SEAT and BMW shared victories in Zolder, on the first ever visit of the FIA WTCC to Belgium that was blessed by a crowd of 23,000 despite a cold wind from the North.
Jordi Gené came home first in Race 1, but it was his team-mate Gabriele Tarquini who inherited victory after the Spaniard’s car failed to pass the technical checks because the air restrictor did not conform.
Chevrolet’s duo of Yvan Muller and Alain Menu completed the podium.
The second race saw one of Andy Priaulx’s famous solo escapes from the pole position on the reverse grid. The Briton rejected the assaults from Rob Huff and Tiago Monteiro and claimed a much-longed home victory for Bart Mampaey and his BMW Team RBM.
Thanks to the solid performances posted by their three top drivers, Chevrolet collected a great deal of points that enabled Muller to maintain his leadership in the Drivers‘ Championship (but Tarquini and Priaulx closed the gap) and the American brand to stay on top of the Manufacturers.
Norbert Michelisz achieved two wins in the Rookie Challenge – and also 12 further points in the overall championship. These results meant that the Hungarian youngster is now one point ahead of Fredy Barth in the Challenge.
Kristian Poulsen claimed his first victory in the Independents‘ Trophy, while point-leader Sergio Hernández won the second race.
The championship will resume for rounds 9 and 10 at Portimão, Portugal, on July 4th.
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