Mike Halder takes lights-to-flag Race 2 win at Paul Ricard

Mike Halder claimed a straight-forward lights-to-flag victory in the second TCR Europe series race of the season at Paul Ricard.

The TCR Germany convert started from pole position for the reversed-grid race and duly built a healthy advantage to beat World Touring Car Cup driver Néstor Girolami by just under two seconds.

It is Halder’s second career TCR Europe win after taking victory in his first appearance at Barcelona in 2018.

Team Clairet Sport’s Teddy Clairet completed the podium after coming out on top in a thrilling six-car battle.

Despite not getting a good initial launch off the line, pole-sitter Halder maintained his advantage over Taoufik into the first corner.

Behind, Teddy Clairet got by Andreas Bäckman who in turn, was outmuscled by Girolami for third at Turn 3.

Comtoyou Racing’s Sami Taoufik had run second early on but was handed a drive through penalty for a jump-start.

That meant that the battle for third between Clairet and Girolami gained new impetus, with the Argentinian mounting the kerbs at Turn 12 to seize what ultimately became second.

Halder’s impressive opening laps allowed the Profi Car Team Halder Honda Civic Type-R TCR driver to build a margin of just over two seconds over Girolami, but there was a battle raging for the final podium position behind.

Teddy Clairet head that battle in his Team Clairet Sport Peugeot 308TCR, but came under increasing pressure from Andreas Bäckman’s Target Competition Hyundai i30 N TCR.

Bäckman tried every side at Turn 5 with four laps remaining, almost hitting the rear of Clairet’s car. That allowed the Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS of Mehdi Bennani to go around the outside of the corner.

The move didn’t come off but it enabled the chasing group of Jessica Bäckman (Target Competition Hyundai), Race 1 winner Dan Lloyd (Brutal Fish Racing Honda) and John Filippi in the third Target Hyundai in a six-car squabble.

Out front, it was a routine drive from Halder who held off Girolami’s attack to win by 1.958s.

Behind Clairet and just off the podium was Andreas Bäckman, who just stayed ahead of Bennani and Lloyd.

Lloyd’s sixth place was enough for him to retain the TCR Europe points lead over Bennani by a solitary point heading into the second round of the season at Zolder in three weeks time.