Anderstorp 1: Colciago wins for Alfa
Roberto Colciago took victory in the first of today's (Sunday's) European Touring Car Championship races at Anderstorp in Sweden, providing some consolation for Alfa Romeo after its two leads drivers both hit trouble at the first corner
Nicola Larini started from pole position, but found team-mate and championship leader Gabriele Tarquini alongside him heading into the first turn. Tarquini braked too late and skidded off the track, with Larini swiftly following. Larini was able to continue, but Tarquini limped back to the pits to retire.
This left Colciago with a healthy four second margin over Antonio Garcia, who slipped past BMW team-mate Jorg Muller on lap three. Rickard Rydell then put Muller under all sorts of pressure, but found himself under attack from Dirk Muller's BMW, who eventually worked his way past on lap eight.
The three BMW's of Colciago and the two Muller's then entertained each other, until a power steering failure on Jorg's car allowed his namesake through for third on the penultimate lap. However, fourth was still enough to allow J Muller to depose Tarquini at the head of the points standings.
Duncan Huisman made it four BMW's in the top five when he snuck past Rydell on lap 10. Larini recovered from his first-lap dramas to claim sixth, deposing Rydell to seventh on lap 11. Briton Andy Priaulx had a quiet run to eighth, although this keeps alive his title ambitions.
Roberto Colciago (Alfa Romeo 156) 21m55.420s
Antonio Garcia (BMW 320i) +5.315s
Dirk Muller (BMW 320i) +6.559s
Jorg Muller (BMW 320i) +7.504s
Duncan Huisman (BMW 320i) +9.951s
Nicola Larini (Alfa Romeo 156) +10.606s
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