WTCC

Muller Takes Crucial Win In Second Shanghai Race

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Yvan Muller - Photo Credit: fiawtcc.com

Muller's victory gives him a 20 point lead going to Macau - Photo Credit: fiawtcc.com

Yvan Muller has extended his points lead heading to the World Touring Car Championship season finale in Macau with a fine victory in the second race at Tianma in Shanghai.

Gabriele Tarquini took the lead at the start of the race past polesitter Rob Huff. Huff looked to regain the place further round the opening lap but Tarquini defended and forced the Brit onto the grass. This allowed Muller to move up into second place.

Muller took the lead from Tarquini a couple of laps later, and soon opened up a comfortable lead. His final winning advantage stood at 10.5 seconds.

Huff was soon on the back of Tarquini again after their contact, but could not find a way through around the tight Tianma circuit. The result leaves Huff 20 points away from Muller going to Macau in a fortnight's time.

Colin Turkington was running fourth until he locked his brakes at Turn 1 ten laps in, losing places to Tom Coronel and Race 1 winner Alain Menu. He would get back past both of them before the end of the race, taking the Dutchman on the very last lap.

The two Engstler BMWs of Kristian Poulsen and Franz Engstler finished on the back of the Tarquini train in seventh and eighth – giving the former a 23 point lead in the Yokohama Trophy.

Poulsen's cause was helped when chief rival Norbert Michelisz spun at the start, taking himself out of the race as well as Tiago Monteiro and Javier Villa.

Robert Dahlgren finished ninth in the Polestar Volvo, with Hong Kong's Charles Ng scoring a maiden point in tenth in his Engstler-run BMW.

Race results – 25 laps:

Pos Driver Team Car Time/Gap
1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 28:19.599
2 Gabriele Tarquini Sunred Sunred SR Leon 1.6T 10.518
3 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 11.385
4 Colin Turkington Wiechers BMW 320 TC 11.812
5 Tom Coronel ROAL BMW 320 TC 12.140
6 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12.896
7 Kristian Poulsen Engstler BMW 320 TC 13.336
8 Franz Engstler Engstler BMW 320 TC 13.612
9 Robert Dahlgren Polestar Volvo C30 Drive 22.279
10 Charles Ng Engstler BMW 320 TC 24.172
11 Mehdi Bennani Proteam BMW 320 TC 33.725
12 Fredy Barth Sunred Sunred SR Leon 1.6T 36.977
13 Pepe Oriola Sunred Sunred SR Leon 1.6T 43.090
14 Michel Nykjaer Sunred Sunred SR Leon 1.6T 46.761
15 Fabio Fabiani Engstler BMW 320si +1 lap
16 Philip Ma Proteam BMW 320si +1 lap
17 Aleksei Dudukalo Sunred Sunred SR Leon 1.6T +2 laps
Ret Darryl O'Young Bamboo Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 2 laps
Ret Tiago Monteiro Sunred Sunred SR Leon 1.6T 1 laps
Ret Norbert Michelisz Zengo BMW 320 TC 1 laps
Ret Javier Villa Proteam BMW 320 TC 0 laps

Drivers' standings after 11 of 12 rounds:

Pos Driver Points
1 Yvan Muller 400
2 Rob Huff 380
3 Alain Menu 323
4 Tom Coronel 203
5 Gabriele  Tarquini 177
6 Tiago Monteiro 113
7 Kristian Poulsen 106
8 Norbert Michelisz 82
9 Franz Engstler 74
10 Robert Dahlgren 72
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About author
Peter joined the TCF team in September 2010 and covers GP2 and GP3 along with WTCC and Formula Two. You can find him on twitter at @PeteAllen_
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