Santiago Urrutia salvages podium from tough Spanish weekend

2022-06-26

Santiago Urrutia salvaged a podium finish from a tough Spanish weekend for the Lynk & Co Cyan Racing drivers.

"I'm really happy to score a podium after the struggles we have against Audi and Hyundai at the moment, a big thanks to the team. We have fought really hard during this weekend under difficult circumstances and we can't relax. It's going to be a very tough season moving forward," said Santiago Urrutia.

Reigning champion Yann Ehrlacher was right in the thick of the action, receiving several hits at the start of the first race where he dropped from third on the grid to finish fourth, followed by fifth in the second race.

"We didn't get the points we aimed for and it was difficult to fight our competitors on this track. I was pushed by several drivers in the first race, but that's how it is. The second race was okay even though our pace is not that competitive. We need to sort this out as it will be tough in the coming races," said Yann Ehrlacher, who is placed fifth, one point behind Santiago Urrutia.

Yvan Muller fought hard to finish seventh in both races.

"We did our best, but it was impossible to follow the Audis and Hyundais on the straights. It was tough races with cars everywhere, but we scored some points. Let's see next weekend in Portugal, we need to keep fighting hard," said Yvan Muller.

Ma Qing Hua started from the reversed grid pole position in the second race but dropped back to finish sixth.

"It wasn't really a good second race for me. I had a good start and got the lead, but unfortunately with the current speed difference I knew I had a small chance of winning the race. Instead I focussed on maximising the team championship points," said Ma Qing Hua.

Thed Björk suffered a broken power steering during qualifying and started further back for both of the races. The Swede fought his way to finish ninth in the first race as his best result.

"The races were so hot and we struggled to fight, lacking speed to fight higher up. It's been a tough weekend, but we'll just keep our heads down and keep working for the next race which is just around the corner," said Thed Björk.

The hectic schedule continues as the team heads straight from Spain to Portugal and the iconic Vila Real street race next weekend on July 2-3.

WTCR Race of Spain

Results
Race 1
Race 2

Standings - Drivers
1 Mikel Azcona 129 points
2 Gilles Magnus 99 (-30)
3 Santiago Urrutia 93 (-36)
4 Rob Huff 93 (-36)
5 Yann Ehrlacher 92 (-37)
...
8 Ma Qing Hua 68 (-61)
10 Yvan Muller 63 (-66)
13 Thed Björk 29 (-100)

Standings - Teams
1 BRC Hyundai 165 points
2 Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 155 (-10)
3 Münnich Motorsport 148 (-17)
4 Cyan Performance Lynk & Co 138 (-27)
5 Comtoyou Audi 131 (-34)

2022 FIA World Touring Car Cup calendar
May 7/8 – France – Circuit de Pau-Ville
May 26/28 – Germany – Nürburgring Nordschleife
June 11/12 – Hungary – Hungaroring
June 25/26 – Spain – MotorLand Aragón
July 2/3 – Portugal – Circuito do Vila Real
July 23/24 – Italy – Vallelunga
August 6/7 – France – Anneau du Rhin
October 8/9 – South Korea – Inje Speedium
November 5/6 – China – Ningbo International Speedpark
November 18/20 – Macau – Macau

Media 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 the last five touring car World Titles, most recently the 2021 WTCR drivers' and teams' titles with Lynk & Co – and participated in the development of the Polestar performance models of the Volvo S60 and V60 in the years 2013 to 2015, including the concept models Volvo C30 and S60 Polestar Concept Prototype. The company launched the Volvo P1800 Cyan in 2020, Cyan Racing’s interpretation of the iconic Volvo sports car from the sixties.

About Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co was created to provide mobility solutions for the connected generation. We do make really, really good cars (the kind that have all the features you want without you having to ask for them), but we also offer a new way of using those cars. Our membership-based approach makes it simple to get on the go. Members can access a car on a flexible, month-to-month basis and share with friends, family, and the Lynk & Co community.