A great Mikel Azcona wins Race 1 of the FIA WTCR in Sochi, with a crazy comeback from eighth place, but the spotlight is all on Yann Ehrlacher, who only takes the sixth to become 2021 Champion confirming the title won last year .
The first Russian round was very nice from the start, also thanks to the rain that shuffled the cards giving battles and doors up to the checkered flag, after which Cyan Racing also took home the trophy reserved for the teams.
When the traffic lights went out, the poleman of the inverted grid Gilles Magnus struggled to maintain the first position, threatened by the rocket Jean-Karl Vernay, but the first controversial episode took place behind them.
At turn 4, Frédéric Vervisch – who had dropped third from second – had to defend himself to the limit from the arrembante Esteban Guerrieri, who, sent very wide by the Belgian, lightly touched the rear of the Audi RS 3 LMS.
The Honda Civic Type R TCR built by JAS Motorsport lost grip and the ALL-INKL.COM standard bearer Münnich Motorsport swerved and swooped into the barriers at very high speed, destroying the car, but fortunately escaping unscathed.
Safety Car on the track that gathered the troops up to lap 4, when Magnus was unable to resist Vernay at the restart. The Frenchman of the Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team took the lead and luckily for him, as the windshield wipers stopped working on the Hyundai Elantra N.
Behind him the sparks began between the Audi of the Comtoyou Team driven by Magnus and Vervisch, and the Cupra Leon Competición of Zengő Motorsport entrusted to Rob Huff and Azcona. Magnus let Vervisch pass to try and get Vernay back, trying to keep Spanish cars at bay.
Meanwhile, Ehrlacher held seventh position behind Nathanaël Berthon’s Audi (Comtoyou DHL Team), protected by his teammates Yvan Muller and Santiago Urrutia.
From the fifth to the ninth lap, all sorts of things were seen in the fight for the podium. While Vernay was not able to earn that much, Vervisch tried to catch him, but Huff made up for him and a door out of turn 10 bent the front left of the Cupra led by the English, which slowed down and retired.
Azcona took the opportunity to pass both of them and take Vernay in the last two rounds. The Spaniard used the increased speed of his car to outwit his rival on the last lap, taking his maiden win of the season, which is also a first for Zengő Motorsport.
With Vervisch third ahead of Magnus and Berthon (and Guerrieri retired), the fight for the title was mathematically closed because Ehrlacher only needed to pass sixth across the finish line to take home the champion.
The Frenchman of Cyan Racing did nothing wrong aboard his Lynk & Co 03, without taking risks and also benefiting from the little pressure received behind him, since Attila Tassi with the Honda of ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport was now too far away to worry him, once the 03 TCRs of Muller and Urrutia have passed, who complete the Top10 together with their partner Thed Björk.
The Honda of Néstor Girolami (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport), the Hyundai of Norbert Michelisz (BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse) also score points – struggling in the final after fighting behind Ehrlacher – Luca Engstler (Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team) and Gabriele Tarquini (BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse), and the Cupra of Jordi Gené (Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy).
Tom Coronel left empty-handed with the other Audi of the Comtoyou DHL Team, Bence Boldizs on the Cupra of the Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy and the wildcards Kirill Ladygin and Mikhail Mityaev, armed with Lada Vesta Sport, but transparent for the purpose of assigning points.
Tiago Monteiro did not line up with the second Honda of ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport, as the Portuguese is hospitalized with a bacterial chest infection.
Race 2 will take place at 12; 15 Italian over the distance of 11 laps.
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