M1RA’s Norbert Michelisz secured his first-ever TCR International Series win in race one in Thailand, after dominant leader Mat’o Homola cruelly picked up a puncture with two laps left to run whilst leading.
Pole-sitter Homola led for much of the race, getting a clean start and opening up a comfortable lead of over six seconds until disaster struck with just two laps to go when his front-right tyre punctured.
With the Slovakian driver out of the race, the lead went to Michelisz, who had held second for much of the race and was focussed on trying his hardest to help out team-mate and title protagonist Attila Tassi to move up the order.
Michelisz had on lap eight tried to allow team-mate Tassi through, but in the move also enabled Pepe Oriola to nudge the back of Tassi, dropping the young Hungarian positions rather than aiding him.
The fierce battling between Michelisz, Oriola, Tassi and Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay allowed Dušan Borković, from 11th on the grid, to catch up to the battle and in the end the Serbian racer passed Tassi for position on lap nine, which eventually became second at the chequered flag after Homola’s demise.
Tassi finished in third, despite final corner contact from Vernay as he sought to pass his title rival. Vernay took fourth, meaning that the duo are now tied on points at the top of the championship standings.
The second Leopard Racing car of Rob Huff finished in fifth after steadily gaining ground from 14th on the grid, ahead of the third M1RA car of new signing Giacomo Altoè in sixth.
Defending champion Stefano Comini finished in seventh in his Comtoyou Racing Audi, although he has now dropped to 17 points adrift of the title battle in third after another race in the lower half of the top ten.
From the back row of the grid GE-Force’s Davit Kajaia had a storming drive, finishing the race in eighth having started in 23rd due to receiving a grid penalty for the team changing the engine in his Alfa Romeo overnight.
Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Dan Lloyd and WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli completed the top ten, the latter having lost three places in one go on lap 12 as he fought with the full 30 kg of success ballast on board.
Comtoyou’s second Audi of Frédéric Vervisch just missed out on the points in 11th, ahead of WestCoast Racing’s new Thai signing Kantadhee Kusiri in 12th, who had started the race inside the top ten but slipped down to 11th by the end of the opening lap.
Along with Homola, there was huge disappointment for Craft-Bamboo Racing as Pepe Oriola retired from a podium position heading onto the final lap of the race, his SEAT slowing on the finish straight. James Nash, who had started the race in second, also retired after seven laps, pulling into the pits with technical issues on his car after picking up a problem whilst running in sixth.
Race two takes place at 16:05 local time (10:05 BST, 11:05 CEST).
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 59 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 14 | 14 LAPS | 1:44.919 | 3 |
| 2 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 14 | 3.769 | 1:45.161 | 11 |
| 3 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 14 | 5.923 | 1:45.243 | 5 |
| 4 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 14 | 6.211 | 1:44.873 | 4 |
| 5 | 3 | Rob HUFF |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 14 | 6.428 | 1:45.280 | 14 |
| 6 | 21 | Giacomo ALTOÈ |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 14 | 7.358 | 1:45.692 | 7 |
| 7 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 14 | 10.610 | 1:45.719 | 9 |
| 8 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 14 | 11.142 | 1:45.442 | 23 |
| 9 | 17 | Daniel LLOYD | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 14 | 14.196 | 1:45.741 | 12 |
| 10 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 14 | 15.050 | 1:45.764 | 10 |
| 11 | 6 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 14 | 16.646 | 1:45.729 | 13 |
| 12 | 19 | Kantadhee KUSIRI |  |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 14 | 17.143 | 1:45.783 | 8 |
| 13 | 18 | Duncan ENDE |  |
Icarus Motorsports | SEAT León TCR | 14 | 19.316 | 1:46.315 | 16 |
| 14 | 67 | Munkong SATHIENTHIRAKUL | |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 14 | 22.733 | 1:46.352 | 15 |
| 15 | 85 | Chariya NUYA | |
Billionaire Boys Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 14 | 26.322 | 1:46.839 | 17 |
| 16 | 96 | Nattanid LEEWATTANAVARAGUL | |
Morin Racing Team | SEAT León TCR DSG | 14 | 29.542 | 1:46.497 | 18 |
| 17 | 83 | Rattanin LEENUTAPHONG | |
Yontrakit Racing Team | SEAT León TCR DSG | 14 | 42.071 | 1:47.217 | 20 |
| 18 | 86 | Nattachak HANJITKASEN | |
TBN MK Ihere Racing Team | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 14 | 42.445 | 1:47.262 | 21 |
| 19 | 28 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 14 | 54.267 | 1:45.617 | 22 |
| 20 | 65 | Douglas KHOO Kok Hui |  |
Viper Niza Racing | SEAT León TCR | 14 | 1:46.431 | 1:50.831 | 24 |
| R | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 13 | DNF | 1:45.130 | 6 |
| R | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 12 | DNF | 1:44.834 | 1 |
| R | 84 | Pasarit PROMSOMBAT | |
RMI Racing Team by Sunoco | SEAT León TCR DSG | 12 | DNF | 1:46.652 | 19 |
| R | 54 | James NASH | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 7 | DNF | 1:45.362 | 2 |