Montanari wins Nurburgring race 2

The podium had a new look to it as Alx Danielsson scored his best result of the year in second and Andy Soucek in third, after a difficult start to the weekend.

The winner on the road was Michael Aleshin, who was penalised one minute for failing to take his pitstop in the required window of laps.

Aleshin suffered a puncture on the opening lap, and although he came in to change the flat tyre, another stop was required between laps five and fourteen.

Montanari was relieved to win after having a series of disappointments. "This makes up for losing points on so many occasions this year," he said.

"I was confused when Aleshin was ahead of me in the lead. I asked the team, and then they explained he hadn't made a pitstop.

"I was not feeling in a good situation because I've had a temperature these last few days but this makes it better!"

After this morning's rain hit qualifying, the race was dry. However, pole-man Maldonado was already experiencing trouble with his Draco car.

"The electronics were not right, and my dashboard went blank, maybe there was water in the electronics from this morning," said Maldonado.

At the start Aleshin got the better of Maldonado, and Parente looked to follow Aleshin through. On the run into the first turn Maldonado was back in Aleshin's slipstream, nudging the Russian with two wheels on the grass as the track narrowed.

Maldonado then went straight on at the braking point, taking Parente who was on his outside with him. "My car wouldn't change down gear," said Maldonado.

In Turn 2, Davide Valsecchi had a rotation, and teammate Steve Kane had to take avoiding action. Aleshin's tyre then deflated, probably as a result of contact with Maldonado. Soucek thus found himself leading from sixth on grid, from new-boy Marcus Martinez, Danielsson third and Robbie Kerr.

On the following lap, Martinez's race ended in the gravel at the Ford curve. Alx Danielsson who was following offered his view.

"He was trying hard and just had a bit to much throttle on the left handed entry, but these things can happen racing on cold tyres."

To prove the point, there were other quick spins for Kane and James Rossiter. Marco Bonanmi's also lost it, but unfortunately he was unable to get his Tech-1 machine re-started.

With the car stranded in the final Coca Cola Curve the safety car was brought out on lap four. This allowed Aleshin to rejoin the tale of the pack after his pit-stop for a replacement tyre.

The order behind the safety-car was Andy Soucek from Kerr, Danielsson and Montanari. McIntosh, Kerr's KTR teammate, was holding Ryo Fukuda at bay in fifth.

For Kerr and Fukuda this was the highest either of them had run all year, which made what was to follow next all the more disappointing.

The safety car came in at the start of the pit stop window on lap five. Soucek stayed out but Kerr came in and had a calamatious stop. A left front wheel jammed on, costing the Englishman twenty seconds longer than normal. Kerr rejoined in 24th.

"We've lost a sure top five here, but I've got to take the positives out of it. The changes we made to the car here worked, and we know where to find the speed now," said Kerr.

Team boss Kurt Mollekens added: "I'm really sorry for Robbie and all his backers, it's the only problem in the pits we've had this year, and it had to happen when it was looking so good."

Montanari pitted from second on lap seven. Andy Soucek stayed out until lap eleven, and when he rejoined Montanrari overtook him on the brakes into Turn One.

With Soucek perhaps thinking of the championship, Danielsson also made it through on the entry of Turn Two.

Soucek's title rivals were having a nightmare. Parente retired on lap twelve after complaining vociferously about the driving of Malodonado's teammate Tomas Kostka.

"I think he knew it was me behind, and he was weaving in the straight and cutting chicanes to keep ahead," said Parente. Maldonado succumbed to his gearbox trouble two laps before the end while out of the points.

Montanari's move left him thirteen seconds behind on road leader Michael Aleshin. When Aleshin failed at the end of lap fourteen he was handed with a one minute penalty.

On lap seventeen Rossiter and Pavlovic had a repeat of their Spa crash down in Turn 1. Rossiter's car was left smoking with its left rear cocked in air, Pavlovic was also out on the spot.

The safety car was called out again, and the restart took place on lap twenty. Montanari got away well as behind Danielsson just held off Soucek for second.

"The team have built three new cars in a week, (after the crashes at Spa) so it's good give them the chance to enjoy some champagne now," said Danielsson. "I hope we've finally got the ball rolling this season."

Soucek takes the lead of the title chase with 75 points, from Parente on 74 and Maldonado on 72.

Full results will be added shortly...