Yann Ehrlacher led home Esteban Guerrieri to score Münnich Motorsport’s first 1-2 finish in World Touring Cars in the first FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) race at the Hungaroring.
At the start of the race front-row starter Guerrieri got alongside pole-sitter Norbert Michelisz heading into Turn 1, completing the pass before the corner, before Michelisz then drew alongside heading to Turn 2.
Contact from Guerrieri on Michelisz at Turn 2 then allowed Ehrlacher to sneak through into the lead, whilst Guerrieri slotted into second and Yvan Muller benefitted to move into third ahead of Michelisz.
Ehrlacher then led for the remainder of the race, handling late-race pressure from team-mate Guerrieri to secure a second win in World Touring Cars, and a first in WTCR.
The result was also the first 1-2 for Münnich Motorsport since the German team moved into touring cars with a WTCC entry in 2013.
Guerrieri was just half a second back at the chequered flag, whilst home favourite Michelisz completed the podium after passing Muller on the penultimate lap – a similar attempt six laps earlier had failed to pay off when Michelisz outbraked himself.
Muller took fourth, ahead of Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Rob Huff in fifth and the second BRC Racing Hyundai of Gabriele Tarquini in sixth.
Wildcard entry Dániel Nagy was a strong seventh in his M1RA Hyundai, ahead of the leading Audi of Jean-Karl Vernay in eighth.
YMR’s Thed Björk and Boutsen Ginion Racing’s Benjamin Lessennes completed the top ten, although the latter only did so after contact with the third Münnich Motorsport Honda of James Thompson at Turn 1, dropping the Brit from tenth to 13th.
Both Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeos retired from the race, with Gianni Morbidelli retiring to the pits after five laps and Fabrizio Giovanardi calling it a day on lap 10 after picking up front-right damage which was rubbing against his car tyre.
Campos Racing’s John Filippi was caught up in a tangle at Turn 1 on the opening lap and whilst the CUPRA racer was able to continue, he ultimately retired after six laps.
Ehrlacher’s win elevates the Frenchman to second overall in the drivers’ championship standings, just eight points behind series leader Tarquini.
The second and third WTCR races takes place at 15:30 CEST (14:30 BST) and 16:55 CEST (15:55 BST) on Sunday.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 12 LAPS | 1:54.859 | 5 |
| 2 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 0.692 | 1:54.691 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 5.942 | 1:55.104 | 1 |
| 4 | 48 | Yvan MULLER | |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 7.290 | 1:55.162 | 6 |
| 5 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 9.117 | 1:55.538 | 8 |
| 6 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 9.856 | 1:55.406 | 4 |
| 7 | 99 | Dániel NAGY | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 11.096 | 1:55.578 | 7 |
| 8 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 15.403 | 1:55.457 | 11 |
| 9 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 16.202 | 1:55.640 | 3 |
| 10 | 63 | Benjamin LESSENNES |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 16.901 | 1:55.096 | 10 |
| 11 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 21.537 | 1:55.458 | 14 |
| 12 | 23 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 22.455 | 1:56.027 | 13 |
| 13 | 15 | James THOMPSON | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 25.448 | 1:55.633 | 9 |
| 14 | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH | |
Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 25.801 | 1:56.197 | 24 |
| 15 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 27.850 | 1:56.355 | 23 |
| 16 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 32.592 | 1:56.517 | 22 |
| 17 | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 33.231 | 1:56.593 | 19 |
| 18 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 33.978 | 1:56.462 | 25 |
| 19 | 19 | Attila TASSI | |
KCMG | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 34.344 | 1:56.397 | 21 |
| 20 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 34.671 | 1:56.764 | 15 |
| 21 | 20 | Denis DUPONT | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 36.738 | 1:57.064 | 26 |
| 22 | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 46.586 | 1:57.408 | 27 |
| R | 88 | Fabrizio GIOVANARDI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 9 | DNF | 1:55.884 | 18 |
| R | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 6 | DNF | 1:55.803 | 16 |
| R | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 5 | DNF | 1:55.940 | 20 |
| R | 9 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 2 | DNF | N/A | 12 |
| R | 8 | Norbert NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 1 | DNF | N/A | 17 |