Race 1 – Y.Muller retires due to mechanical problem

For this first race of the last day in WTCC 2007, it is Alain Menu who wins. The poleman had nevertheless been overtaken by Yvan Muller at the start, who was playing for the title, but the Frenchman then leading in the last lap was forced to retire!

The other protagonist Andy Priaulx, who started 12th, managed to climb to 8th position, securing pole position in race 2 and likely the title.

Alain Menu won Race 1 in Macau, driving a Chevrolet, on Sunday. Yvan Muller was leading from the first straight, but on lap 8, the SEAT Sport title contender experienced a technical problem. His engine stopped unexpectedly, and the Frenchman had to stop on the track. In 8th place, Andy Priaulx took the lead in the championship alone and was awarded pole position on the starting grid for Race 2.

Gabriele Tarquini finished 2nd. He lost the 3rd position to Augusto Farfus on lap 1 but consistently pushed the BMW Team Germany driver to defend it. On the last lap, Tarquini seized his chance at the exit of “Lisboa” and passed. Farfus spun, hit a barrier, and retired.

Rob Huff got off to a good start and moved from 7th to 5th place in lap 1. He eventually took 3rd place. Behind the Brit, Jordi Gené (SEAT Sport), James Thompson secured a solid 5th place, making him the third man in the title race. André Couto, Thompson’s teammate at N.technology, did not start due to irreparable damage to his Alfa Romeo sustained during Saturday’s qualifying.

Tiago Monteiro and Nicola Larini crossed the line in 6th and 7th positions, and Priaulx secured 8th place on the final lap.

The fight for the title is now restricted to Priaulx (82 pts), who will start from pole in Race 2, Yvan Muller (81), who will start from the back of the grid, and Thompson (73), who will begin the race in 4th place.

Pierre-Yves Corthals suffered damage to his car at the start when he hit the wall at the first turn and thus found himself out of the running for the title in the Independents category. Luca Rangoni was the best of the Independents, finishing 17th. Stefano d’Aste finished 2nd, just ahead of Franz Engstler.

Macau – Race 1 – Result

According to the WTCC