FIA WTCR 2019 - Race of Portugal

Vila Real, the only track in the FIA World Touring Car Cup to have a joker lap on it and on the 2019 season, the drivers need more than just their own trump cards to take on a joker of a lap to win by all means necessary.

Screengrab via WTCR

Beginning on Race 1, Norbert Michelisz drove his way towards victory lane while Yann Ehrlacher pulled a joker of a lap to defeat Augusto Farfus for second place but all that joy comes with sadness as the staff and crew of the WTCR and Vila Real learned the death of a Cyan Racing technician. He fell ill in the team garage on Saturday night and despite medical assistance, the team technician of Cyan Racing sadly passed away.

Despite the tragedy, the show must go on and in Race 2, with Michelisz knocked out of the qualifiers, Mikel Azcona pulled an impressive joker lap to nail his first WTCR win. In the final race, hometown hero Tiago Monteiro fended off Yvan Muller for his dramatic win.

After the dramatic Vila Real race, Esteban Guerrieri still leads the #RoadToMalaysia leaderboard with 231 points, despite being narrowed by Michelisz, who is now trailing Guerrieri by 24 points.

Next event is the Race of China at Ningbo on the 13th to the 15th of September, 2019.