Having enjoyed his first touring car pole position in qualifying, Felix Porteiro can now celebrate his maiden victory in the opening World Touring Car race at Brno following a comprehensive display of lights-to-flag driving.
Leading three more BMWs over the line in a race that saw the 320si trounce the opposition around the lengthy Czech circuit, all Porteiro had to do was to survive a crowded first corner before easing to a protected victory for
BMW Team Italy-Spain.
However, it was not all joy for BMW after that hectic first bend claimed their best placed driver Andy Priaulx, the Brit being caught out in the hustle to slide into the gravel trap backwards and into a rare retirement.
Indeed, the culprit for Priaulx's demise was very unclear, the wide home straight and unusually broad first corner inviting drivers to huddle into the right-hander, in particular a fast starting Pierre-Yves Corthals, who appeared to get the nose of his SEAT down the inside the Priaulx but instead tipped him off the track. In reality though, it was unlikely few got through the first corner without some other kind of prior contact.
The melee also managed to catch Jordi Gene out, the Spaniard's hopes to avoid the carnage by going around the outside the corner proving in vain when he had nowhere to go but the gravel trap to avoid Priaulx. While Gene would recover to rejoin at the back, the BMW was stranded and along with Tom Coronel, who was unceremoniously pushed out by Luca Rangoni at the next bend, also in a precarious position, the safety car was called.
What emerged though was a BMW 1-2-3-4, Porteiro leading Jorg Muller and Augusto Farfus, who defied their starting positions to jump from seventh and ninth to second and third. Together with Alex Zanardi in fourth, there was a very ‘white' theme at the front of the field.
![Felix Porteiro - BMW Team Italy-Spain BMW 320si [pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/336778.jpg)
