Craft-Bamboo Racing’s James Nash scored his first win in the TCR International Series in Estoril, ahead of Leopard Racing’s Stefano Comini and WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli.
Nash led the entire race from lights-to-flag after poleman Loris Hezemans encountered an issue with his car at the start of the race. With battles raging behind the Brit he was able to open up a comfortable lead over the pack and cantered to a first TCR win in only his fourth race in the series.
Reigning champion Stefano Comini brought his Leopard Racing Volkswagen home in third, having settled into the position at the start of the race thanks to a superb start.
WestCoast Racing’s Morbidelli brought his Honda Civic home in third to secure an early championship lead, which he takes by just one point from Nash.
The second Craft-Bamboo SEAT of Sergey Afanasyev finished in fourth, having lost out to Morbidelli at just over the half-way stage of the race, with the duo dispatching the second Leopard Racing car of Jean-Karl Vernay in quick succession, leaving the Frenchman to finish in fifth.
Sixth went to the second Honda of Aku Pellinen, who was ahead of Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s leading car of Davit Kajaia in seventh, who experienced a relatively quiet race.
Mat’o Homola was the leading B3 Racing car in eighth, whilst his team-mate Dušan Borković endured a disastrous race, pulling into the pits after just two laps with what appeared to be an overheating engine.
Portuguese local Francisco Mora and former championship leader Pepe Oriola completed the top ten. Oriola had started the race from fourth, but gradually slipped back over the course of 15 laps in his ballasted SEAT León. The Spaniard lost out particularly on lap four when team-mate Afanasyev got past, with Oriola pushed out wide onto the grass and losing four positions in one go as a result.
Engstler Motorsport’s Mikhail Grachev just missed out on the points in 11th, ahead of American Kevin Gleason in 12th whose difficult weekend continued.
The Top Run Motorsport Subaru STi TCR of Luca Rangoni retired from the race after 11 laps, having pulled off the circuit with issues on his car.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME/GAP | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 54 | James NASH |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 15 | 27:46.901 | 1:49.576 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 15 | 2.252 | 1:49.520 | 7 |
| 3 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 15 | 7.241 | 1:49.095 | 9 |
| 4 | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 15 | 9.592 | 1:49.930 | 6 |
| 5 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 15 | 11.622 | 1:49.814 | 8 |
| 6 | 14 | Aku PELLINEN |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 15 | 16.759 | 1:50.344 | 5 |
| 7 | 7 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 15 | 19.19 | 1:50.563 | 12 |
| 8 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 15 | 20.927 | 1:49.851 | 10 |
| 9 | 26 | Francisco MORA |  |
Baporo Motorsport | SEAT León Cup Racer | 15 | 21.259 | 1:50.722 | 14 |
| 10 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 15 | 32.535 | 1:50.863 | 4 |
| 11 | 8 | Mikhail GRACHEV | |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 15 | 33.182 | 1:51.668 | 13 |
| 12 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 15 | 33.811 | 1:51.068 | 3 |
| 13 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 15 | 36.801 | 1:51.665 | 11 |
| 14 | 88 | Michela CERRUTI | |
Mulsanne Racing | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 15 | 39.109 | 1:51.915 | 15 |
| R | 31 | Luca RANGONI | |
Top Run Motorsport | Subaru Sti TCR | 11 | 4 Laps | 1:51.463 | 16 |
| R | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 2 | 13 Laps | 2:04.773 | 17 |
| R | 50 | Loris HEZEMANS |  |
Baporo Motorsport | SEAT León Cup Racer | 0 | 15 Laps | N/A | 1 |