World championship circuit racing is set for a global first when an alternative ‘joker’ lap is used in the FIA World Touring Car Championship at Vila Real in Portugal later this month.

Designed to further spice up the action on the challenging street circuit where overtaking isn’t always possible, the FIA World Rallycross-style concept will require drivers to take an alternative route in both the Opening Race and Main Race broadcast live around the world on 25 June.

Vila Real’s ‘joker’ lap route is located at the final corner, Turn 26, with the full approval of the FIA Safety Department and local authorities. While the right/left flick through a roundabout will still be used in normal racing conditions, the alternative route will effectively take drivers the other way onto the roundabout and through a tighter left/right sequence before they re-join the start/finish straight. The alternative route is expected to take an additional two seconds, which will hand pursuing drivers ample opportunity to overtake.

However, the ‘joker’ lap cannot be taken until the third lap of either race, while drivers will be able to practice the new route during Free Practice 1 and 2 on 24 June.

The ‘joker’ lap location will be highlighted by special branding to make it visible and understandable on TV. A graphic will give viewers instant notification when the lap has been taken, while fans following live timing will be able to determine the ‘joker’ status of each driver.

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCC promoter, welcomed confirmation of the Vila Real ‘joker’ lap. “The ‘joker’ lap concept works very well in rallycross, and I’m certain it will bring an extra dimension to the WTCC street race in Vila Real. It will open up strategies for each WTCC driver, and might even change the course of the race. Of course we never compromise on safety so we have worked very closely with our colleagues at the FIA and with the authorities in Vila Real to put in place a route that matches our requirements but also conforms to all the rigorous safety standards.”

Tiago Monteiro, who claimed a hugely popular home in Vila Real last season driving for the factory Honda team, said: “It’s great to try new ideas, new options to spice up the show. When you are in pole position you don’t really want the ‘joker’ lap because you don’t want to lose your lead. But if you are not on pole position then there is a new opportunity to overtake.”

Yvan Muller, the four-time world champion and now a development driver for Cyan Racing, the team behind Volvo Polestar’s factory effort in the WTCC, said: “It’s like the WTCC MAC3 [team time trial]. Everyone said ‘ah, it’s a crazy thing’ and so on but it’s something new. And when it’s new and it shows something different, it’s always good. We have to try new things, to bring new positive and attractive elements.”

The ‘joker’ lap route remains subject to a final FIA track inspection on 21 June.

Norbert Michelisz claimed the pole position at FIA WTCC Race of Germany on the Nurburgring Nordschleife this afternoon with a stunning last-gasp effort.

Honda driver Michelisz sat second in the times behind Nicky Catsburg before improving on his third and final effort, setting a best lap of 8m38.072s. That was six tenths of a second faster than Catsburg, who may also have been able to improve on his final lap in his Volvo Polestar only to back off in the last sector after detecting a problem on the front of the car.

Rob Huff, who set the pace after the first laps, took third in his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Citroen – and first in the WTCC Trophy – getting ahead of Tiago Monteiro on his last lap, when the World Touring Car Championship leader was unable to improve after suffering a damper issue.

Thed Bjork was fifth in front of Tom Chilton and Tom Coronel, with Mehdi Bennani surviving an early off-track moment to claim eighth. Argentine Nordschleife rookies Esteban Guerrieri and Néstor Girolami completed the top 10, with the latter backing off on his final lap safe in the knowledge that holding station would hand him pole for the reverse-grid Opening Race.

For Hungarian Michelisz, the pole was the fourth of his career and his first since WTCC Race of Japan in 2015: “I am super happy with the result today. I had the confidence, I knew the car is great and after seeing the pace in Free Practice I knew I could be in the top three. I was not sure it would be enough for pole but in the end there were no mistakes and it’s very satisfying on a circuit like this. It’s such a special track, very exciting at 240kph in some demanding areas.”

Saturday’s action begins with the Opening Race at 11h20 local time followed by the Main Race at 12h45. Both races are held over three laps of the 25.378-kilometre Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Thed Bjork and Nicky Catsburg were the winners for Polestar Cyan Racing as the FIA World Touring Car Championship title race was blown wide open following a dramatic WTCC Race of Germany on the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife this afternoon.

With an estimated 200,000 spectators lining the iconic 25.378-kilometre track, Swede Björk charged through from sixth on the grid to win the Opening Race before Catsburg snatched the lead starting the Main Race. The Dutchman held firm for his second WTCC victory and his first driving a Volvo S60 Polestar, a performance good enough to clinch the TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy.

