Salzburg TCR: Vernay wins after inheriting six places before start

As rain was expected during the race, Vernay and the rest of the grid behind him put on wet tyres.

However, the top four of Attila Tassi, Mikhail Grachev, Jordi Oriola and Gianni Morbidelli started on slicks and, with rain arriving during the formation lap, the quartet went straight into the pits instead of lining up on the grid.

With Petr Fulin and Pepe Oriola both failing to start the race due to damage to their cars from Race 1, Vernay became the leader of the race.

The Frenchman had a good getaway and quickly pulled away from Davit Kajaia, who soon came under pressure from Stefano Comini.

The Georgian driver eventually aquaplaned on the braking zone of Turn 1 and hit the tyre barrier, which brought out the safety car.

On the restart Comini, now second, misjudged the first turn and went straight into the escape zone.

He fell behind Sergey Afanasyev as a result, the latter inheriting the lead when Vernay made the same mistake with two laps to go.

However, the Leopard Racing driver fought back and made a brave move round the outside to reclaim the lead and then cruise to the finish line.

Afanasyev took his first podium finish of the campaign in second with Comini completing the top three.

James Nash brought a second Craft-Bamboo car into the top four, followed by Mat'o Homola and Morbidelli.

The latter took advantage of a mistake from Tassi, as did Jorgi Oriola, with the Hungarian settling for eighth.

The top 10 was made up by Grachev and TCR debutant Florian Janits.