Alain Menu kept his World Touring Car Championship title hopes alive with victory in race one at Shanghai, while Rob Huff finished second to take the points lead as Yvan Muller retired following contact at the start.
Menu held the lead from pole, but Muller challenged him around the outside of turn one. He was forced wide, allowing Huff into second place. The Frenchman was then tagged by Norbert Michelisz and forced to retire, with Michelisz being handed a drive-through penalty.
Menu went on to win by 1.5 seconds over Huff, with Stefano D’Aste completing the podium after avoiding the chaos at the start. Tom Coronel and Gabriele Tarquini finished close behind, while Tom Boardman claimed his best ever WTCC finish in sixth.
Tiago Monteiro took seventh in the Honda Civic, just ahead of Colin Turkington who recovered from being relegated towards the back after the chaotic start. Alberto Cerqui and series returnee Fredy Barth completed the top ten.
Later, five drivers were given 30 second penalties for going off track and gaining an advantage at the start of the race. That relegated Boardman to 12th, Monteiro to 13th and Barth to 14th. Therefore Turkington inherits sixth, Cerqui seventh, Mehdi Bennani eighth, Franz Engstler ninth and Charles Ng tenth.
