Kristoffersson wins thanks to a great overtaking move
Johan Kristoffersson claimed his second win of the season in WTCR Race 3 at Suzuka after a masterpiece overtaking on Tiago Monteiro into Turn 1. Esteban Guerrieri inherited the second place from Monteiro who dropped to fourth behind Kevin Ceccon during the final lap. The race ended behind the safety car as Ryuchiro Tomita’s Audi went off and remained beached in the gravel.
At the start, Monteiro was faster than pole sitter Kristoffersson, but the latter took the inside line at Turn 1 and moved ahead; Guerrieri followed in third position ahead of Thed Björk and Andy Priaulx, while Mikel Azcona stalled from P3 and dropped to 23rd. At the back of the field Ritomo Miyata hit Tom Coronel’s car, they both spun and collected Ma Qing Hua. The safety car was deployed and circulated until lap 7, when Kristoffersson began to pull away from Monteiro and Guerrieri who managed to keep Björk at bay.
Priaulx, Gabriele Tarquini, Rob Huff and Ceccon were in a close fight for P5, then between lap 21 and 24, Ceccon passed Huff, Tarquini and Priaulx one-by-one always at the braking for T1. Moments later, Tarquini too passed Priaulx for P6. Ceccon’s charge continued as he chased Björk and passed him for P4 in lap 28, at the same time Guerrieri moved into second ahead of Monteiro.
On lap 29, while Ceccon passed Monteiro for P3, Tomita went off and prompted the safety car back into action until the chequered flag.
With Michelisz finishing ninth, Guerrieri moved again on top of the standings, seven points clear of the Hungarian, while Björk, fifth in the race, climbed to third in the points, 45 behind the leader and five ahead of Yvan Muller who finished 15th in the race.
The penultimate event of WTCR will be at Macau on November, 14th/17th.
Race 3
1. Johan Kristoffersson (SLR, Volkswagen Golf GTI), 30 laps
2. Esteban Guerrieri (Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic FK7), 3.070
3. Kevin Ceccon (Team Mulsanne, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce), 7.586
4. Tiago Monteiro (KCMG, Honda Civic FK7), 10.394
5. Thed Björk (Cyan Racing, Lynk&Co 03), 11.063
Championship points
1. Guerrieri 288 pts; 2. Michelisz 281; 3. Björk 243
