Azcona extends WTCR lead with Aragón Race 2 victory

Mikel Azcona has been able to build up a comfortable lead in the WTCR standings after winning a dramatic second race at Aragón. The Spanish driver won his home race for the BRC Hyundai Squadra Corse, finishing ahead of Rob Huff’s Zengõ Motorsport CUPRA, who scored two second places in a row.

Ma Qing Hua started his Lynk & Co from pole position and was able to cover off Norbert Michelisz’s Hyundai to hold the lead into Turn 1, before Michelisz was able to pass Ma around the outside at the exit. However, Michelisz soon found himself in a spin and collected the tyre stack at the next corner before a collision with Tom Coronel’s Audi put both drivers out of the race and the the safety car was deployed.

At the restart, Ma was quickly passed by Daniel Nagy, with Azcona following into second place. A lap later Azcona took the lead from Nagy, who soon dropped behind teammate Huff, who then applied pressure on Azcona for the rest of the race but was ultimately unable to get close enough to make a move, with Azcona going on to claim his third win of the season.

Santiago Urrutia passed Nagy for the final podium spot on lap seven, and then had a quiet run to the final podium position to claim key points in the championship, while Nagy went on to finish fourth. Yann Ehrlacher finished the race fifth, allowed past by his Cyan Racing teammate Ma in the later stages.

Azcona extended his lead in the standings to 30 points over Comtoyou Racing Audi driver Gilles Magnus, who made little progress in Race 2 and finished in tenth place. Huff’s pair of podiums meant he moved up to joint-third in the standings with Urrutia, 36 points behind.

The next round of the championship takes place at the Vila Real’s street circuit in Portugal next weekend on July 2/3.

Aragón – Race 2
1. Mikel Azcona (BRC Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N), 12 laps
2. Rob Huff (Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición), 0.802
3. Santiago Urrutia (Cyan Performance, Lynk & Co 03), 5.633

Championship points
1. M. Azcona 129 pts; 2. G. Magnus 99; 3. S. Urrutia 93

Picture: FIA WTCR/DPPI