Muller, twice 2nd, retains drivers’ top spot – Menu contributes to the points’ harvest, while Huff is deprived of brilliant 3rd place after the race
On a track transformed to something close to an oven by the severeheat (almost 40° of air temperature), the Cruzes put together another great team effort, as YvanMuller finished 2nd in both races, Rob Huff took 3rd in race 2 (after starting 18th on the grid) but lostit after the race due to a 30-second penalty, and Alain Menu collected a 3rd and a 5th position.This allows Muller and the team to continue leading both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’championships as the WTCC nears the mid-season mark. The good work done during thepractice sessions paid off, the Cruze proving to be well-balanced and competitive on thedemanding Portuguese track which took its toll on many of the driver’s tyres, including Rob’s inrace 1, placing him in 18th. The Briton had a brilliant performance in Race 2, crossing the line in 3rdposition, but he was later stripped of the result, following a 30-seconds penalty inflicted by themarshals for a race incident with Farfus.
Chevrolet’s good day was completed by the first win in the Independents’ Trophy obtained byBamboo Engineering, the British privateer team that enters two Lacettis in the junior category ofthe WTCC; Hong-Kong driver Darryl O’Young finished 2nd in race 1 and took his maiden win in theTrophy in race 2, with team-mate Harry Vaulkhard (3rd in race 2) also climbing on theindependent’s podium.
• Quotes
Yvan Muller (2nd/2nd) "I am quite happy with the result: two second places is not bad at all in thecontext of the fight for the title. Today, it was very difficult because of the heat: with almost 40°Coutside, you can image how we felt inside the cars! In race 1, I was about to attack Tiago for thefirst place when I was told on the radio that Rob had suffered a puncture, so I stayed quiet andsecured second position and the points. When you go for the championship, you have to be ablenot to take unnecessary risks. In race 2, I was involved in a number of duels, it was tough butalways correct and finishing second was a nice reward”.
Alain Menu (5th/3rd): "Another good result for the team and some good points for me. Race 1 waspretty uneventful and I finished fifth. I had a good start in race 2, coming second at the first turn. Atthe start of lap 4 I could successfully attack Michelisz to take the lead, but Tarquini, who was closebehind, overtook both of us; he had a better line and tried to defend it but he was simply muchfaster. Later, I didn’t really resist against Yvan and Rob, as they seemed a little bit faster. I gave alittle push to both my team mates at the hairpin, it was completely unintentional, I was simply reacceleratinga little bit earlier than them, as I had a lot of pressure from the BMWs behind me”.
Rob Huff (18th/15th): "In race 1, it was a pity to suffer that puncture on my front left tire at midrace,losing a good fourth position. We knew that tires would suffer today and that was proof of it.Race 2 was definitely lively: I started 18th and finished 3rd, so I guess I did a good job. There wassome good fighting along the way, with Priaulx, who started from the back as well, with Coroneland with Farfus. When I was attacking Tom, he changed line a couple of times, then braked earlierthan expected and I touched him, but I got past. With Farfus, he also changed lines twice, andwhen we had the slight contact, I was holding my line, so I don’t think there is much to be saidabout that incident, but clearly, the marshals had a different view. Nevertheless, the most importantis that we had another very good week-end for the team”.
Eric Nève: “These have again been two closely-fought and exciting races, we have been on theforefront fighting for victory again and we come back with many good points. The two secondpositions of Yvan are very important towards the championship and prove that we can beconsistent throughout the season, which is the key for the title battle. Moreover, we have producedagain an excellent team effort and we continue to lead both championships, which is the bestposition you can possibly be in ahead of Brands Hatch, the team’s home race, in just a fortnight”.
PORTIMÃO RACE 1 RESULTS1. T Monteiro SEAT León TDI 11 laps in 21m38s1942. Y Muller Chevrolet Cruze + 1s0323. G Tarquini SEAT León TDI + 1s5874. A Farfus BMW 320si + 1s8265. A Menu Chevrolet Cruze + 8s80718. R Huff Chevrolet Cruze + 1 lap
PORTIMÃO RACE 2 RESULTS1. G Tarquini SEAT León TDI 11 laps in 21m49s9352. Y Muller Chevrolet Cruze + 1s7363. A Menu Chevrolet Cruze + 3s2444. A Priaulx BMW 320si + 3s5705. A Farfus BMW 320si + 4s09415. R Huff Chevrolet Cruze + 32s587
DRIVERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 10 OF 241. Y Muller (Chevrolet), 164 points; 2. G Tarquini (SEAT), 149; 3. A Priaulx (BMW), 117 ; 4. RHuff (Chevrolet), 104 ; 5. T Monteiro (SEAT), 99 ; 6. A Menu (Chevrolet), 86; etcMANUFACTURERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 10 OF 24
1. Chevrolet, 317 points; 2. SEAT, 312; 3. BMW, 251 .
NEXT RACE: Round 6, Race of United Kingdom, Brands Hatch, 17-18 July 2010.
