Néstor Girolami converted his pole position into victory in the opening FIA World Touring Car Cup race at the Hungaroring, resisting start line pressure from Yvan Muller for a maiden win in the series.
Girolami got away from the line slightly slower than fellow front-row starter Muller, and had to aggressively defend his line heading into the first turn.
But despite a slight rub on the approach to the first corner, Girolami was able to hold position and was never really challenged thereafter, despite Muller’s Lynk & Co 03 remaining within a second of the leading Honda for much of the race.
Muller held on to take second, despite the best efforts of Girolami’s team-mate Esteban Guerrieri, who had applied race-long pressure to the back of Muller.
Nevertheless, Guerrieri assumes the lead of the championship with his second podium finish of the season, holding a 5-point advantage at the top of the table.
Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay was fourth and the best Audi driver, with the Frenchman benefitting when Comtoyou Racing’s Aurélien Panis made contact with Cyan Racing’s Yann Ehrlacher at Turn 1 on lap five.
The result saw Panis go wide, whilst Ehrlacher picked up damaged suspension on his Lynk & Co and had to limp back to the pits to retire from the race.
Panis took the chequered flag in fifth, ahead of Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch, who was the biggest gainer in the top ten, climbing four positions, including three on the first lap, to take the chequered flag in sixth.
Cyan Racing’s Thed Björk dropped two places on the opening lap but finished the race in seventh, ahead of fellow Swede Johan Kristoffersson who was the best-placed Volkswagen driver in eighth.
BRC Racing duo Augusto Farfus and Norbert Michelisz completed the top ten as the best of the Hyundai drivers.
The battle for the final points positions were fierce, with PWR Racing’s Daniel Haglöf being contacted by Farfus on lap five at the chicane. The incident, which is under investigation by the stewards, cost Haglöf three places, although he later regained ground to take 11th.
Cyan Racing’s Andy Priaulx was 12th after benefitting on the penultimate lap when Mikel Azcona lost track position, with Gabriele Tarquini and Rob Huff also getting through to 13th and 14th places.
The final points position went to Hungarian home racer Attila Tassi in 15th after he and Mehdi Bennani also got past Azcona’s CUPRA on the final lap.
Four drivers were later given post-race penalties, but the changes did not affect the points-scoring positions.
Aside from Ehrlacher the only other retirement from the race was Leopard Racing’s Gordon Shedden after six laps, with the Audi driver returning to the pits with an issue on his car.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 29 | Néstor GIROLAMI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 12 LAPS | 1:55.815 | 1 |
| 2 | 100 | Yvan MULLER |  |
Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 12 | 0.475 | 1:55.822 | 2 |
| 3 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 0.926 | 1:55.860 | 3 |
| 4 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 1.846 | 1:55.614 | 8 |
| 5 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 2.265 | 1:55.648 | 4 |
| 6 | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Comtoyou Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 2.851 | 1:55.613 | 10 |
| 7 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 12 | 3.446 | 1:55.719 | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Johan KRISTOFFERSSON | |
SLR Volkswagen | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 4.038 | 1:55.689 | 7 |
| 9 | 8 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 4.907 | 1:55.854 | 9 |
| 10 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 5.259 | 1:55.775 | 13 |
| 11 | 37 | Daniel HAGLÖF | |
PWR Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 8.867 | 1:55.626 | 11 |
| 12 | 111 | Andy PRIAULX |  |
Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 12 | 11.562 | 1:55.792 | 15 |
| 13 | 1 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 13.175 | 1:55.696 | 14 |
| 14 | 12 | Rob HUFF | |
SLR VW Motorsport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 13.762 | 1:55.881 | 17 |
| 15 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
KCMG | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 15.303 | 1:55.769 | 18 |
| 16 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
SLR VW Motorsport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 15.871 | 1:55.885 | 12 |
| 17 | 96 | Mikel AZCONA |  |
PWR Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 17.004 | 1:55.705 | 16 |
| 18 | 88 | Nicky CATSBURG |  |
BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 17.295 | 1:56.116 | 20 |
| 19 | 50 | Tom CORONEL | |
Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 17.654 | 1:56.134 | 26 |
| 20 | 10 | Niels LANGEVELD | |
Comtoyou Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 18.294 | 1:56.307 | 22 |
| 21 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
KCMG | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 18.514 | 1:56.202 | 23 |
| 22 | 33 | Benjamin LEUCHTER |  |
SLR Volkswagen | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 18.819 | 1:56.106 | 25 |
| 23 | 31 | Kevin CECCON | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 12 | 19.064 | 1:55.866 | 19 |
| 24 | 23 | Támas TENKE | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 31.037 | 1:57.836 | 27 |
| 25 | 55 | Ma QING HUA |  |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 11 | 1:16.834 | 1:55.988 | 21 |
| R | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 6 | DNF | 1:56.501 | 24 |
| R | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER | |
Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 5 | DNF | 1:55.789 | 5 |