Race report
WTCR Nürburgring
Nurburgring WTCR: Kristoffersson claims maiden win
Double World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson resisted a challenge for the lead on lap one to claim his first World Touring Car Cup victory in the second Nurburgring Nordschleife race.
Jack Cozens
Edited: Jun 22, 2019, 10:43 AM
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Kristoffersson was challenged by the Audis of wildcard entrant Antti Buri and Comtoyou driver Frederic Vervisch on the grand prix loop but, having fended off those attacks, was able to break free to win for the first time since switching world championship disciplines.
Buri got a better start than the Sebastien Loeb Racing polesitter and had the inside line for the first corner, but Kristoffersson held on around the outside in his Volkswagen, which became the inside line for the switchback onto the main part of the GP loop.
Vervisch attempted to pass both Buri and Kristoffersson as they squabbled, although Kristoffersson was able to hang the Audi out to dry and scampered clear from there.
He ended the second lap 3.2 seconds clear of Vervisch and did not let up, eventually claiming the SLR VW squad's first win of 2019 by 5.108s.
Vervisch ended up in a similarly comfortable second but, as had been the case in Friday's opening race, the final podium position was only decided on the final lap.
Gabriele Tarquini (BRC Racing Hyundai) and Kristoffersson's teammate Rob Huff had been in a private battle for the place on the final lap, until they came together at the Carousel.
That put Huff, who had been on the outside line, in the barrier and out of the race with front-end and suspension damage.
Tarquini was able to continue and maintained third, but was caught by teammate Augusto Farfus and the KCMG Honda of Attila Tassi - with Farfus getting ahead on Dottinger Hohe to secure his first podium since returning to World Touring Cars.
Reigning champion Tarquini did cling on to fourth ahead of Tassi, who scored his best WTCR result to date, while Benjamin Leuchter was sixth in the third SLR VW.
Title protagonists Esteban Guerrieri and Norbert Michelisz were seventh and eighth - with Michelisz passing ninth-place finisher Aurelien Panis (Comtoyou Cupra) on the final lap.
Jean-Karl Vernay secured 10th in his WRT Audi, ahead of Tom Coronel, Nicky Catsburg and Thed Bjork - who was the only Cyan Racing Lynk & Co driver to score any points.
Bjork finished 14th on the road behind Buri, who is ineligible for points as a wildcard.
Race results:
Cla Driver Chassis Gap 1 Johan Kristoffersson Volkswagen 2
Frederic Vervisch Audi 5.108 3
Augusto Farfus Hyundai 10.891 4
Gabriele Tarquini Hyundai 11.180 5
Attila Tassi Honda 11.827 6
Benjamin Leuchter Volkswagen 12.340 7
Esteban Guerrieri Honda 17.591 8
Norbert Michelisz Hyundai 22.715 9
Aurelien Panis CUPRA 23.072 10
Jean-Karl Vernay Audi 23.657 11
Tom Coronel CUPRA 24.329 12
Nick Catsburg Hyundai 24.902 13
Antti Buri Audi 26.773 14
Thed Björk Lynk & Co 27.121 15
Mikel Azcona CUPRA 27.178 16
Tiago Monteiro Honda 27.626 17
Yvan Muller Lynk & Co 29.256 18
Mehdi Bennani Volkswagen 29.647 19
Daniel Haglof CUPRA 29.839 20
Andy Priaulx Lynk & Co 30.559 21
Kevin Ceccon Alfa Romeo 30.810 22
Niels Langeveld Audi 31.157 23
Gordon Shedden Audi 31.839 24
Ma Qing Hua Alfa Romeo 32.385 25
Nestor Girolami Honda 2'49.920 26
Rob Huff Volkswagen 1 Lap 27
Yann Ehrlacher Lynk & Co 2 Laps View full results
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