Hyundai behind us,” said Huff.

Huff’s win propels him to third in the drivers’ standings, 27 points adrift of championship leader Gabriele Tarquini, with yesterday’s race winner Yann Ehrlacher still second, 22 points behind the Italian.

Race 3 is scheduled for 16:55 CET, with local hero Norbert Michelisz starting on pole position ahead of BRC Hyundai team-mate Gabriele Tarquini.