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Kristoffersson claims first WTCR victory in Nurburgring race two

Double World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson resisted a challenge for the lead on lap one to claim his first World Touring Car Cup victory in the second Nurburgring Nordschleife race

Kristoffersson was challenged by the Audis of wildcard entrant Antti Buri and Comtoyou driver Frederic Vervisch on the grand prix loop but, having fended off those attacks, was able to break free to win for the first time since switching world championship disciplines.

Buri got a better start than the Sebastien Loeb Racing polesitter and had the inside line for the first corner, but Kristoffersson held on around the outside in his Volkswagen Golf GTI, which became the inside line for the switchback onto the main part of the GP loop.

Vervisch attempted to pass both Buri and Kristoffersson as they squabbled, although Kristoffersson was able to hang the Audi RS3 LMS out to dry and scampered clear from there.

He ended the second of the three laps 3.2 seconds clear of Vervisch and did not let up, eventually claiming the SLR VW squad's first win of 2019 by 5.108s.

Vervisch ended up in a similarly comfortable second but, as had been the case in Friday's opening race, the final podium position was only decided on the final lap.

Gabriele Tarquini (BRC Racing Hyundai i30 N) and Kristoffersson's team-mate Rob Huff had been in a private battle for the place on the final lap, until they came together at the Carousel.

That put Huff, who had been on the outside line, in the barrier and out of the race with front-end and suspension damage.

Tarquini was able to continue and maintained third, but was caught by team-mate Augusto Farfus and the KCMG Honda Civic Type R of Attila Tassi - with Farfus getting ahead on Dottinger Hohe to secure his first podium since returning to World Touring Cars.

Reigning champion Tarquini did cling on to fourth ahead of Tassi, who scored his best WTCR result to date, while Benjamin Leuchter was sixth in the third SLR VW.

Title protagonists Esteban Guerrieri and Norbert Michelisz were seventh and eighth - with Michelisz passing ninth-place finisher Aurelien Panis (Comtoyou Cupra) on the final lap.

Jean-Karl Vernay secured 10th in his WRT Audi, ahead of Tom Coronel, Nicky Catsburg and Thed Bjork - who was the only Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 driver to score any points.

Bjork finished 14th on the road behind Buri, who is ineligible for points as a wildcard.

Result - 3 laps

Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Johan Kristoffersson SLR Volkswagen Volkswagen 27m08.370s
2 Frederic Vervisch Comtoyou Audi Audi 5.108s
3 Augusto Farfus BRC Racing Team Hyundai 10.891s
4 Attila Tassi KCMG Honda 11.827s
5 Benjamin Leuchter SLR Volkswagen Volkswagen 12.340s
6 Esteban Guerrieri Munnich Motorsport Honda 17.591s
7 Norbert Michelisz BRC Squadra Corse Hyundai 22.715s
8 Aurelien Panis Comtoyou Cupra Cupra 23.072s
9 Jean-Karl Vernay WRT Audi 23.657s
10 Tom Coronel Comtoyou Cupra Cupra 24.329s
11 Antti Buri LMS Racing Audi 26.773s
12 Thed Bjork Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 27.121s
13 Mikel Azcona PWR Racing Cupra 27.178s
14 Tiago Monteiro KCMG Honda 27.626s
15 Yvan Muller Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 29.256s
16 Mehdi Bennani SLR VW Motorsport Volkswagen 29.647s
17 Daniel Haglof PWR Racing Cupra 29.839s
18 Andy Priaulx Cyan Performance Lynk & Co 30.559s
19 Kevin Ceccon Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo 30.810s
20 Niels Langeveld Comtoyou Audi Audi 31.157s
21 Gordon Shedden WRT Audi 31.839s
22 Ma Qinghua Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo 32.385s
23 Gabriele Tarquini BRC Squadra Corse Hyundai 41.180s
- Nicky Catsburg BRC Racing Team Hyundai Disqualified
- Nestor Girolami Munnich Motorsport Honda Retirement
- Rob Huff SLR VW Motorsport Volkswagen Retirement
- Yann Ehrlacher Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Retirement


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