The 2012 FIA WTCC Race of Hungary was the fifth round of the 2012 World Touring Car Championship season and the second running of the FIA WTCC Race of Hungary. It was held on 6 May 2012 at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród near Budapest, Hungary. The first race was won by Yvan Muller for Chevrolet and the second race was won by Norbert Michelisz for Zengő Motorsport.

Background Yvan Muller arrived in Hungary leading the championship from both of his Chevrolet team mates, 27 points ahead of Rob Huff with Alain Menu a further point behind. Pepe Oriola was leading the Yokohama Independents' Trophy.

Isaac Tutumlu left Proteam Racing after the Race of Slovakia, reducing the team to one car for Mehdi Bennani.Isaac Tutumlu makes World Touring Car Championship exit, Autosport. James Thompson also rejoined the series, driving a Lada Granta WTCC for TMS Sport in the first of two outings in 2012.Thompson makes WTCC comeback, Autosport.

Report

Free Practice Yvan Muller set the pace in the first free practice session ahead of Lukoil Racing Team's Gabriele Tarquini and Chevrolet's Alain Menu. Local driver Norbert Michelisz was the quickest independent driver. Three drives were warned for exceeding track limits, with Mehdi Bennani also being issued with a black and white flag warning., TouringCarTimes.

Tarquini went fastest in free practice two, heading the Chevrolets of Muller and Huff and the SEAT of Darryl O'Young. Thompson ended the session ninth in the Lada Granta. Once again, drivers were warned for exceeding track limits, with Tarquini losing one of his times as a consequence., TouringCarTimes.

Qualifying The Chevrolets started 1–2–3 in the first race with Muller on pole position for the second time in 2012. Franz Engstler started on pole position for the reversed grid second race., TouringCarTimes. Menu lost time behind Engstler in Q2 and started third for the first race., TouringCarTimes. The ROAL Motorsport drivers were sent to the back of the grid for a parc fermé infringement, Alberto Cerqui had qualified 13th and Tom Coronel had qualified 19th before the penalty.ROUNDS 9 & 10 – HUNGARORING QUALIFYING REPORT, FIA WTCC.

Warm-Up Tarquini led the morning warm-up session ahead of the Chevrolet trio of Huff, Menu and Muller., TouringCarTimes.

Race One Muller led away from the rolling start but an incident behind caused Michelisz to run wide and the chain reaction as several cars recovered forced Tarquini and Tom Boardman into retirement. Bennani had got up to second by the first corner before dropping down to fourth by the second corner, after which the Chevrolets led 1–2–3. Michelisz had recovered to sixth place but was overtaken by Coronel on the final lap, the ROAL driver having climbed from 21st on the grid. Muller took the win ahead of Huff, Menu and Bennani who took his best ever WTCC result and the Yokohama Independents' Trophy win.ROUNDS 9 & 10 – HUNGARORING RACE REPORT, FIA WTCC.

Race Two Engstler started from pole position for the reversed grid race, however a fast start from Michelisz in fifth ensured he led into the first corner. The order behind Michelisz was Oriola ahead of Bennani until Menu came charging through the field from eighth on the grid to take second. Huff finished seventh and Muller finished tenth after a last lap off put him behind Stefano D'Aste and Engstler. Michelisz took the overall win and the Independents' win in front of his home fans., TouringCarTimes.

Results

Qualifying Name Team Car Q1 Q2 Points 1 1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:55.077 1:54.503 5 2 2 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:55.201 1:54.770 4 3 8 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:55.405 1:54.993 3 4 3 Gabriele Tarquini Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC 1:55.357 1:55.074 2 5 25 Mehdi Bennani Proteam Racing BMW 320 TCY 1:56.245 1:55.205 1 6 5 Norbert Michelisz Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TCY 1:55.779 1:55.322 7 18 Tiago Monteiro Tuenti Racing SR León 1.6T 1:55.757 1:55.362 8 20 Darryl O'Young Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCCY 1:55.794 1:55.768 9 74 Pepe Oriola Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCCY 1:56.085 1:55.841 10 6 Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TCY 1:56.081 1:55.953 11 11 Alex MacDowall bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6TY 1:56.342 1:56.096 12 14 James Nash Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 1:56.343 1:56.791 13 7 Charles Ng Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TCY 1:56.387 14 26 Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TCY 1:56.434 15 69 James Thompson TMS Sport Lada Granta WTCC 1:56.527 16 27 Gábor Wéber Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TCY 1:56.542 17 4 Aleksei Dudukalo Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCCY 1:56.544 18 12 Pasquale Di Sabatino bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6TY 1:56.702 19 23 Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 1:57.415 20 22 Tom Boardman Special Tuning Racing SEAT León TDiY 1:57.890 EX 16 Alberto Cerqui ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TCY Excluded EX 15 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC Excluded Bold denotes Pole position for second race.

