Gilles Magnus wins action-packed first race at the Hungaroring
Gilles Magnus has become the seventh different winner in seven rounds in the WTCR, winning the first Hungaroring’s race in the Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS ahead of Mikel Azcona’s CUPRA, which had a wild run to second, while involved in incidents with Yvan Muller and Frédéric Vervisch.
Magnus led the way at the start ahead of teammate Vervisch, with Yann Ehrlacher third, while teammate Yvan Muller was spun around at Turn 1 following contact with Azcona. Muller dropped to the back of the field, while Azcona was now up to fourth ahead of Thed Björk.
All the action was in the midfield, with championship leader Jean-Karl Vernay going off track after getting caught up in an incident between Nathanaël Berthon and Attila Tassi on lap three. This dropped Vernay to 16thand fighting with broken steering.
Azcona then passed Ehrlacher the safety car was called on lap seven, after Rob Huff’s CUPRA hit the tyre stack at Turn 6, breaking its front-left suspension. The team have a very tight, near-impossible turnaround to repair the car so it can start from pole for Race 2 with the 15-minute repair time.
The race restarted on lap 12, with Azcona going on the attack straight away, trying to take second from Vervisch.
The Spaniard made a move at Turn 11, with Vervisch running wide and falling to fourth. Time had run out to catch Magnus, who took the win, with Azcona second and Ehrlacher claiming the final spot on the podium.
Magnus’ win is the second in a row for Audi in WTCR and moves the Belgian up to third in the standings, 13 points away from new championship leader Ehrlacher.
Azcona’s second is provisional, as the driver is under investigation for both incidents with Muller and Vervisch.
The second race will start at 15:15 CEST.
Hungaroring – Race 1
1. Gilles Magnus (Comtoyou Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 14 laps
2. Mikel Azcona (Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición), 2.127
3. Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03), 2.682
4. Frédéric Vervisch (Comtoyou Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 3.628
5. Thed Björk (Cyan Performance, Lynk & Co 03), 3.866
Championship points
1. Y. Ehrlacher 90 pts; 2. JK. Vernay 84; 3. G. Magnus 77
Picture: WTCR/DPPI
