Santiago Urrutia was a surprise winner in the opening FIA TCR World Tour race of the weekend in Valencia, after pole-sitter Yann Ehrlacher and early leader Mikel Azcona hit troubles.
Earlier in the day, Geely Cyan Racing’s Ehrlacher had bagged pole position by beating team-mates Thed Björk and Urrutia to the top time in a Cyan Racing 1-2-3 at the front.
At the start, Ehrlacher moved to defend the inside into Turn 1 from Björk, but all three Cyan cars went deep into the first corner, allowing an opportunistic Azcona to slip inside and into the lead.
Thus the early part of the race was led by the BRC Racing Hyundai of Azcona, ahead of Ehrlacher and Urrutia, whilst Björk fell to fourth in the process.
Ehrlacher remained in second for more than half the race, until the Frenchman pulled off the circuit with a mechanical issue on lap 16, promoting Urrutia into second.
However, Azcona wouldn’t hold the lead to the end. After a quiet period, the Spaniard dived for the pits on lap 20 with a front-right puncture, handing Urrutia the lead.
The Uruguayan then duly converted that into victory after staying out in front for the final five laps, with Björk in second after the Swede couldn’t make any further progress forward aside from inheriting positions when those in front hit troubles. It is the first TCR World Tour win for Urrutia in three years.
SP Compétition’s Aurélien Comte completed the podium, the CUPRA driver having got ahead of BRC Racing’s Norbert Michelisz at the start.
Michelisz took the finish in fourth, whilst Monlau Motorsport’s Viktor Andersson was fifth and the top TCR Spain driver, having gained six places in the race – more than any other driver in the points.
ALM Motorsport’s Jenson Brickley was the top Honda driver in sixth, ahead of the JSB Compétition Hyundai of Julien Briché in seventh.
The top ten was completed by the Honda of Sten-Dorian Piirimägi, CUPRA of Enzo Gianfratti and the Audi of Erik Zabala.
Ehrlacher’s retirement wasn’t the only woe for Cyan Racing, with Ma Qing Hua stopping in the pitlane after just 11 laps with a problem on his Geely Preface.
ALM Motorsport’s Jimmy Clairet also crashed out on the penultimate lap, apparently suffering some sort of failure on his Civic which sent him into the barriers at speed.
Race two is scheduled to get underway at 11:55 CEST (10:55 BST) on Sunday. Thanks to posting the fastest lap in race one, Ehrlacher will move forward one place on the reverse-grid race, promoting him to ninth, whilst Briché will start from pole position.
Race result
| POS | NO | CL | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 181 |  |
Santiago URRUTIA | Geely Cyan Racing | Geely Preface TCR | 24 | 32:36.504 | 1:19.764 | 3 | |
| 2 | 111 |  |
Thed BJÖRK | Geely Cyan Racing | Geely Preface TCR | 24 | 0.314 | 1:19.828 | 2 | |
| 3 | 107 |  |
Aurélien COMTE | SP Compétition | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 24 | 1.252 | 1:19.856 | 6 | |
| 4 | 105 |  |
Norbert MICHELISZ | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N EV TCR | 24 | 1.875 | 1:19.748 | 5 | |
| 5 | 10 | |
Viktor ANDERSSON | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 24 | 4.686 | 1:19.822 | 11 | |
| 6 | 246 |  |
Jenson BRICKLEY | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 24 | 5.656 | 1:20.216 | 8 | |
| 7 | 24 | |
Julien BRICHÉ | JSB Compétition | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 24 | 6.329 | 1:20.170 | 10 | |
| 8 | 437 |  |
Sten-Dorian PIIRIMÄGI | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 24 | 20.472 | 1:20.262 | 9 | |
| 9 | 419 |  |
Enzo GIANFRATTI | DSOEM Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 24 | 20.741 | 1:20.346 | 13 | |
| 10 | 481 |  |
Erik ZABALA | Vaque Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 24 | 22.360 | 1:20.617 | 14 | |
| 11 | 472 |  |
Sandro PELATTI | SP Compétition | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 24 | 27.479 | 1:20.597 | 16 | |
| 12 | 441 |  |
René Junker POVLSEN | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 24 | 28.842 | 1:20.944 | 18 | |
| 13 | 15 | |
Luke SARGEANT | Vannin Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 24 | 35.003 | 1:20.884 | 21 | |
| 14 | 81 | |
Damiano REDUZZI | Trico WRT | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 24 | 36.014 | 1:21.037 | 17 | |
| 15 | 145 | |
Raphaël FOURNIER | JSB Compétition | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 24 | 36.095 | 1:21.447 | 15 | |
| 16 | 433 | |
Samuel CHALIGNE | Team Clairet Sport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 24 | 38.006 | 1:21.021 | 26 | |
| 17 | 431 | |
Mathieu CASALONGA | Team Clairet Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 24 | 44.579 | 1:20.833 | 23 | |
| 18 | 411 | |
Busian FONTAN ALCALDE | RX Pro Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 24 | 45.265 | 1:21.082 | 25 | |
| 19 | 196 | |
Mikel AZCONA | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N EV TCR | 24 | 47.641 | 1:19.622 | 4 | |
| 20 | 405 |  |
Demir ERÖGE | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 24 | 47.661 | 1:21.373 | 24 | |
| 21 | 420 |  |
Sebastian QUIRNO | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 24 | 57.568 | 1:21.268 | 22 | |
| 22 | 12 | |
Gabriele COVINI | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 24 | 1:06.525 | 1:20.122 | 19 | |
| R | 121 | |
Jimmy CLAIRET | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 23 | DNF | 1:20.361 | 12 | |
| R | 168 | |
Yann EHRLACHER | Geely Cyan Racing | Geely Preface TCR | 15 | DNF | 1:19.571 | 1 | |
| R | 13 |  |
Manuel FERNANDES JR | Vannin Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 14 | DNF | 1:21.285 | 20 | |
| R | 155 |  |
MA Qing Hua | Geely Cyan Racing | Geely Preface TCR | 11 | DNF | 1:19.664 | 7 |