Thed Björk controlled the final FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) race on the streets of Vila Real to take his second victory of the season ahead of BRC Racing’s Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz.
Björk wasted no time in the early laps opening up a gap, and by lap three he had enough of an advantage over Tarquini to take the joker lap without losing position.
That proved to be especially beneficial to the Swede later in the race, as three separate safety car periods were required, on lap six, 11 and 14, to recover the stranded vehicles of Norbert Nagy, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Gordon Shedden respectively.
Most of the rest of the pack kept leaving it as late as possible to do their joker laps, resulting in eight drivers doing so on the final lap of the race, which had been a one-lap sprint after the final safety car to recover Shedden’s stricken Audi which had suffered from a driveshaft failure whilst he was running in ninth.
“That race was fantastic,” said Björk. “I felt the speed in my car in the first race, which I didn’t want to do anything in as I just wanted to finish and start this race. I was flying with the car. I love the streets here in Vila Real and I was just smiling!
“There were some issues with the temperature [at the end] but I could manage it and still have the speed in the car, so I’m really happy with that.”
Tarquini had got past team-mate Michelisz at the start and had no answer to Björk, whilst Michelisz seemed to settle into a rhythm behind the Italian to settle for the final podium position.
Campos Racing’s Pepe Oriola was fourth, ahead of race two winner Mat’o Homola in fifth and Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch in sixth. The latter had taken the joker lap early in the race, and benefitted from the fact that the train of cars ahead of him left it until the last lap, by which point he had closed in due to the safety car interventions.
Münnich Motorsport’s Yann Ehrlacher was seventh, meaning the Honda driver is now level with Tarquini in second in the drivers’ championship standings, 22 points behind Muller.
Boutsen Ginion Racing’s Benjamin Lessennes was eighth, whilst Audi duo Aurélien Panis and Jean-Karl Vernay completed the top ten for Comtoyou Racing and Team WRT respectively.
Björk’s YMR team-mate Yvan Muller just missed out on the top ten after having to take his joker lap on the final tour and losing out to those who took it earlier in the race.
The race proved to be another frustrating one for Boutsen Ginion Racing’s Tom Coronel, who retired with a front-right puncture. Team Mulsanne’s Fabrizio Giovanardi had been challenging for a point before crashing out of 11th when taking the joker lap and causing the second safety car outing.
The next WTCR races take place at the Slovakiaring in mid July.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 36:21.453 | 2:02.964 | 1 |
| 2 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 3.193 | 2:03.940 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 3.640 | 2:03.810 | 2 |
| 4 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 15 | 4.170 | 2:03.985 | 4 |
| 5 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 15 | 4.781 | 2:03.859 | 8 |
| 6 | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS | 15 | 5.205 | 2:03.848 | 19 |
| 7 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 15 | 5.796 | 2:04.171 | 5 |
| 8 | 63 | Benjamin LESSENNES | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 15 | 6.099 | 2:04.592 | 12 |
| 9 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 15 | 6.710 | 2:03.915 | 6 |
| 10 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 15 | 7.216 | 2:04.235 | 7 |
| 11 | 48 | Yvan MULLER | |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 7.534 | 2:04.137 | 9 |
| 12 | 13 | Edgar FLORINDO |  |
Veloso Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 15 | 8.965 | 2:05.477 | 16 |
| 13 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 15 | 9.318 | 2:05.138 | 23 |
| 14 | 20 | Denis DUPONT | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 15 | 9.333 | 2:05.444 | 17 |
| 15 | 26 | José RODRIGUES | |
Target Competition | Honda Civic Type R FK2 TCR | 14 | + 1 LAP | 2:05.530 | 21 |
| 16 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 13 | + 2 LAPS | 2:04.144 | 11 |
| 17 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN |  |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | + 3 LAPS | 2:04.220 | 10 |
| R | 23 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 9 | DNF | 2:05.541 | 13 |
| R | 88 | Fabrizio GIOVANARDI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 8 | DNF | 2:04.526 | 14 |
| R | 8 | Norbert NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 3 | DNF | 2:06.057 | 15 |
| R | 9 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 2 | DNF | 2:08.126 | 22 |
| NS | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | – | DNS | N/A | 18 |
| NS | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | – | DNS | N/A | 20 |
| NS | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | – | DNS | N/A | 24 |
| NS | 12 | Rob HUFF | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | – | DNS | N/A | – |
| NS | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | – | DNS | N/A | – |
| NS | 15 | James THOMPSON | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | – | DNS | N/A | – |