Rob Huff made history at WTCR Race of Portugal in Vila Real this afternoon, winning the World Touring Car Cup’s 100th race in dramatic fashion as the Joker Lap proved decisive in the outcome of both races on the iconic street track.

Huff’s victory, in a Goodyear-equipped CUPRA Leon Competición, was the first for the Briton and his Hungarian Zengő Motorsport team this season and has also fired the renowned street racing expert into title contention. With eight races run in 2022, Huff is 23 points behind Mikel Azcona, the Goodyear #FollowTheLEader, and 36 points ahead in the WTCR Trophy for independent racers.

Honda-powered Attila Tassi hit back from a troubled start to his campaign with second place in Race 2 for LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler followed by Azcona (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse), who came through a fraught Race 1 in eighth place.

While Tassi registered his best result of 2022, team-mate and home hero Tiago Monteiro crashed out on lap two after he went off-line and collided with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport driver Esteban Guerrieri. Although the incident caused huge disappointment among the thousands of fans lining the ultra-demanding Circuito Internacional de Vila Real, the Portuguese driver was cheered onto the Race 2 podium.

Santiago Urrutia had earlier topped the Race 1 podium ahead of fellow Cyan Lynk & Co driver Yann Ehrlacher, the King of WTCR, albeit much to the Frenchman’s frustration. Néstor Girolami placed third in his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR with Norbert Michelisz and Ma Qing Hua completing the top five.

Mehdi Bennani was the best of the Comtoyou Audi racers, the Moroccan taking seventh in Race 1 and sixth in Race 2.

WTCR Race of Portugal Race 1 classification (30 minutes + 1 lap)

1 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, 32m55.515s (141.3kph)
2 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, +0.264s
3 Néstor Girolami (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnuch Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR, +5.236s
4 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, +5.911s
5 Norbert Michelisz (CHN) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, +6.651s

Fastest lap: Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, 2m01.999s (141.3kph)

WTCR Race of Portugal Race 2 classification (25 minutes + 1 lap)

1 Rob Huff (GBR) Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición, 34m41.616s (141.8kph)
2 Attila Tassi (HUN) LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler, Honda Civic Type R TCR, +0.388s
3 Mikel Azcona (ESP), BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, +0.935s
4 Yvan Muller (FRA), Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, +1,474s
5 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, +2.644s
Fastest lap: Rob Huff (GBR) Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición, 2m01.525s (141.8kph)

WTCR provisional standings after Round 10 of 20

Goodyear #FollowTheLeader: Mikel Azcona, 153 points
2 Santiago Urrutia, 137 points
3 Yann Ehrlacher, 133 points
4 Rob Huff, 130 points
5 Néstor Girolami, 113 points