Ehrlacher leads a Lynk & Co 1-2-3 in Estoril’s Race 1

Reigning WTCR champion Yann Ehrlacher led home a Lynk & Co 1-2-3 in the first race at Estoril. Yvan Muller and Santiago Guerrieri followed Ehrlacher on the podium, delivering a result that belied the public complaints Cyan Racing and the Geely Group had made against the BoP in the eve of the Portuguese event. 
Tiago Monteiro and Esteban Guerrieri finished fourth and fifth; with Jean-Karl Vernay and Néstor Girolami, who were first and seconds in the points, involved in the incident at the start, Monteiro moved on top of the standings  
At the start, Ehrlacher from P2 pipped pole sitter Gabriele Tarquini into Turn 1, but there was chaos behind them. Girolami missed the braking point and hit Norbert Michelisz who spun and collected Attila Tassi, while Mikel Azcona couldn’t avoid bumping into the back of Vernay’s car. Girolami stopped on the track, while Vernay and Michelisz limped back to the pits and the safety car was deployed.
When racing resumed in lap 4, Ehrlacher led from Tarquini, Muller, Urrutia, Monteiro, Guerrieri, Azcona, Thed Björk and Tassi.
In lap 8, Tassi overtook Björk for P8, while Luca Engstler was recovering after having dropped at the back of the field following the commotion at the start.
In lap 9, Tarquini slowed with a flat right-front tyre and pitted, leaving Ehrlacher leading comfortably from Muller, while Urrutia held on the third place keeping Monteiro at bay.
During the final laps the battle to make into the top-ten saw Nathanaël Berthon and Engstler clashing, which helped Rob Huff to move into P10.
Race 2 will follow at 15:15 local time (16:15 CEST), with Guerrieri’s Honda Civic on pole position. 

Estoril – Race 1
1. Yann Erlacher (Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03), 15 laps
2. Yvan Muller (Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03), 1.746
3. Santiago Urrutia (Cyan Performance, Lynk & Co 03), 3.411
4. Tiago Monteiro (Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FK7), 4.960
5. Esteban Guerrieri (Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FK7), 5.369

Championship points
1. T. Monteiro 52 pts; 2. Y. Muller 49; 3. S. Urrutia 45 

Picture: WTCR/DPPI