Having arrived in Germany trailing Tiago Monteiro by 38 points, Catsburg is now two points in front in the title standings heading to Monteiro’s home event – WTCC Race of Portugal – next month after Monteiro hit double trouble. Not only did the Castrol Honda World Touring Car driver crash out of the Opening Race following a puncture, he was then forced to start the Main Race from the pit lane when his mechanics were unable to repair damage sustained during the OSCARO Repair Time between the two races. He settled for P13 and, crucially, no points for the first time in 2017.

Mehdi Bennani took WTCC Trophy honours in second overall in the Opening Race for Sébastien Loeb Racing with Rob Huff, driving for German team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, close behind in third. Norbert Michelisz started the Main Race from the DHL pole position but a clutch issued prevented him from converting the place into his first win of the season, the factory Honda driver making do with second instead as Huff completed the podium following contact with Catsburg at the first corner while disputing the lead.

Tom Chilton scored a WTCC podium double but it wasn’t quite enough to prevent Rob Huff from moving back to the top of the standings by a single point over his fellow Citroen-driving Briton. Esteban Guerrieri was fifth in the Opening Race but it was a tough day for his fellow Argentine Néstor Girolami, who crashed out from second place in the Main Race with a puncture. Thed Björk followed up his Opening Race victory with fourth spot in the Main Race to move to within eight points of the championship lead. After eight rounds, the top six drivers are covered by 26 points, further underlining the wide-open nature of this season’s WTCC.

Mehdi Bennani became the fifth different winner in the all-action 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship as 45,000 fans watched the action at WTCC Race of Hungary.

Bennani’s Main Race triumph in a Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën, the fourth of his career, followed Tiago Monteiro’s success in the Opening Race, a result that gives the Portuguese driver a 38-point title lead. But there was to be no podium celebrations for Norbert Michelisz, Monteiro’s factory Honda team-mate, who dropped out of the Opening Race with damage following first-lap contact with Thed Björk before battling through to take fourth in the Main Race.

Tom Chilton scored a podium double to boost his WTCC Trophy title prospects, while Rob Huff charged through from ninth to third in the Opening Race. However, he was unable to convert his Main Race DHL pole position into victory after a sluggish start dropped him into a fight with Volvo Polestar drivers Nicky Catsburg and Néstor Girolami, which ended when the trio came together at Turn 2 on the first lap.

While Huff and Catsburg continued, Girolami’s race ended in the barriers, much to the Argentine’s frustration. Huff, driving for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, was then punished for his part in the incident, serving a drive-through penalty just after he’d wrestled the lead from Bennani, who held on amid brake problems to beat Catsburg to first place as Chilton completed the podium.

Girolami took fourth in the Opening Race ahead of Catsburg and Campos Racing privateer Esteban Guerrieri with Mehdi Benanni, Yann Ehrlacher, Tom Coronel and Aurélien Panis completing the top 10. In the Main Race, Tiago Monteiro bagged more points in fifth behind Michelisz, with Guerrieri sixth once again. Björk bounced back from his Opening Race retirement to take seventh, Ehrlacher finished eighth, Coronel took ninth with Huff having to make do with P10. P11 in the Main Race was the best it got for John Filippi, who stalled at the start of the Opening Race, which he started from pole position. Afterwards, Bennani dedicated his victory to his late father, who passed away earlier this year, while Monteiro heads to the the Nürburgring Nordschleife for WTCC Race of Germany from 25-27 Mayleading the championship standings.

Tiago Monteiro (Opening Race winner): “It was a very important win at all levels. We had a very difficult qualifying but we knew that not all was lost and that we need to score strong points today but it was not as easy as it might have looked because Tom [Chilton] was really strong behind and pushing quite hard the whole race. I was trying to control my tyre performance and trying to make them last because we did feel the 80 kilograms quite a lot today, especially with the heat. But in the end we finished first and that was the key part of the weekend.”

Mehdi Bennani (Main Race winner): “It's very nice for me to have this great result, it reminds a little bit Qatar last year. The only change is that I had big celebration and my father was there and I dedicate this victory to him. I tried to push for the maximum and two times I had a very soft brake pedal so I was upset because I thought for me it's over. With the engineer we tried to play a little bit with the balance to put maximum braking on the rear and it was going better but I needed to drive sometimes like a drift. Also Huff didn't give me an easy life because he was pushing from the beginning. It was a shame for him that he got this penalty because I think it was his race and he deserved it all weekend.”