Muller takes first diesel WTCC win

The Frenchman, driving the Leon TDI, which is only in its second race, passed pole-sitter and teammate Gabriele Tarquini, driving the regular petrol-powered Leon, out of the first corner on lap five and was never again headed.

"The car was quite consistent," said Muller. "I had to push hard all the way to keep Gabriele behind because he doesn't ever give up."

James Thompson took third for the N.Technology Alfa Romeo team, although he beneffited from the chaos caused by one of two start accidents as he leaped from ninth on the grid to third after Alain Menu and Roberto Colciago clashed in Turn 1.

A second accident, on the run down the start/finish line, was triggered when Alex Zanardi and Nicola Larini came together and spun across the track. They collected independent runners Massimiliano Pedala and Pierre-Yves Corthals, the latter suffering a heavy impact with the wall.

After a three-lap safety car period, the top runners struggled to pass on the notoriously tight Oschersleben circuit, with Thompson holding off Jorg Muller and Andy Priaulx for much of the race.

Jordi Gene, who had started down in 18th after a trip to the gravel in qualifying, was another to benefit from the start chaos, jumping to sixth place which he held to the flag despite constant pressure from the BMW of Augusto Farfus.

Colciago climbed back up to take eighth and the Independents' Trophy win after a clash with Tiago Monteiro at the first corner which left the former Formula One racer with bodywork rubbing his right-rear tyre.

Colciago also had to battled past debutant Timur Sadredinov, the youngest-ever WTCC driver, who took second in the Independents' class for GR-Asia ahead of Sergio Hernandez.

Olivier Tielemans claimed the best result of his WTCC career with ninth ahead of Monteiro, with the sole remaining Chevrolet Lacetti of Rob Huff 11th from 14th on the grid.

Classified:

Pos  Driver            Make        Time
 1.  Yvan Muller       SEAT        27:57.209
 2.  G.Tarquini        SEAT        +   0.446
 3.  James Thompson    Alfa Romeo  +   0.793
 4.  Jorg Muller       BMW         +   1.256
 5.  Andy Priaulx      BMW         +   1.480
 6.  Jordi Gene        SEAT        +   2.764
 7.  Augusto Farfus    BMW         +   3.016
 8.  Roberto Colciago  SEAT        +   3.377
 9.  O.Tielemans       Alfa Romeo  +   5.982
10.  Tiago Monteiro    SEAT        +   8.633
11.  Robert Huff       Chevrolet   +  13.373
12.  M.Jourdain Jr.    SEAT        +  16.573
13.  Timur Sadredinov  SEAT        +  20.003
14.  Sergio Hernandez  BMW         +  20.201
15.  M.Ceresoli        SEAT        +  21.696
16.  Luca Rangoni      BMW         +1:34.311
17.  Stefano D'Aste    BMW         +   1 Lap

Not classified:

     Driver            Make       Laps
  .  Alain Menu        Chevrolet   6
  .  Felix Porteiro    BMW         1
  .  A.Zanardi         BMW         1
  .  Nicola Larini     Chevrolet   1
     P-Y.Corthals      SEAT        0
     Peter Terting     SEAT        0
     M.Pedala          SEAT        0
     Tom Coronel       SEAT        0

Fastest lap: Colciago, 1:37.262 on lap 8