Portugal WTCR: Monteiro scores first win since return

Monteiro took the chequered flag with a two- second advantage to notch up his first victory since his return from injury, having taken the lead from his pole-sitting teammate Attila Tassi on the fourth lap of 14.

Muller held off the attentions of his Lynk & Co stablemate and nephew Ehrlacher, with race two winner Mikel Azcona fourth.

Esteban Guerrieri suffered another disappointing race, retiring after contact on the opening lap with the BRC Racing Hyundai of Nicky Catsburg.

Catsburg, who started seventh, made a great start and threatened to go all the way round Jean-Karl Vernay (Audi), Rob Huff (Volkswagen) and Guerrieri as the pack filed into Turn 4 for the first time.

The move nearly paid off but Catsburg, squeezed by both Guerrieri and the Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo of Ma Qing Hua, hit the back of Guerrieri, putting both out on the spot.

Guerreri’s title rivals Thed Bjork (Cyan Racing Lynk & Co) and Norbert Michelisz (BRC Racing Hyundai) scored points, with the latter now just 25 points behind.

Tassi initially led off his maiden pole but quickly fell into the grasps off the chasing Monteiro and Muller. Under pressure from behind, Monteiro seized the lead on the entry to Turn 14 with Muller grabbing second on exit.

Tassi dropped as far down as 11th, and eventually retired.

Monteiro got his foot down once in clear air and managed to take his joker lap and rejoin in front of Muller at the start of lap seven.

Later the Honda driver gapped Muller by nearly three seconds to run out a comfortable winner as Muller defended from teammate Ehrlacher and Azcona.

Ehrlacher appeared the faster of the two Lynk & Cos heading into the closing stages and the Frenchman radioed to the team asking if Muller could go any quicker.

But Azcona could not find enough pace to mount a serious challenge and the positions remained the same at the flag. 

Bjork claimed eighth just ahead of Ma, while Michelisz made amends for his race two non-score with 10th.

Race results:

Cla	#	Driver	Chassis	Laps	Gap
1	18	Tiago Monteiro	Honda	14
2	100	Yvan Muller	Lynk & Co	14	2.295
3	68	Yann Ehrlacher	Lynk & Co	14	2.647
4	96	Mikel Azcona	CUPRA	14	2.959
5	69	Jean-Karl Vernay	Audi	14	6.816
6	12	Rob Huff	Volkswagen	14	6.999
7	29	Nestor Girolami	Honda	14	10.041
8	11	Thed Björk	Lynk & Co	14	12.507
9	55	Ma Qing Hua	Alfa Romeo	14	22.317
10	5	Norbert Michelisz	Hyundai	14	22.596
11	14	Johan Kristoffersson	Volkswagen	14	23.570
12	21	Aurelien Panis	CUPRA	14	24.108
13	31	Kevin Ceccon	Alfa Romeo	14	24.900
14	25	Mehdi Bennani	Volkswagen	14	24.916
15	1	Gabriele Tarquini	Hyundai	14	25.258
16	10	Niels Langeveld	Audi	14	26.028
17	50	Tom Coronel	CUPRA	14	26.602
18	33	Benjamin Leuchter	Volkswagen	14	37.092
19	111	Andy Priaulx	Lynk & Co	14	1'44.342
20	22	Frederic Vervisch	Audi	12	2 Laps
21	37	Daniel Haglof	CUPRA	7	7 Laps
22	9	Attila Tassi	Honda	7	7 Laps
23	8	Augusto Farfus	Hyundai	6	8 Laps
24	52	Gordon Shedden	Audi	1	13 Laps
25	88	Nick Catsburg	Hyundai
26	86	Esteban Guerrieri	Honda
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