Tarquini and Michelisz respond with a 1-2 for Hyundai
After the two race victories by Néestor Girolami’s Honda Civic, the third and final race at the Hungaroring saw Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz restore Hyundai pride by claiming a 1-2 finish, with the Lynk&Co 03 of Yann Ehrlacher completing the podium places.
The Honda of Esteban Guerrieri beat pole-sitter Michelisz to Turn 1, with Tarquini also quickly passing the local hero to lie in second place. There was contact between the two Lynk&Co cars of Yvan Muller and Andy Priaulx that saw Muller given a drive-through penalty, although Race 3 didn’t have anything like the number of contacts as the day’s earlier race.
The leading trio remained unchanged until Lap 4, when Guerrieri seemed to make a mistake that allowed both Tarquini and Michelisz to pass. On Lap 8, Daniel Haglöf came into the pits with Muller doing likewise two laps later. Muller’s race ended in retirement, although Haglöf would continue and was classified as the race’s final finisher.
The race ended in disappointing fashion, with two safety car periods that effectively ended any real chance of a change of positions. On Lap 11, Guerrieri hit the barriers at Turn 14 after what appeared to be brake failure, with the safety car circulating for three laps until the car could be recovered. Within a lap of the restart, the Alfa Romeo of Kevin Ceccon ended up in the barriers at Turn 9 and so the safety car reappeared, peeling off to allow Tarquini to head for the chequered flag.
Behind the two Hyundai cars and Ehrlacher’s Lynk&Co 03, Mikel Azcona repeated his fourth-place finish from Race 2, Thed Björk finished fifth, Nestor Girolami was sixth and so moved back into the lead of the Drivers’ championship and Rob Huff, Augusto Farfus, Nicky Catsburg and Jean-Karl Vernay completed the top ten.
The WTCR resumes at the Slovakia Ring on May 11th/12th
Race 3
1. Gabriele Tarquini (BRC Squadra Corse, Hyundai i30 N), 17 laps
2. Norbert Michelisz (BRC Squadra Corse, Hyundai i30 N), 0.739
3. Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Performance, Lynk&Co 03), 1.535
4. Mikel Azcona (PWR Racing, CUPRA), 1.785
5. Thed Bjork (Cyan Racing, Lynk&Co 03), 2.112
Championship points
1. Girolami 100 pts; 2. Guerrieri 90; 3. Björk 81
