Gene claims first Zolder victory

The SEAT driver beat team-mate and pole-sitter Gabriel Tarquini away at the rolling start, but he seemed to cross the line first. Gene led the race of the rest quite comfortably, but his start is under investigation by the race stewards.

Tarquini briefly dropped to third behind Yvan Muller on the first lap, but settled in second and soon pulled clear of the Chevrolets behind.

Half way through the race, Muller began to fall back into the clutches of team-mate Alain Menu, who headed a train consisting of Tiago Monteiro, Rob Huff and Norbert Michelisz.

Andy Priaulx ran down and passed eighth-placed Tom Coronel when the Dutchman ran wide exiting the Bolderberghaarspeldbocht hairpin. Coronel was left to resist pressure from the second BMW of Augusto Farfus in the closing stages to defend his ninth place - which will become eighth and reverse-grid pole for race two if Gene is penalised.

Pos Driver                  Car              Time/Gap
 1. Jordi Gene              SEAT           21m51.561s
 2. Gabriele Tarquini       SEAT               +2.648
 3. Yvan Muller             Chevrolet          +5.277
 4. Alain Menu              Chevrolet          +5.704
 5. Tiago Monteiro          SEAT               +6.207
 6. Rob Huff                Chevrolet          +6.514
 7. Norbert Michelisz       SEAT               +6.840
 8. Andy Priaulx            BMW                +7.475
 9. Tom Coronel             SEAT              +11.943
10. Augusto Farfus          BMW               +12.101
11. Fredy Barth             SEAT              +12.303
12. Kristian Poulsen        BMW               +16.021
13. Pierre-Yves Corthals    SEAT              +18.048
14. Sergio Hernandez        BMW               +20.259
15. Mehdi Bennani           BMW               +20.888
16. Harry Vaulkhard         Chevrolet         +22.071
17. Stefano D'Aste          BMW               +23.139
18. Vincent Radermecker     Chevrolet         +23.525
19. Michel Nykjaer          SEAT              +29.137
20. Andrey Romanov          BMW               +56.690
21. Darryl O'Young          Chevrolet          +1 lap

Retirements

    Franz Engstler          BMW                8 laps