Local hero Tiago Monteiro and reigning world champion Gabriele Tarquini scored one victory apiece in Portugal, making it a perfect weekend for SEAT Customers Technology.
In Race 1, cheered by his home crowd, Monteiro ended the monopoly of the three WTCC champions – Tarquini, Muller and Priaulx – who had claimed all the race wins from the beginning of the season. The Portuguese racer came back on the WTCC winning podium two years after another home victory at Estoril, resisting a final charge from Yvan Muller and Tarquini.
In Race 2, Tarquini put in a dominant performance, annihilating the rest of the field to achieve his fourth victory of the season. Muller and Rob Huff completed the podium after a breathtaking battle with Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus, Tom Coronel and Alain Menu.
Thanks to a couple of second places, Yvan Muller maintained his leadership in the Drivers‘ Championship. With Priaulx and Huff non-scorers in the first race, the Frenchman and Tarquini stretched the gap at the front.
Norbert Michelisz and Fredy Barth shared victories in the Rookie Challenge, while the Independents‘ Trophy saw successes for Sergio Hernández and Darryl O’Young.
The championship will resume for rounds 11 and 12 at Brands Hatch, UK, on July 18th.
LAST UPDATE – HUFF STRIPPED OF RACE 2 PODIUM
Chevrolet’s Rob Huff was stripped of his third place in the second race following a Stewards decision.
The Briton was under investigation for two different incidents with Augusto Farfus, one in each of today’s races.
After hearing the competitors and watching videos, the Panel of the Stewards decided to impose Huff a reprimand for the first incident and a 30-second time penalty for the second one. The decision meant that Huff slipped from third to 22nd in Portimão’s Race 2, while his teammate Alain Menu inherited third position.