TCR – Oriola winner, the coronation for Vernay

For the second year in a row, a Volkswagen Polo from the Leopard Racing team takes the crown in the TCR International Series. After Stefano Comini in 2016, it's the French Jean Karl Vernay which is titled, from the first race of the final meeting in Dubai on Saturday morning.

The 30-year-old driver only had to score one more point than his rival Attila Tassi (M1RA Honda Civic) to pocket the bet, which he did with a place on the podium (3rd). Attila Tassi could not do better than fifth. “We wanted to do everything to be champion from the first round of the day”, confided the Frenchman in the parc ferme. “The race was not easy! At the start, my car almost stalled, then I suffered some brake problems like during testing the day before. »

“I would like to add that we did not use any team strategy”, continued Jean-Karl Vernay. His new teammate Gordon Shedden (a specialist in the British Touring Car Championship, the BTCC) never strayed from the line and finished second, just behind Spaniard Pepe Oriola (Seat Leon of Craft-Bamboo Racing). The 2010 Indy Lights champion finished third for his first exercise in the discipline last season.

The second round will start at 12:30 p.m. French time.