Photo: WTCR

Jean-Karl Vernay takes lights-to-flag victory in Zandvoort Race 3

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Team WRT driver Jean-Karl Vernay has won the final race of the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend at Zandvoort, leading from the start in his Audi RS 3 LMS ahead of the SLR Volkswagen of Rob Huff, with Frédéric Vervisch completing the podium for Comtoyou Racing.

Vernay held the lead at the start ahead of Rob Huff, while Esteban Guerrieri leaped to third in the Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic TCR at Turn 1, with Frédéric Vervisch passing the rival Audi of Gordon Shedden for fourth.

Vervisch then made a move on Guerrieri’s Honda at Turn 2 to move into third place, with Guerrieri now under attack from Shedden for the remainder of the race.

Local driver Tom Coronel became the first retirement in his Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda, as he was hit on the front-right by Zsolt Szabo’s Zengo Cupra TCR at Hugenholz.

The race then settled down with Vernay leading Huff and Vervisch, though there was minor concern for the Frenchman after he was marked as under investigation for the start, but the stewards soon confirmed no action.

Gianni Morbidelli was making progress in the Mulsanne Alfa Romeo, passing Aurélien Panis for 13th on lap eight, but this was noted for further investigation by the stewards, The Italian was soon battling John Filippi’s Campos Cupra TCR for 12th position, but was spun out at Turn 12 on lap 13 and into retirement.

Vernay held on to take the victory, 1.1 seconds clear of Rob Huff, with Frédéric Vervisch completing the podium.

Esteban Guerrieri held on after relentless pressure from Gordon Shedden to finish fourth, while his Münnich team-mate Yann Ehrlacher finished in sixth and in doing so secures the championship lead.

Aurélien Comte completed a successful weekend for DG Sport with seventh, with the SLR’s Mehdi Bennani, Münnich’s James Thompson and the Campos Cupra of Pepe Oriola completing the top ten.

The weekend was a total disaster for the Hyundai cars, with Yvan Muller and Norbert Michelisz both pitting while running at the back of the field. Thed Björk was the best classified finisher, passing Mat’o Homola’s Peugeot for 15th late in the race, five spots away from the points.

The next round of the World Touring Car Cup takes place at the Vila Real street circuit on June 24th.