Sochi WTCR: Ehrlacher champion, Azcona scores first win of 2021

Zengo Motorsport Cupra driver Azcona engaged in a thrilling wet-weather battle with team-mate Rob Huff and the Comtoyou Audis of Gilles Magnus and Frederic Vervisch, the latter needing victory to keep his slender title chances alive in the partially reversed-grid opener.

But Jean-Karl Vernay made a demon start from the second row to split early leader Magnus and Vervisch, as Esteban Guerrieri’s own title challenge ended in a big lap-one crash when he ran wide at the long Turn 3 and smacked into a barrier.

Following a safety car intervention, racing resumed on lap four when Vernay passed Magnus for the lead with a run on the inside of Turn 3 – and Azcona and Huff triggered a fraught and thrilling race.

Huff’s day ended in a door-to-door collision with Vervisch, as Azcona worked his way up to second in the closing stages, then pulled a great move on the brakes into Turn 2 to pass Vernay for victory on the last lap. Vervisch finished third, ahead of Magnus with a third Comtoyou Audi of Nathanael Berthon in fifth.

But it wasn’t enough to stop Ehrlacher calmly securing his second WTCR after a race in which he kept out of trouble to finish where he started in sixth.

“This feels so good,” said the 25-year-old on the radio after taking the chequered flag. “We are world champions! Twice! Yes! Come one!”

Race two will follow this afternoon, with fastest qualifier Yvan Muller starting from pole position.

Race results:

Cla	#	Driver	Chassis	Gap
1	96	Mikel Azcona	CUPRA
2	69	Jean-Karl Vernay	Hyundai	1.403
3	22	Frederic Vervisch	Audi	2.432
4	16	Gilles Magnus	Audi	2.737
5	17	Nathanael Berthon	Audi	4.492
6	68	Yann Ehrlacher	Lynk & Co	6.003
7	9	Attila Tassi	Honda	7.500
8	100	Yvan Muller	Lynk & Co	8.316
9	12	Santiago Urrutia	Lynk & Co	9.961
10	11	Thed Björk	Lynk & Co	13.554
11	29	Nestor Girolami	Honda	14.116
12	5	Norbert Michelisz	Hyundai	19.602
13	8	Luca Engstler	Hyundai	21.582
14	3	Gabriele Tarquini	Hyundai	22.034
15	28	Jordi Gene	CUPRA	23.433
16	32	Tom Coronel	Audi	24.781
17	55	Bence Boldizs	CUPRA	25.740
18	20	Kirill Ladygin	LADA	34.196
19	30	Mikhail Mityaev	LADA	39.983
	79	Rob Huff	CUPRA	2 Laps
	86	Esteban Guerrieri	Honda
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