The battle for the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup title remains wide open after eight races with young talents Gilles Magnus and Santiago Urrutia becoming winners seven and eight of the season at WTCR Race of Hungary.

Belgian ASN-backed Magnus, 21, became the WTCR’s second youngest winner by triumphing in Race 1 in his Goodyear-equipped Comtoyou Team Audi Sport-entered Audi RS 3 LMS with 24-year-old Santiago Urrutia taking top honours in Race 2 for Cyan Performance Lynk & Co as fans returned to the Hungaroring in their thousands.

But there was little home success to cheer after Rob Huff was unable to take up his Race 2 pole position for local team Zengő Motorsport following damage in Race 1, while contact at Turn 1 wrecked Hungarian national hero Norbert Michelisz’s bid for victory in Race 2.

However, Mikel Azcona’s second place in Race 1 ahead of Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Performance Lynk & Co) and inherited third in Race 2 meant the Zengő team didn’t leave empty handed.

Michelisz (BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse) was sixth in Race 1 but could do no better than P14 following his brush with Néstor Girolami at the first corner of Race 2.

Azcona completed Race 2 in fourth position but a five-second penalty for Honda-powered racer Girolami promoted the CUPRA Leon Competitión driver to third and drop Girolami (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport) to a disconsolate fifth.

Frédéric Vervisch, meanwhile, moved up to second to make up for his Race 1 podium loss when contact with Azcona on the final lap dropped him to fourth.

Magnus added a victory double in WTCR Junior and WTCR Trophy to his maiden outright success, while Ehrlacher, the King of WTCR, leaves Hungary as the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader with a two-point advantage over Urrutia.

The Uruguayan appeared to have moved to the top of the standings after his Race 2 victory only for Girolami’s penalty to alter the scores in Ehrlacher’s favour.

WTCR