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Tarquini and Gené completed the podium (which propelled the
Italian back into the championship lead), while Yvan Muller had to fight for
saving his fourth position under great pressure from Jörg Müller, Nicola Larini and Andy Priaulx.
Gené
took a better start and led into turn 1, from Tarquini and Y. Muller; Farfus
went wide after a clash with Priaulx. The first lap-battle involved a few
drivers: Porteiro, Hernández and
Okyay pitted for repairs and rejoined, while Corthals and van Lagen
retired.
On lap 4 Gené went wide in one corner and
slipped to third behind Tarquini and Huff. A few moments later D'Aste overtook
Tielemans for the Independents' Trophy lead; Engstler tried to do the same but
clashed with Tielemans and spun off.
M
On lap 5 Huff
moved to first. The leading sextet - Huff, Tarquini, Gené, Y. Muller,
J.üller and Larini increased the gap, as
Thompson was lying in sixth and blocking a train of cars led by Priaulx. Farfus,
who was chasing the world champion, spun off at turn 1 was collected by
Rydell.
M
As Huff increased his pace, Priaulx and
Zanardi were able to get past Thompson when the Honda driver went wide in a
corner. On lap 9 Larini stole fifth position from J.üller, but in the final stages of the race the German retook it for
good.
During the last lap Zanardi and Menu fought
hard for the eighth position and the pole on the reverse grid for Race 2;
eventually the Swiss had the better of his rival who outbraked himself at turn 1
and went wide.
D'Aste won the Independents' race from
Tielemans and Romanov.
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