Menu and Priaulx win WTCC races at Macau

Alain Menu in his Chevy won Race 1

For the fifth time this season, Chevrolet Lacetti driver Alain Menu converted his pole position into a race win, an all-time record in the history of the World Touring Car Championship. In the streets of Macau, the Swiss driver dominated the first race, despite a jumped start from championship leader Muller.

Andy Priaulx

Rob Huff steered clear of the typical Macau mayhem to score a fine third place behind Alain, while in the second race Nicola Larini fought a race-long battle with James Thompson and Tiago Monteiro to finish second for the fifth time this year. The team’s excellent results at the WTCC finale were witnessed by Chevrolet’s partisan crowd, led by General Motors Asia-Pacific CEO, Nick Reilly, who is one of the WTCC program’s biggest supporters.

QUOTE

Alain Menu: “As in Pau, Yvan jumped the rolling start of the first race, visibly running ahead of me before the lights went green, so he obviously took the lead of the race. I pushed him as hard as I could hoping to force him into a mistake, while the stewards investigated his jumped start, but he didn’t make any. Then he suddenly slowed at the Melco hairpin, where there is a permanent yellow. I braked hard to avoid passing him, as I didn’t want to be trapped into an illegal overtaking maneuver, but then I noticed he had problems so I passed him anyway and continued to win. In the second race I had a good start, but got hit by Huisman at Lisboa, which put me into a big slide. I came back well up the order and was close behind Jörg Müller, when at Turn 10 I turned in too soon and clipped the inside wall, which bounced me off into the outside wall. Every year I make one mistake, and unfortunately it was today. All in all this has been a very good season and I’m quite pleased as well as proud with what we have achieved with RML and Chevrolet."

MACAU RACE 1 RESULTS
1. A Menu Chevrolet Lacetti 9 laps in 23m10s276 (Ave: 142.62kph)
2. G Tarquini SEAT Léon TDI Ã- 2s674
3. R Huff Chevrolet Lacetti Ã- 4s418
4. J Gené SEAT Léon TDI Ã- 11s325
5. J Thompson Alfa Romeo 156 Ã- 13s759
6. T Monteiro SEAT Léon Ã- 14s058
7. N Larini Chevrolet Lacetti Ã- 14s498
8. A Priaulx BMW 320si Ã- 15s209

MACAU RACE 2 RESULTS
1. A Priaulx BMW 320si 9 laps in 23m19s249 (Ave: 141.71kph)
2. N Larini Chevrolet Lacetti Ã- 0s842
3. J Thompson Alfa Romeo 156 Ã- 5s886
4. T Monteiro SEAT Léon Ã- 6s069
5. T Coronel SEAT Léon Ã- 10s634
6. R Rydell SEAT Léon Ã- 11s731
7. F Porteiro BMW 320si Ã- 13s225
8. C Turkington BMW 320si Ã- 13s823
21. A Menu Chevrolet Lacetti Ã- 2 laps (NRF)
DNF R Huff Chevrolet Lacetti Accident (1 lap)