2017 WTCC season start brings podiums and championship lead for Polestar Cyan Racing
Polestar Cyan Racing drivers Thed Björk, Néstor Girolami and Nicky Catsburg secured a double podium finish and a joint World Championship lead for manufacturers in the Morocco season start of the 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).
Following a victory in the pre-race MAC3 contest, Polestar Cyan Racing is now tied for the lead with Honda, and the three Volvo drivers are placed 3rd (Catsburg) and joint 5th (Björk and Girolami) in the driver’s standings.
Thed Björk claimed the team’s first WTCC podium finish of 2017 with a strong second place in the first race, just seven tenths behind the race winner.
“This result is better than I expected; I am so happy to start the season with a podium and to together lead the manufacturers’ championship on a track that should be our toughest of the season. I head back to Sweden with a really good feeling for the rest of the season, it is all about collecting points and we have done just that,” says Björk.
Néstor Girolami secured the double podium finish for the team by placing third in the second race after a tough fight on the narrow street circuit in Marrakech.
“It has been a really great start for Polestar Cyan Racing and the team has done a very good job on the car – a vast improvement from last year. I am happy with the weekend’s performance; we did not expect such good results at this circuit, especially as I have never raced here before. Bring on Monza, a track that should suit our car much better,” says Girolami.
Nicky Catsburg impressed in his debut for the team and drove two consistent races. Despite being involved in several incidents in both races, Catsburg placed fourth in each and is now the best-placed Polestar Cyan Racing driver in the championship.
“I am happy with the weekend. Our MAC3 victory on Saturday and a strong result for all us in the races is more than we anticipated ahead of the weekend. The races here were tough, as expected, and it is difficult to overtake on the tight street circuit. But I got a good score of points and I look forward to the next race,” says Catsburg.
Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Head of Motorsport at Polestar, concludes: “We started the season with a difficult away game given the circuit layout. To leave Morocco with a draw in the points with Honda feels like a half-win, and to claim a World Championship lead for Volvo Car Group for the first time since 1927 is fantastic!”
Next up for Polestar Cyan Racing is the legendary Monza circuit in Italy from 29-30 April.
WTCC Race of Morocco
Circuit: Circuit Moulay El Hassan
Length: 2.971 km
Lap record (WTCC): 1:23.087 (Valente)
Results
Race 1 – Top 5
1 Esteban Guerrieri Chevrolet Cruze 20 laps
2 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.654
3 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +1.289
4 Nicky Catsburg Volvo S60 +1.921
5 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +2.201
…
9 Néstor Girolami Volvo S60 +20.858
Race 2 – Top 5
1 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic 23 laps
2 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +0.751
3 Néstor Girolami Volvo S60 +2.120
4 Nicky Catsburg Volvo S60 +3.702
5 Tom Chilton Citroën C-Elysée +4.519
…
7 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +5.073
MAC3
1 Polestar Cyan Racing 2:51.926
2 Honda Racing Team +0.731
Championship Standings
Drivers
1 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic 43 pts
2 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic 36 (-7)
3 Nicky Catsburg Volvo S60 28 (-15)
4 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée 26 (-17)
5 Néstor Girolami Volvo S60 25 (-18)
5 Thed Björk Volvo S60 25 (-18)
Manufacturers
1 Volvo 96 pts
1 Honda 96
2017 WTCC season start brings podiums and championship lead for Polestar Cyan Racing https://t.co/q0PlYkJebk #ArriveAlive @FIA_WTCC pic.twitter.com/CWrhLMqv3K
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) April 10, 2017
