Remembering when… WTCR last visited France

The 2022 WTCR − FIA Touring Car World Cup makes its second visit to France this season for the inaugural WTCR Race of Alsace GrandEst from August 5-7. Back in May, Circuit de Pau-Ville staged WTCR Clean Fuels for All Race of France when the 2022 season got off to a sensational start with wins for Néstor Girolami and Mikel Azcona.

Ad/> Hosting FIA World Touring Car racing for the first time since 2009 as part of a combined event with the opening event of the inaugural FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup, Circuit de Pau-Ville attracted thousands of fans with hot and sunny conditions helping to create a true festival atmosphere. WTCREarly-season Anneau du Rhin test boosts WTCR’s luckless Monteiro4 HOURS AGO Girolami took the Race 1 victory in his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR with team-mate and fellow Argentine Esteban Guerrieri finishing just behind as Yvan Muller completed the podium for Cyan Racing Lynk & Co.

Azcona’s win in Race 2 followed a dramatic start when his BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team-mate Norbert Michelisz collided with fellow front-row starter Attila Tassi (LIQUI Moly Team Engstler). Although several cars suffered contact as they threaded their way through the incident, racing quickly resumed with Santiago Urrutia putting Azcona under pressure at the restart, albeit to no avail.

Ehrlacher was on course to follow Urrutia home in third, but a damaged tyre forced him to pit. The Frenchman’s delay let in China’s Ma Qing Hua to round out the podium places for Cyan Performance Lynk & Co on his return to the WTCR after two seasons away.