Björk’s Zandvoort #WTCR double as Race 2 winner Guerrieri holds title lead

*Swede strikes twice for Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Ehrlacher takes second in Race 3 *Guerrieri wins Race 2 and leads on the #RoadToMalaysia *More than 100,000 fans watch the Jumbo Racedagen action*FIA President Jean Todt and Red Bull Racing drivers Gasly and Verstappen in attendance

FIA WTCR Race of Netherlands: Race report
WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO 2019
Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of 30, Zandvoort, 17-19 May

Thed Björk scored his second victory of the WTCR Race of Netherlands weekend as discussions over team orders became a talking point during Race 3 at Zandvoort this afternoon.

Björk had made the better getaway from the line, but DHL Pole Position driver Yann Ehrlacher, in another Chinese-developed Lynk & Co 03 TCR, moved to the right to block and made contact with his team-mate, who still accelerated into the lead.

But as they started lap three, the order on the team radio was to “swap positions on the main straight”, and Björk obliged over fears Ehrlacher would be penalised for his attempts to hold onto first place at the start – and to honour a pre-race agreement for the staring order to be maintained.

Ehrlacher then led until lap six when it was clear he would not be penalised beyond receiving a driving standards flag and the decision was taken to order Björk back through to the front, a position he held to the flag for his third win of 2019.

“I had a perfect start,” said Björk, who also won Race 1 on Saturday. “Yann thought he had a perfect start too and wanted to be first into the first corner. But I was there and took it. I understand. We all want to be first.”

Young Frenchman Ehrlacher responded emotionally over team radio in his bid to stay in front, saying: “I have the weakest engine,” a reference to a power issue he reported afterwards. But he eventually gave up on what would have been his first victory of the season and let Björk back through on lap 11 to claim a third win of 2019.

Behind the Lynk & Co-powered pair, Augusto Farfus looked set for his first podium finish in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, only for fellow BRC Hyundai driver and title contender Norbert Michelisz to pass him on the last lap after the order was given to help Michelisz’s stronger title prospects.

Yvan Muller, who became involved in Cyan’s team order discussions via the radio during the race, finished where he started in fifth having lost his DHL Pole Position for non-compliance regarding the maximum boost pressure and the maximum engine speed values as published in the Balance of Performance chart issued for the event.

PWR Racing’s Mikel Azcona completed a strong weekend with more #RoadToMalaysia points in sixth, ahead of Race 2 podium finisher Johan Kristoffersson of SLR Volkswagen. Race 2 winner Esteban Guerrieri was eighth for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, with BRC’s Gabriele Tarquini and SLR’s Rob Huff completing the top 10.

The other points finishers were local hero Nicky Catsburg in P11, ahead of Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing’s Aurélien Panis, Mehdi Bennani and Andy Priaulx. Non-finishers included Race 2 runner-up Benjamin Leuchter, whose Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR dropped out of P13 on lap 11, and Jean-Karl Vernay who pulled up on the last lap.

Earlier in the weekend, Muller and Azcona completed the Race 1 podium with SLR Volkswagen team-mates Benjamin Leuchter and double FIA World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson doing likewise in Race 2. It was the first podium for the Sébastien Loeb Racing-run duo following a tough run of results.

Kristoffersson had already served notice of his intent with fourth in Race 1, one place ahead of three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx. Mehdi Bennani completed the top six in another SLR Golf.

Nicky Catsburg was the top Dutch scorer with fourth in Race 2 ahead of Azcona and Farfus. Leuchter landed the TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy for the first time, a useful confidence boost ahead of his home event, WTCR Race of Germany at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife next month.

Guerrieri will travel to Germany – his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team’s home event – 11 points in front in the title chase with Björk up to second. Erstwhile title pacesetter, Néstor Girolami endured a challenging weekend and slips to third after taking a best finish of P10 in Race 2.

FIA President Jean Todt visits WTCR Race of Netherlands
Jean Todt, President of the FIA, was a guest of honour at WTCR Race of Netherlands. President Todt met drivers, teams, officials and stakeholders from the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, plus representatives of WTCR promoter Eurosport Events. During his visit, President Todt joined the WTCR / OSCARO drivers for a photocall to promote the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. He also visited the Race 3 grid and presented the winning trophy in Race 3 to Thed Björk.

Red Bull Formula One stars Gasly and Verstappen WTCR grid
Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen added to the star quality on the Race 2 grid when they joined guests from TAG Heuer, the WTCR’s Official Timing Partner, to get up close to the World Touring Cars as they prepared for action. The Red Bull Racing drivers were attending the Jumbo Racedagen, performing demonstration runs and making a number of promotional appearances.