Valencia 2007: Thompson back on top.

Sunday, 20th May 2007

James Thompson became the fifth different winner in five World Touring Car races after romping to a resounding victory from pole position in the latest round of the championship at Valencia.

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Further back, D'Aste was in the midst of the battles again, this time with Sergio Hernandez, Tom Coronel and the recovering Farfus. Although the Italian held his rivals at bay for much of the race, former GP2 racer Hernandez eventually executed a confident move on lap twelve to move into ninth.

However, his sparring partners fared no better when D'Aste slowed slightly to avoid a tail-happy Hernandez up ahead, prompting Coronel to dive up the inside. However, Farfus had an eye on claiming back two more positions and also positioned his car alongside the Dutchman, causing all three to bunch together and spear off the circuit. Putting Farfus into retirement and heavily delaying D'Aste and Coronel, the BMW driver has it all to do from the back of the grid in race two.

Thompson was victorious though, the former British Touring Car Champion easing back in the latter stages but nonetheless crossing the line well up on Larini to give team owners Mauro and Monica Sipsz a perfect result on the weekend when their latest endeavour, the International Formula Master Series, has also been launched.

Larini found some pace towards the end of the race to pull away from Muller to bolster his championship position, while the Frenchman too is now better placed in the standings thanks to a third place finish. Gene scores his first points of the season in fourth, ahead of Priaulx, who in turn moves up to second in the championship after finishing fifth.

Jourdain gets his WTCC tally off the mark with a lonely sixth, ahead of leading independent runner Rangoni, with Muller in eighth and therefore pole position for the second race.