— The ROAL Motorsport drivers had their times from qualifying removed after the team broke a parc fermé regulation., TouringCarTimes.

Race 1 Name Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid Points 1 1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12 23:23.462 1 25 2 2 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12 +1.259 2 18 3 8 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12 +1.759 3 15 4 25 Mehdi Bennani Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC Y 12 +10.983 5 12 5 18 Tiago Monteiro Tuenti Racing SR León 1.6T 12 +15.206 7 10 6 15 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC 12 +15.786 21 8 7 5 Norbert Michelisz Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 +16.480 6 6 8 74 Pepe Oriola Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCCY 12 +16.971 9 4 9 11 Alex MacDowall bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 12 +18.106 11 2 10 27 Gábor Wéber Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 +20.950 12 1 11 14 James Nash Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 12 +24.446 12 12 12 Pasquale Di Sabatino bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 12 +26.296 18 13 16 Alberto Cerqui ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 +26.493 20 14 4 Aleksei Dudukalo Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCCY 12 +30.396 17 15 23 Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 12 +31.116 19 16 7 Charles Ng Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 12 +31.897 13 17 26 Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TCY 9 +3 Laps 14 Ret 69 James Thompson TMS Sport Lada Granta WTCC 7 Overheating 15 NC 6 Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TCY 4 +8 Laps 10 NC 20 Darryl O'Young Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCCY 3 +9 Laps 8 Ret 3 Gabriele Tarquini Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC 1 Collision 4 Ret 22 Tom Boardman Special Tuning Racing SEAT León TDiY 0 Collision 20 Bold denotes Fastest lap.

Race 2 Name Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid Points 1 5 Norbert Michelisz Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 23:37.603 5 25 2 8 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12 +1.805 8 18 3 25 Mehdi Bennani Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC Y 12 +4.998 6 15 4 74 Pepe Oriola Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 12 +6.221 2 12 5 18 Tiago Monteiro Tuenti Racing SR León 1.6T 12 +8.020 4 10 6 3 Gabriele Tarquini Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC 12 +8.641 7 8 7 2 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12 +9.077 9 6 8 26 Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TCY 12 +10.139 14 4 9 6 Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TCY 12 +11.067 1 2 10 1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 12 +11.572 10 1 11 11 Alex MacDowall bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 12 +13.174 11 12 15 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC 12 +15.438 20 13 20 Darryl O'Young Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 12 +19.695 3 14 23 Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 13 +23.167 14 15 12 Pasquale Di Sabatino bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 12 +23.189 17 16 4 Aleksei Dudukalo Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCCY 12 +23.189 16 17 27 Gábor Wéber Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 +45.913 15 18 16 Alberto Cerqui ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 +1:50.928 19 19 14 James Nash Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 10 +2 Laps 12 Ret 69 James Thompson TMS Sport Lada Granta WTCC 1 Collision 21 Ret 7 Charles Ng Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 1 Collision 13 DNS 22 Tom Boardman Special Tuning Racing SEAT León TDi Y 0 Collision damage 22 Bold denotes Fastest lap.

Standings after the round

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Yvan Muller 180 1 2 Alain Menu 157 1 3 Robert Huff 150 1 4 Gabriele Tarquini 97 1 5 Tom Coronel 97

Yokohama Independents' Trophy standings Pos Driver Points 1 Pepe Oriola 74 1 2 Norbert Michelisz 67 1 3 Stefano D'Aste 58 4 Franz Engstler 42 3 5 Mehdi Bennani 36

Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 415 1 2 BMW Customer Racing Teams 276 1 3 SEAT Racing Technology 264

Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of drivers' standings.

References

External links