Muller leads BMW domination
Jorg Muller won the opening round of the World Touring Car Championship with a lights-to-flag victory from pole position at Curitiba
The Schnitzer Motorsport driver led a dominant 1-2-3 for BMW, although defending champion Andy Priaulx came close to stealing victory on the final lap. The Racing Bart Mampaey driver was forced to settle for second place ahead of local hero Augusto Farfus, who was making his BMW debut for Schnitzer.
Priaulx slipped up the inside of Farfus at the first corner to move from third to second on the first lap, but the race was soon neutralised when the safety car was deployed to clear up the wreckage from a first-corner pile-up triggered when SEAT's Yvan Muller and Chevrolet's Nicola Larini clashed at the first corner. While Muller was able to continue, Larini would go no further after collecting team-mate Menu in the ensuing chain reaction.
Muller went on to finish eighth and claim pole position for the reverse grid second race, although both he and Larini are currently the subject of a stewards' investigation over the incident, which also removed the Alfa Romeos of James Thompson and Olivier Tielemans and the independent BMW of Luca Rangoni from the race.
Gabriele Tarquini was the best of the non-BMW drivers in fourth place ahead of the sole remaining Chevrolet of Rob Huff, who manage to hold off pressure from the GR-Asia SEAT of Tom Coronel for much of the race.
Alex Zanardi kept clear of the first corner carnage to earn himself two points for seventh in one of the ROAL-run BMWs, although team-mate Felix Porteiro ended the race in the final turn gravel after being shuffled back from his qualifying position of fourth at the first corner.
Pierre-Yves Corthals claimed the independent class victory despite being hit by Larini in the first corner pile-up. He rejoined last, but took the lead with two laps remaining when GR-Asia's Emmet O'Brien went grasstracking.
Race one results:
Pos Driver Make Time
1. Jorg Muller BMW 320si 25:38.208
2. Andy Priaulx BMW 320si + 0.421
3. Augusto Farfus BMW 320si + 1.234
4. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Leon + 8.876
5. Robert Huff Chevrolet Lacetti + 9.701
6. Tom Coronel SEAT Leon + 10.324
7. Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320si + 11.008
8. Yvan Muller SEAT Leon + 13.280
9. Jordi Gene SEAT Leon + 13.549
10. Pierre-Yves Corthals SEAT Leon + 23.751
11. Stefano D'Aste BMW 320si + 24.158
12. Michel Jourdain SEAT Leon + 30.194
13. Emmet O'Brien SEAT Leon + 33.721
14. Sergio Hernandez BMW 320si + 36.433
Not Classified:
Felix Porteiro BMW 320si
Luca Rangoni BMW 320si
James Thompson Alfa Romeo 156
Nicola Larini Chevrolet Lacetti
Alain Menu Chevrolet Lacetti
Olivier Tielemans Alfa Romeo 156
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