Juan Manuel Casella wins first Termas Rio Hondo race to claim points lead

Juan Manuel Casella headed a Squadra Martino 1-2 with team-mate and pole sitter Rodrigo Baptista in the first TCR South America race of the weekend at Termas Rio Hondo in Argentina. The win has handed Casella a slim championship lead from title rival Pedro Cardoso who could only manage sixth.

Casella was able to get past Cupra driver Raphael Reis and team-mate Baptista on the opening lap from third on the grid and controlled the race from there on, despite a safety car session.

Reis got a slow getaway and dropped to third from second on the grid and found himself under hard pressuring from Toyota driver Matías Rossi during the opening laps. Rossi was able to snatch third place on the third lap.

The safety car came into action with 16 minutes left of the race as Bautista Damiani (Cupra) passed Fabian Yannantouni (Toyota) collided. The two made heavy contact as Yannantouni tried to repass the Cupra driver, resulting in a retirement for both.

The race resumed with nine minutes left on the clock and Cardoso, who headed the standings ahead of the race, found himself under pressure from Cupra driver Galid Osman in the fight for sixth place.

The two traded places and paint a couple of times, but Cardoso managed to stay ahead to claim sixth place.

The penultimate lap saw PMO Racing Peugeot driver Leonel Pernia passing Reis for fourth place.

Casella claimed the victory just six tenths ahead of his team-mate Baptista while Rossi was 3.5 seconds behind in third place.

Leonel Pernia came home in fourth ahead of Reis and title contender Cardoso in sixth.

Casella has claimed the points lead thanks to his victory by just one point over Cardoso.

The second and final race of the weekend starts at 12:30 local time/17:30 CET.