Race report
WTCR Ningbo
Ningbo WTCR: Muller wins as Michelisz, Guerrieri retire
Yvan Muller claimed his second World Touring Car Cup victory of the Ningbo weekend in an attritional final race to thrust himself into title contention.
Jack Cozens
Edited: Sep 15, 2019, 9:15 AM
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While the race was yet another wild affair, featuring two safety-car periods, Muller and nephew Yann Ehrlacher steered clear of trouble at the front of the field in their pair of Cyan Racing Lynk & Cos to seal a one-two for the Chinese brand.
Muller led from start to finish after securing his second pole of the weekend earlier on Sunday, meaning he scored 76 points from a possible 85 on offer at the Chinese venue.
The victory also makes the Cyan Racing driver a serious title contender, as the leading two drivers in the standings both failed to finish.
Race two winner Norbert Michelisz's race effectively lasted less than half a lap, as he spun as a result of contact with the Lynk & Co of Andy Priaulx.
Initial replays suggested Michelisz hit Priaulx unprompted, but a second angle suggested the BRC Racing Hyundai driver had been pushed by the Comtoyou Audi of Frederic Vervisch.
Race control announced the incident, which contributed to the safety car being called out for the first time, would be investigated after the race.
Michelisz remains 16 points clear at the head of the order, however, as Esteban Guerrieri stopped during the second safety-car period.
That was the second non-finish of the day for Guerrieri, meaning he failed to score a point across the entire weekend.
Behind Muller, who is now just one point behind Guerrieri, Ehrlacher finished ahead of the leading BRC Racing Hyundai of Gabriele Tarquini.
The reigning world champion had emerged from a four-car tussle after the second safety car - called when Mehdi Bennani tapped Tiago Monteiro into a heavy crash on the main straight - behind the sister car of Augusto Farfus, but was later allowed through by the Brazilian.
Farfus held off the third Lynk & Co of Thed Bjork to finish fourth, while Aurelien Panis - who ran third early on but lost ground at the second restart - was sixth in his Comtoyou Cupra.
Vervisch was a lonely seventh, ahead of Guerrieri's Munnich Motorsport teammate Nestor Girolami.
Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua was on course to complete a heroic recovery from the pitlane to finish in the top eight, but copped damage to his Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce as he tried to overake the Honda of Girolami.
That did however allow Ma's teammate Kevin Ceccon to poach ninth, ahead of Johan Kristoffersson's Sebastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen.
The points were completed by Priaulx, Tom Coronel, Attila Tassi, Bennani - who served a drivethrough penalty for his clash with Monteiro - and Gordon Shedden, who was the final finisher.
Results:
Cla Driver Chassis Gap 1 Yvan Muller
Lynk & Co 2 Yann Ehrlacher
Lynk & Co 0.431 3 Gabriele Tarquini
Hyundai 1.234 4 Augusto Farfus
Hyundai 3.830 5 Thed Björk
Lynk & Co 4.248 6 Aurelien Panis
CUPRA 5.064 7 Frederic Vervisch
Audi 6.891 8 Nestor Girolami
Honda 11.729 9 Kevin Ceccon
Alfa Romeo 12.396 10 Johan Kristoffersson
Volkswagen 13.903 11 Andy Priaulx
Lynk & Co 16.238 12 Tom Coronel
CUPRA 16.884 13 Attila Tassi
Honda 19.654 14 Mehdi Bennani
Volkswagen 28.521 15 Gordon Shedden
Audi 37.661 Ma Qing Hua
Alfa Romeo 2 Laps Nick Catsburg
Hyundai 8 Laps Esteban Guerrieri
Honda 13 Laps Tiago Monteiro
Honda 13 Laps Mikel Azcona
CUPRA 13 Laps Rob Huff
Volkswagen 13 Laps Niels Langeveld
Audi 14 Laps Norbert Michelisz
Hyundai 17 Laps Daniel Haglof
CUPRA Jean-Karl Vernay
Audi Benjamin Leuchter
Volkswagen View full results
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