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WTCC - Four from four: wide-open WTCC electrifies Monza

30.04.17

WTCC - 2017 Race of Italy - Race

WTCC, Touring car, Race of Monza, FIA, motorsport

Victories for Thed Björk and Tom Chilton at WTCC OSCARO Race of Italy at Monza today made it four different winners from four races in this year’s wide-open FIA World Touring Car Championship. And with four different types of car victorious in 2017, the prospects of a thrilling season-long battle for glory have intensified.

While Sébastien Loeb Racing driver Chilton edged Rob Huff – who had charged through from eighth on the grid – in a tense battle in the Opening Race, Björk had to catch and re-pass Tiago Monteiro for his maiden Main Race triumph after a sluggish start allowed the Honda man to get in front. The Swede’s success was also the first Main Race victory for Volvo Polestar, which now moves ahead of Honda in the battle for the World Touring Car Championship for Manufacturers having arrived in Italy level on points.

Meanwhile, Monteiro’s podium double ensures the Portuguese maintains his title advantage as he heads to the next race in Hungary leading new second-placed driver Björk by 13 points.

Like Monteiro, Huff was twice on the podium for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport. But while the weekend marked a reversal of fortune for Huff following a troubled season-opening WTCC AFRIQUIA Race of Morocco, it proved an afternoon to forget for Norbert Michelisz. The Hungarian works Honda driver was battling Mehdi Bennani for the Opening Race lead when contact at the Parabolica put both drivers out. Bennani was penalised for his part in the incident and will serve a five-place grid penalty in the Opening Race at the Hungaroring on 14 May.

Tom Coronel started the Opening Race on the reverse-grid DHL pole position but a fluffed getaway left him languishing in sixth at the finish behind Esteban Guerrieri, who appeared to lose out to Björk in a final-corner move until Björk picked up a one-second penalty for the incident, demoting him one place. American Kevin Gleason scored points on his WTCC debut with ninth in the Opening Race for RC Motorsport, while Zengő Motorsport’s Dániel Nagy bagged his first WTC point in P10.

Nicky Catsburg scored a weekend-best fourth in the Main Race, one place ahead of Polestar Cyan Racing team-mate Néstor Girolami. But it was a tough Opening Race for both drivers: Catsburg dropped to eight with front-splitter damage while Girolami retired with broken right-rear suspension. Yann Ehrlacher bagged his first WTCC top 10 with ninth in the Main Race, Aurélien Panis took P12 in the Main Race but Ryo Michigami twice retired his factory Honda.

RACE WINNER QUOTES (full transcript available soon at http://media.fiawtcc.com)

Tom Chilton (Opening Race winner): “It was a fantastic race. I’m so happy for the team, Sébastien Loeb Racing. They’ve worked so hard and it couldn’t have happened at a better time as it’s nice to get a win early on in the season. Rob is British and knows how to fight hard on a race track. He’s a world champion and is never easy to keep behind. He’s also smart and knew if we started tangling too much we’d have the whole train right up our chuff and that makes it a whole lot harder around this circuit in particular with all the slipstreaming. We both pulled away and raced very well. I’m absolutely over the moon, just frustrated I didn’t finish the Main Race with a mechanical failure but that’s motorsport.”

Thed Björk (Main Race winner): “For me it was probably one of my best races ever. I felt completely relaxed and just had to perform and use what I had in the car and from the team and it felt really good. I just have to practice the start a bit but after that I was chasing Tiago. I knew I had to be on his tail to see if something happens but I got the pass early on. I had the speed, it was an amazing race to drive here at Monza and I was just enjoying it, I’m really happy. This is what the team said we had to do, it’s not so easy but it feels good.”

OPENING RACE REPORT:

https://www.fiawtcc.com/wtcc-opening-race-flash-chilton-beats-huff/

MAIN RACE REPORT:

https://www.fiawtcc.com/wtcc-main-race-flash-bjoerks-emphatic-victory/

TEAM VOLVO POLESTAR HEADS HONDA IN WTCC MAC3

Team Volvo Polestar scored a second Manufacturers Against the Clock victory in succession, comfortably beating Team Honda in the Tour de France-inspired time trial at FIA WTCC OSCARO Race of Italy on Saturday. Thed Björk, Nestor Girolami and Nicky Catsburg were 2.004s quicker than Tiago Monteiro, Norbert Michelisz and Ryo Michigami over the course of the two-lap team challenge to secure 12 points for the Swedish make compared to the eight collected by the Japanese firm. “It was a fantastic pole for Thed and now we have won MAC3 again,” said Girolami. “We tried to get the slipstreaming right in qualifying and we did it perfectly this time too. The result is very good.”

RESULTS/STANDINGS: http://media.fiawtcc.com/races-overview-2017/wtcc-race-of-italy/

RACE FACTS: Opening Race DHL Pole Position: Tom Coronel (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)

Main Race DHL Pole Position: Thed Björk (Volvo S60 Polestar)

TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy: Thed Björk (Volvo S60 Polestar) 1m53.681s

NEXT EVENT: FIA WTCC Race of Hungary, Hungaroring, 12-14 May