WRC star Thierry Neuville grabs win on TCR Germany début

World Rally Championship star Thierry Neuville converted his pole position into a first win in the opening TCR Germany race at the Nürburgring, comfortably beating fellow Hyundai driver Max Hesse to the win.

At the start Neuville romped into a comfortable lead, as behind him several drivers made a jump start for which they would later be penalised. Amongst them was Mike Halder, who jumped into second, only to then be hit by the Hyundai of Harald Proczyk at the first corner.

That in turn caused Theo Coicaud and Dominik Fugel to spin in avoidance, as numerous drivers had to take evasive action.

Also picking up a jump start drive-through penalty were Michelle Halder, Sebastian Steibel, Karen Gaillard, Jörg Schori and Jan Seyffert.

As Proczyk continued on the first lap with a damaged car, fellow Hyundai racer Max Hesse was able to move into second before the end of the lap, before Julien Apothéloz followed past a lap later at the first corner.

The order at the front would thereafter remain unchanged, as Belgian Neuville romped to a four-second win in his début race, despite a four-lap safety car period wiping out his early lead.

As a guest entry, Neuville is ineligible to score points, giving Hesse a race-win score and moving the young German up to second overall in the drivers’ standings.

Series leader Antti Buri was fourth in the best Audi, the Finn passing Austrian Lukas Niedertscheider for the position on lap 11 after applying several laps of pressure.

Niedertscheider was the best of the HP Racing Hyundai pair in fifth, ahead of Team Engstler’s Coicaud in sixth, with the Frenchman recovering to take a top ten result, including passing Mitchell Cheah for the position just three laps from the chequered flag.

Series returnee Pascal Eberle was seventh in his CUPRA, ahead of Cheah in eighth, the Malaysian losing out on the penultimate lap to the Swiss.

Racing One’s René Kircher and returnee Kai Jordan completed the top ten, with the ailing Proczyk just 11^th in his damaged i30 N.

The four-lap safety car period was required on lap five when Bradley Burns’ Pyro Motorsport Honda caught fire on the approach to the chicane, eliminating him from the race on the spot.

Fugel was the only other retirement, returning to the pits after the opening lap with damage on his Honda.

Race two is scheduled to take place at 14:40 CEST (13:40 BST) on Sunday.

Race result

POS	NO	DRIVER	NAT	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	BEST	GD
1	104	Thierry NEUVILLE		Hyundai Team Engstler 2	Hyundai i30 N TCR	19	19 LAPS	1:34.942	1
2	19	Max HESSE		Hyundai Team Engstler	Hyundai i30 N TCR	19	4.233	1:35.094	2
3	22	Julien APOTHÉLOZ		TOPCAR Sport	CUPRA TCR	19	10.525	1:35.717	11
4	13	Antti BURI		LMS Racing	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	19	10.660	1:36.103	7
5	42	Lukas NIEDERTSCHEIDER		HP Racing International	Hyundai i30 N TCR	19	12.543	1:35.492	6
6	27	Theo COICAUD		Hyundai Team Engstler	Hyundai i30 N TCR	19	13.586	1:35.197	4
7	28	Pascal EBERLE		Steibel Motorsport 2	CUPRA TCR	19	14.896	1:36.017	10
8	29	Mitchell CHEAH Min Jie		VW Team Oettinger	Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR	19	17.312	1:36.204	9
9	8	René KIRCHER		racing one	Audi RS3 LMS TCR	19	19.134	1:36.392	19
10	50	Kai JORDAN		VW Team Oettinger	Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR	19	24.344	1:36.754	12
11	1	Harald PROCZYK		HP Racing International	Hyundai i30 N TCR	19	33.476	1:37.140	5
12	53	Michelle HALDER		Profi-Car Team Halder	Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR	19	47.993	1:37.156	13
13	23	Sebastian STEIBEL		Steibel Motorsport	Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR	19	52.969	1:36.854	14
14	98	Jan SEYFFERT		Lubner Motorsport	LADA Vesta TCR	19	56.338	1:37.389	15
15	61	Jörg SCHORI		Lubner Motorsport 2	Opel Astra TCR	19	1:20.255	1:39.399	18
16	7	Mike HALDER		Profi-Car Team Honda ADAC Sachsen	Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR	19	1:39.304	1:38.994	3
17	30	Karen GAILLARD		TOPCAR Sport 2	CUPRA TCR	18	+ 1 LAP	1:39.296	16
R	6	Bradley BURNS		Team Pyro Motorsport	Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR	4	DNF	1:37.072	17
R	88	Dominik FUGEL		Profi-Car Team Honda ADAC Sachsen	Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR	1	DNF	N/A	8