TCR champion loses opener by 0.002s after penalty

The Hyundai i20 N driver jumped the start and was given the penalty mid-race to be added to his time.

At the end of 13 laps, Azcona looked as if he had beaten Hyundai teammate Norbert Michelisz by just 0.001s as the timing showed a 5.001s gap when he crossed the line.

However, just moments later when Michelisz crossed the line, it ticked over to 4.998s.

Once the penalty was applied, Micheliz was the winner with Azcona second and 0.002s behind while Yann Ehrlacher claimed third for Lynk & Co Cyan Racing.

From pole position, Azcona took the holeshot into Turn 1 ahead of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse teammate Michaliez.

Santiago Urrutia was slow away and dropped to second to last behind pit lane starter Ryan MacMillan. Urrutia eventually recovered to 12th.

Fresh out of his Trans Am Ford Mustang, Jordan Cox suffered a half-spin at Turn 2 in the #233 Peugeot P51. He finished 16th.

At the end of Lap 1, it was Azcona who led Michelisz by two seconds. Ehrlacher was third ahead of fellow Lynk & Co 03 racer Thed Bjork and leading Australian Josh Buchan.

Buchan demoted Bjork to fifth into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 2. Bjork lost another spot just a few corners later when Honda Civic Type R driver Ignacio Montenegro of GOAT Racing barged his way through.

Azcona skipped away and by the start of Lap 3 had a 2.8-second advantage over his Hyundai teammate.

On Lap 4, HMO Customer Racing’s Sze Ho Lo dropped from 12th to 16 after a mistake at the Turn 6 hairpin and moments later went off on his own accord at the high-speed sweeper.

On Lap 6, race control delivered race leader Azcona the bad news of his jump start, adding five seconds to his race time. Aurelien Comte and Brad Harris both copped the same penalty.

A lap later, Azcona blitzed a time one second faster than Michelisz as he sought to extend his lead beyond five seconds. However, that quickly swung back the other way and stabilised at three seconds with three laps to go.

As the chequered flag neared, Azcona dropped the hammer and got his lead out to five seconds only to lose it at the death.

Buchan was the best of the TCR Australia Series competitors in fourth. Cody Burcher was the next-best in ninth ahead of Zac Soutar in 13th.

Race 2 of the TCR World Tour at the AirTouch 500 at The Bend is scheduled for 11:50pm ACST on Sunday.

Results: FIA Kumho TCR World Tour AirTouch 500 at The Bend, Race 1