Yann Ehrlacher led a Cyan Racing 1-2-3 in the second FIA World Touring Car Cup race at Zolder, inheriting the lead after pole-sitter and early leader Nathanaël Berthon picked up a penalty for a jump start.
Berthon could be seen to creep and then stop before the red lights went out, and although the Comtoyou Racing driver would lead for the initial laps, he was handed a drive-through penalty which dropped him to the back.
Berthon led the initial laps, which were neutralised after the first lap when Cyan Racing’s Thed Björk made contact with Attila Tassi at the first chicane, sending his Lynk & Co into the air as Tassi hit a tyre stack.
Björk’s car limped only a few more metres with damaged front-right suspension, requiring the race to be neutralised for two laps for its recovery.
When racing resumed Ehrlacher put up no challenge to Berthon, knowing the Audi driver had a penalty, although Berthon appeared to slow down to allow then third-placed Gilles Magnus to attack Ehrlacher.
When Berthon pitted for his penalty at the end of lap five, Ehrlacher assumed the lead and duly opened up a comfortable margin over Magnus, who came under attack from the other two remaining Lynk & Co cars of Yvan Muller and Santiago Urrutia.
On lap 15 Magnus made a mistake at Turn 5 and cut the chicane, allowing Muller into second, whilst Santiago Urrutia claimed the final podium position on the penultimate lap before a late-race safety car halted further attacks.
The late race neutralisation was required when Tassi made contact with the Renault of Jack Young at Turn 7, spinning him into the deep gravel where he became beached and out of the race.
Young had for the past five laps been driving a heavily defensive race from the Hondas of Tiago Monteiro and Tassi, as well as the recovering Berthon.
The lack of final lap racing meant Magnus could not attempt to re-pass Urrutia and had to settle for fourth, ahead of the Münnich Motorsport Honda of Néstor Girolami in fifth.
Comtoyou Racing’s Tom Coronel enjoyed a strong race in sixth, albeit the Dutchman was unable to make any progression from his grid position.
Team Mulsanne’s Jean-Karl Vernay was again in the points in seventh, ahead of the leading Hyundai of BRC Racing’s Norbert Michelisz in eighth.
The top ten was completed by the Engstler-run Hyundais of Nicky Catsburg and Luca Engstler.
Mikel Azcona brought Zengő Motorsport’s new CUPRA Leon Competición home in 11th, ahead of the leading Vuković Motorsport Renault of Dylan O’Keeffe in 12th.
Münnich Motorsport’s Esteban Guerrieri, with a brand new engine in his Honda after his race one blowup, was 13th, having come from the back of the grid.
The recovering Berthon managed to salvage a couple of points with 14th, having recovered from 22nd after his penalty.
Like Guerrieri, Monteiro also came from the back of the grid to claim the final point in 15th, having made up seven places in the race.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
Cyan Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 18 | 33:47.255 | 1:36.976 | 2 |
| 2 | 100 | Yvan MULLER | |
Cyan Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 18 | 0.870 | 1:37.475 | 5 |
| 3 | 12 | Santiago URRUTIA |  |
Cyan Performance | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 18 | 1.376 | 1:37.283 | 4 |
| 4 | 16 | Gilles MAGNUS |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 18 | 1.940 | 1:37.357 | 3 |
| 5 | 29 | Néstor GIROLAMI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR | 18 | 2.617 | 1:37.523 | 10 |
| 6 | 31 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 18 | 5.694 | 1:37.358 | 6 |
| 7 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR | 18 | 7.395 | 1:37.510 | 9 |
| 8 | 1 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 18 | 8.128 | 1:38.262 | 11 |
| 9 | 88 | Nicky CATSBURG | |
Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 18 | 8.678 | 1:38.296 | 14 |
| 10 | 8 | Luca ENGSTLER |  |
Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 18 | 9.715 | 1:38.387 | 13 |
| 11 | 96 | Mikel AZCONA |  |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA Leon Competición | 18 | 9.999 | 1:38.301 | 18 |
| 12 | 33 | Dylan O’KEEFFE |  |
Vuković Motorsport | Renault Mégane RS TCR | 18 | 10.173 | 1:38.051 | 12 |
| 13 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR | 18 | 11.175 | 1:38.259 | 21 |
| 14 | 17 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 18 | 14.981 | 1:36.724 | 1 |
| 15 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR | 18 | 15.688 | 1:38.458 | 22 |
| 16 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR | 18 | 18.018 | 1:37.692 | 7 |
| 17 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 18 | 18.354 | 1:38.527 | 15 |
| 18 | 25 | Luca FILIPPI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR | 18 | 20.851 | 1:38.935 | 20 |
| 19 | 55 | Bence BOLDIZS | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA Leon Competición | 18 | 21.360 | 1:38.896 | 17 |
| 20 | 99 | Gábor KISMARTY-LECHNER | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA Leon Competición | 18 | 21.613 | 1:39.853 | 19 |
| R | 7 | Jack YOUNG |  |
Vuković Motorsport | Renault Mégane RS TCR | 15 | DNF | 1:38.317 | 16 |