Another chaotic race sacred Tiago Monteiro as the winner and Stefano Comini as the 2016 TCR International Series champion. This was the second consecutive title for the Swiss driver and the first one for Leopard Racing and the Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR car.
Once again a pile up caused by the drivers from the Chinese championship forced the clerk of the course to suspend the race that resumed with only two laps to go.
Once again half points were awarded.
Guest star Monteiro who had pipped Comini and Jean-Karl Vernay at the start, emerged as the winner ahead of Vernay, Pepe Oriola and Comini who clinched the Drivers’ title with only 3.5 points from Nash.
Key facts
Grid – Nash is on the grid, after the Craft-Bamboo crew performed a miracle and repaired his car; Tassi and Buri start from the pit lane
Start – Monteiro sprints from the second row of the grid and takes the lead from Comini and Vernay
Lap 1 – Borković and Oriola follow in fourth and fifth positions
Lap 2 – Grachev, Files and Belicchi advance to sixth, seventh and eight respectively; Nash is up to ninth
Lap 3 – Oriola overtakes Borković for fourth; Nash overtakes Sritrai for ninth and Belicchi for eighth
Lap 4 – Another pile up is caused by the drivers from the local championship at the Police bend; the track is blocked and the race is suspended
Lap 6 – The race resumes after one lap behind the safety car with only two laps to go; Vernay overtakes Comini for second at the Lisboa; Files overtake Grachev for sixth
Lap 7 – Oriola overtakes Comini for third; Yan overtakes Sritrai for tenth; Monteiro wins from Vernay, Oriola and Comini