Alain Menu battles to Valencia World Touring Car race two win

The Swiss racer survived punting the rear of polesitter Stefano D'Aste's Weichers-Sport BMW, a mid-race trip across the gravel and a last-lap clash with Tom Coronel's ROAL Motorsport BMW. The result returned Menu to the top step of the podium for the first time since the penultimate round of 2011 at Shanghai.

"When I hit Stefano I thought he closed the door a bit late, but also my move was a bit optimistic so I decided not to overtake after he went sideways," said Menu. "Then I was able to overtake him at Turn 2 on the next lap. When I hit oil with three laps to go I said 'No way!' but I looked in my mirrors and everyone else was also going off. I then backed off too much."

Coronel was able to get a run alongside Menu at Turn 6 on the last lap, but the pair made contact as Menu covered his line. Despite zig-zagging across the road, Menu regained control to take victory by 0.8 seconds.

"I had to back off the throttle on the straight when Alain came across on me," said Coronel. "I thought 'please spin' when I saw him going sideways but he did a good job to regain control and I would rather finish second after a nice fight than win an easy race by 20s."

Coronel's battered and tyre smoking BMW crossed the finish line half a second clear of Independents' Trophy winner D'Aste.

The Italian had appeared composed in the lead until running slightly wide at the exit of Turn 1 on lap seven. He then lost an opportunity to regain the position, and take his maiden WTCC victory, when he and Menu hit oil at Turn 10 two tours later. D'Aste followed Menu into the gravel, allowing Coronel to move into second spot.

Two more BMWs chased D'Aste across the line; Norbert Michelisz's similar Zengo Motorsport car ended the afternoon in fourth spot ahead of Franz Engstler's example.

Menu's Chevrolet team-mate Rob Huff completed the top six. The Briton had a less eventful race than the third RML Cruze of race one victor Muller. The defending world champion went sideways into the gravel while chasing Huff on lap 10, dropping behind Pepe Oriola's Tuenti SEAT to finish an unaccustomed eighth.

Muller continues to lead the drivers' standings on 88 points, but Menu's victory moves the Swiss into second in the points race on 61, two ahead of third-placed Coronel.

Results - 13 laps:

Pos  Driver                Team/Car                Time/Gap
 1.  Alain Menu            Chevrolet             23m03.207s
 2.  Tom Coronel           ROAL BMW                + 0.861s
 3.  Stefano D'Aste        Wiechers BMW            + 1.306s
 4.  Norbert Michelisz     Zengo BMW               + 1.629s
 5.  Franz Engstler        Engstler BMW            + 1.901s
 6.  Rob Huff              Chevrolet               + 3.007s
 7.  Pepe Oriola           Tuenti SEAT             + 5.704s
 8.  Yvan Muller           Chevrolet               + 6.368s
 9.  Gabriele Tarquini     Lukoil SEAT            + 15.044s
10.  Mehdi Bennani         Proteam BMW            + 15.306s
11.  Isaac Tutumlu         Proteam BMW            + 19.838s
12.  Aleksei Dudukalo      Lukoil SEAT            + 21.166s
13.  Tiago Monteiro        Tuenti SEAT            + 21.865s
14.  Alex Macdowall        bamboo Chevrolet       + 23.167s
15.  Tom Chilton           Arena Ford             + 25.024s
16.  Pasquale di Sabatino  bamboo Chevrolet       + 27.071s
17.  Andrea Barlesi        SUNRED SEAT            + 50.229s
18.  Fernando Monje        SUNRED SEAT          + 1m04.377s

Did not finish:

     Charles Ng            Engstler BMW             10 laps
     James Nash            Arena Ford                8 laps
     Darryl O'Young        Special Tuning SEAT       4 laps
     Alberto Cerqui        ROAL BMW                   1 lap
     Tom Boardman          Special Tuning SEAT       0 laps
     Gabor Weber           Zengo BMW                 0 laps