Vila Real: Monteiro in emotional lights-to-flag home win

Tiago Monteiro has claimed a poignant race win at his home event at Vila Real thanks to a flawless lights-to-flag drive to fend off Yvan Muller. The Portuguese driver endured a post-race exclusion in Morocco before suffering a huge shunt at the Nurburgring Nordschleife which have come as heavy blows to his World Touring Car Championship ambitions, but Monteiro has reignited his hopes for a maiden title with his first win since Slovakia.

After getting the perfect drive off the line from pole position Monteiro spent the majority of the race holding off Muller around the tight and twisty Vila Real street track and after not putting a wheel wrong he claimed victory in front of his home fans.

With Muller being forced to settle for second, JAS Honda’s Norbert Michelisz completed the rostrum trio ahead of factory Honda driver Rob Huff who failed to find a way around the Hungarian driver.

WTCC points leader Jose Maria Lopez completed an underwhelming round with a second straight fifth place finish but he still holds a dominant 101-point advantage with five rounds to go.

Thed Bjork capped a successful weekend for Polestar Cyan Volvo with sixth place ahead of Nick Catsburg as Mehdi Bennani grabbed the top independent trophy with eighth place. Hugo Valente and Tom Chilton completed the points-paying positions.