Farfus wins, Priaulx close to title
Alfa Romeo's Augusto Farfus Jr. won the first round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship at Macau on Sunday in a race that ended his teammate Fabrizio Giovanardi's title hopes
Farfus took the lead of the restarted event on the entry to Mandarin Bend on lap five and then proceeded to drive a defensive race under pressure from early leader, BMW's Andy Priaulx.
Although the Brazilian slowed the pace at the front of the field in a bid to help teammate Giovanardi to climb the order, it all went wrong for the Italian on the penultimate lap when he crashed out of sixth place at Police.
With Priaulx taking second place, Giovanardi's exit left him too far adrift of the new world championship leader to be able to take the crown in the second event.
Although Priaulx could not get past Farfus for the win, the Briton's own hopes of winning the title received a massive boost on the final lap when remaining rival Dirk Muller damaged his car after being hit by Nicola Larini.
That dropped the German from fourth place down to 10th - and leaving him seven points adrift of Priaulx in the title chase.
Priaulx said: "I was trying hard to get past Farfus but I had to be sensible. With one race to go, I just need to score some more points."
Rickard Rydell finished third with Chevrolet duo Nicola Larini and Alain Menu taking fourth and fifth place overall. Duncan Huisman was sixth for BMW ahead of James Thompson in the Alfa Romeo.
The reverse grid format means that Priaulx will start seventh for the second race with SEAT's Peter Terting starting from pole position.
The race had to be restarted after a first lap pile-up at Lisboa when Jorg Muller collided with Chevrolet's Rob Huff after being tapped from behind and swiping the tyre barriers. The two cars blocked the track.
Home hero Andre Couto crashed out of the lead on the opening lap of the restarted race.
CLASSIFIED:
Pos Driver Make Time
1. Augusto Farfus Jr. Alfa Romeo 156 42:11.373
2. Andy Priaulx BMW 320i + 0.496
3. Rickard Rydell SEAT Leon + 1.698
4. Nicola Larini Chevrolet Lacetti + 4.427
5. Alain Menu Chevrolet Lacetti + 13.706
6. Duncan Huisman BMW 320i + 14.287
7. James Thompson Alfa Romeo 156 + 14.440
8. Peter Terting SEAT Leon + 15.172
9. Antonio Garcia BMW 320i + 16.756
10. Dirk Muller BMW 320i + 20.882
11. Stefano D'aste BMW 320i + 25.039
12. Carl Rosenblad BMW 320i + 31.965
13. Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320i + 32.574
14. Marc Hennerici BMW 320i + 39.276
15. Adriano De Micheli Honda Accord Euro R + 43.148
16. Peter Scharmach BMW 320i + 43.995
17. Michael Funke Ford Focus + 1 Lap
18. Jordi Gene SEAT Leon + 1 Lap
19. Fabrizio Giovanardi Alfa Romeo 156 + 2 Laps
20. Simon Harrison Honda Accord Euro R + 2 Laps
21. Patrick Bernhardt Ford Focus + 3 Laps
NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:
Driver Make On Lap
Andre Couto Alfa Romeo 156 2
Jorg Muller BMW 320i 0
Robert Huff Chevrolet Lacetti 0
Tom Coronel Seat Toledo Cupra 0
Giuseppe Ciro BMW 320i 0
Fastest lap: Priaulx, 2:33.903 on lap 3
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