Remembering when… Young star magnus claimed his first WTCR victory

A young star came to the fore at the Hungaroring on August 22, 2021 when Gilles Magnus scored his first victory in the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup after leading Race 1 at WTCR Race of Hungary all the way from pole position. Driving a Goodyear-equipped, second-generation Audi RS 3 LMS, the Comtoyou Team Audi Sport driver headed team-mate Frédéric Vervisch for most of the race, until Mikel Azcona forced his way past on the last lap to claim second. Yann Ehrlacher also passed Vervisch in the scramble to claim a podium and assume his new status as Goodyear #FollowTheLeader.

The race had earlier been interrupted by the intervention of the Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition safety car after Saturday’s top qualifier Rob Huff broke his front left suspension by clipping a tyre stack at the chicane. “The start was going to be crucial,” said Magnus, who made the perfect getaway from his reverse-grid pole position. “After that the pressure fell away.

I have to thank Fred for his work because Azcona was coming fast. I wanted this first win and finally my dream has come true.” While Magnus and Vervisch made it to Turn 1 without a problem, fifth-placed starter Azcona made contact with the back of Yvan Muller’s Lynk & Co under braking, which knocked the Frenchman into a spin. Later in the lap Santiago Urrutia nudged Tiago Monteiro’s ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda out of Turn 3 during a frenetic opener.

As the two Audis led the way, Azcona pressured Ehrlacher for third, the King of WTCR incurring a black and white warning flag for violating track limits as he worked to keep the Spaniard behind him. Thed Björk was running fifth ahead of local hero Norbert Michelisz and Huff’s Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición. Azcona