Thed Björk and Yvan Muller heads Lynk & Co Cyan Racing 1-2 at Zandvoort
Thed Björk headed Lynk & Co Cyan Racing team-mate Yvan Muller in a 1-2 for his second FIA World Touring Car Cup victory of 2019 at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
"It feels amazing to score my second win of the season, especially as I have my family with me here. I was able to control the race and to finish a 1-2 with my team-mate Yvan makes it even better. We really needed the points and now we need to continue to push for the two races tomorrow," said Thed Björk, who has climbed up to third position in the points.
The team claimed a record-breaking 1-2-3 in qualifying with Thed Björk on pole position, his first of the season, Yvan Muller in second place and Andy Priaulx in third position.
The start of the race saw Thed Björk heading into a lead that he kept throughout the race and Yvan Muller defending from Cupra driver Mikel Azcona to claim second place.
"I got a good start and I was slightly faster than Thed, but we needed the points for the team so I stayed behind. It was a tough race as Mikel (Azcona) was pushing hard toward the end and I had to push a bit more. It's great to get a 1-2 and score vital points to the championship," said Yvan Muller, who has climbed to eighth position in the points.
Three-time World Champion Andy Priaulx started third but lost two positions during the race to finish fifth, his second top five finish of 2019.
"It was overall a really good race, I'm very happy for Thed and Yvan. I lost a little at the start to Mikel Azcona. I then had a fight with Johan Kristoffersson, but it was good and really fair. We were a little low on power and it cost me in a drag race with Johan. But for me to fight for pole in qualifying and then have a solid race, it's all positive and I'm looking forward to tomorrow," said Andy Priaulx.
Yann Ehrlacher started from ninth position on the grid due to a five-place penalty for an incident with Augusto Farfus during qualifying. But the Frenchman clawed back two positions on the first lap to cross the finishing line in seventh position.
"I was able to overtake two cars into turn one and had a good race pace. I am happy to score points but I want bigger numbers next time. It's now full focus on tomorrow where my aim no doubt is to take a step forward," said Yann Ehrlacher.
The strong result of the Lynk & Co 03 TCR drivers has elevated the team in the points with Cyan Racing Lynk & Co (Björk/Muller) up to second place and Cyan Performance Lynk & Co (Priaulx/Ehrlacher) in ninth place.
The FIA WTCR Race of Netherlands weekend at Zandvoort continues tomorrow with qualifying and two races.
Results Race 1
Results Qualifying 1
Standings
Points for drivers – Top 5
1 Esteban Guerrieri Honda Civic 127 points
2 Néstor Girolami Honda Civic 126 (-1)
3 Thed Björk Lynk & Co 03 117 (-10)
4 Norbert Michelisz Hyundai 102 (-25)
5 Mikel Azcona Cupra TCR 99 (-28)
...
8 Yvan Muller Lynk & Co 03 89 (-38)
12 Yann Ehrlacher Lynk & Co 03 55 (-72)
16 Andy Priaulx Lynk & Co 03 36 (-91)
Points for teams – Top 5
1 Münnich Motorsport 253 points
2 Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 206 (-47)
3 BRC Hyundai 198 (-55)
4 PWR Racing 133 (-120)
5 Leopard Audi Sport 112 (-141)
...
9 Cyan Performance Lynk & Co 91 (-162)
Schedule
Times in CEST
Sunday May 19th
08:00-08:20 – Qualifying Q1
08:25-08:35 – Qualifying Q2
08:40-09:00 – Qualifying Q3
13:15-13:45 – Race 2 (12 laps)
16:35–17:15 – Race 3 (15 laps)
WTCR Balance of Performance and Compensation Weights
Contact information
Johan Meissner
Press Manager
Cyan Racing
+46(0)70 241 3234
johan.meissner@cyanracing.com
About Cyan Racing
Cyan Racing was founded in 1996 and was formerly named Polestar until Volvo Cars acquired the performance section and trademark in 2015. Cyan Racing is privately owned and operated. The team has claimed multiple titles, most recently the 2018 FIA World Touring Car Cup team title and the double 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship titles for driver and manufacturer – and participated in the development of the Polestar performance models of the Volvo S60 and V60 in the years 2013 to 2015.
About Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co is the new global urban mobility brand addressing the needs and preferences of the connected generation and challenging auto industry conventions. Its products are designed and engineered in Sweden and will be sold globally.