Hungary WTCR: Girolami doubles up in wet Race 2

PWR Racing Cupra driver Daniel Haglof had beaten the polesitting WRT Audi of Jean-Karl Vernay into the lead at the first corner, with Thed Bjork jumping his Cyan Racing Lynk & Co into second.

From sixth on the grid, Girolami had muscled his Honda into second place by the time the pack had reached the fast Turn 4 right-hander, and set about hunting down Haglof.

Girolami made it into the lead at Turn 12 and quickly scampered clear from there, with Vernay outdragging Haglof for second on the run to the first corner at the start of the following lap.

The Race 1 winner held a healthy advantage for the remainder, and while Vernay got within half a second of the Honda in the final laps, the Audi driver backed off on the final lap.

Girolami's second win of the weekend elevates him into a shared lead of the championship with Munnich teammate Esteban Guerrieri, with Girolami ahead on countback with two wins.

Behind Vernay, the final podium spot was claimed by Haglof who, along with teammate Mikel Azcona, escaped from the chasing pack to seal a three-four finish for the PWR squad.

They had been allowed to break away from the pack in the opening stages while the BRC Racing Hyundai of Augusto Farfus attempted to fend off Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Lynk & Co).

Having fought past Guerrieri, Nicky Catsburg (BRC Hyundai) also made a move on Ehrlacher to move into sixth.

Ehrlacher was forced to retire when the third BRC Hyundai of Gabriele Tarquini tagged his side at the first corner, while attempting to follow Catsburg through.

Catsburg later went off at Turn 12, allowing Yvan Muller - who had started 15th in his Lynk & Co - Guerrieri and Tarquini back ahead of him.

Muller briefly got as high as fifth after passing Farfus, but was then passed by Guerrieri at Turn 2 - a move which ultimately decided fifth and sixth positions.

Rob Huff steered clear of most melees to claim seventh in his Sebastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen, while Hungarian teenager Attila Tassi (KCMG Honda) finished on the Briton's tail in eighth.

Farfus survived the mayhem to finish ninth ahead of Catsburg, but BRC teammates Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz - who is due to start the final race from pole - were less fortunate.

Tarquini suffered a puncture while running seventh and Michelisz was forced to the pits after a hit from Aurelien Panis's Cupra while they squabbled over minor points-paying positions.

Race results:

Cla	#	Driver	Chassis	Gap
1	29	Nestor Girolami	Honda
2	69	Jean-Karl Vernay	Audi	2.529
3	37	Daniel Haglof	Seat	3.507
4	96	Mikel Azcona	Seat	5.260
5	86	Esteban Guerrieri	Honda	12.822
6	100	Yvan Muller	Lynk & Co	14.721
7	12	Rob Huff	Volkswagen	15.245
8	9	Attila Tassi	Honda	15.766
9	8	Augusto Farfus	Hyundai	18.979
10	88	Nick Catsburg	Hyundai	19.522
11	55	Ma Qing Hua	Alfa Romeo	19.751
12	33	Benjamin Leuchter	Volkswagen	20.676
13	21	Aurelien Panis	Seat	21.739
14	50	Tom Coronel	Seat	24.699
15	22	Frederic Vervisch	Audi	25.086
16	31	Kevin Ceccon	Alfa Romeo	36.000
17	1	Gabriele Tarquini	Hyundai	1 Lap
18	23	Tamas Tenke	Seat	3 Laps
	52	Gordon Shedden	Audi	1 Lap
	10	Niels Langeveld	Audi	1 Lap
	5	Norbert Michelisz	Hyundai	2 Laps
	68	Yann Ehrlacher	Lynk & Co	4 Laps
	111	Andy Priaulx	Lynk & Co	7 Laps
	11	Thed Björk	Lynk & Co	8 Laps
	25	Mehdi Bennani	Volkswagen	9 Laps
	18	Tiago Monteiro	Honda	9 Laps
	14	Johan Kristoffersson	Volkswagen	10 Laps
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