Mikhail Grachev inherited a second consecutive victory in the TCR International Series, taking the win in race one at the Salzburgring after technical issues for early leader Pepe Oriola.
In an eventful race the Russian stayed out of trouble to take a second win in the championship, as others in the field either hit problems or were involved in contact.
Craft-Bamboo Racing’s James Nash took second after last-lap contact with Dušan Borković on the approach to the Ostschleife corner on the back straight.
That gave the Serbian racer a front-right puncture, leaving him helpless to avoid spearing off into the gravel and into the barriers, losing out on what would have been a third podium of the season.
The stewards decided that there would be no further action in the incident between the duo. Borković had earlier in the race pulled off possibly the pass of the season to move into what was then third place on lap five, throwing his car sideways into turn one to pass both Grachev and Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay.
B3 Racing’s Mat’o Homola inherited after his team-mates demise, taking third ahead of the second WestCoast Racing Honda of Gianni Morbidelli, who was fourth.
Morbidelli had earlier encountered some short-lived technical issues on the opening lap of the race which dropped him down to tenth from sixth on the grid, but the Italian was able to stay out of trouble thereafter to move back up the order.
Vernay himself finished in fifth in a race which saw both of the Leopard Volkswagen’s struggle to mount a serious challenge.
The third B3 Racing SEAT of Attila Tassi took sixth, with the youngster having got involved in several close battles with his rivals, but leaving him unable to find a way past around the outside of the corners.
Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Davit Kajaia took seventh, ahead of Leopard Racing’s Stefano Comini in eighth.
Austrian local Florian Janits took ninth on his début in the Engstler Motorsport Volkswagen, ahead of the Mulsanne Racing Alfa Romeo of Michela Cerruti in tenth, who was effectively the last classified finisher, allowing her to score her first TCR points.
Both of the Oriola brothers hit problems in the race, having at one stage been running in 1-2 formation. Jordi was the first to retire his Target Competition Honda after eight laps with flames coming out of the exhaust, whilst Pepe then retired after 15 laps when in the lead of the race, slowing along the start-finish straight with possible electrical issues.
Sergey Afanasyev retired his Craft-Bamboo SEAT in the Ostschleife gravel on lap two, which ultimately necessitated a brief safety car intervention on laps six and seven to retrieve the car.
WestCoast Racing’s Harald Proczyk and Mulsanne Racing’s Petr Fulín also retired from the race after contact at turn one on lap one which began when Borković tagged the rear of his Honda, spinning him into the path of Fulín, Vernay and the two Engstler Motorsport Golfs.
Race two takes place at 13:05 BST (14:05 CEST).
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME/GAP | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 8 | Mikhail GRACHEV |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 17 | 27:40.614 | 1:27.221 | 9 |
| 2 | 54 | James NASH |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 17 | 1.42 | 1:26.787 | 15 |
| 3 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 17 | 1.627 | 1:26.989 | 11 |
| 4 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 17 | 2.304 | 1:27.048 | 6 |
| 5 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 17 | 8.244 | 1:27.504 | 1 |
| 6 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 17 | 10.746 | 1:27.280 | 10 |
| 7 | 7 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 17 | 11.305 | 1:27.765 | 14 |
| 8 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 17 | 12.387 | 1:28.051 | 13 |
| 9 | 45 | Florian JANITS |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 17 | 12.864 | 1:28.103 | 12 |
| 10 | 88 | Michela CERRUTI | |
Mulsanne Racing | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 17 | 28.268 | 1:29.189 | 16 |
| 11 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 16 | 16 laps | 1:27.178 | 5 |
| 12 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 15 | 15 laps | 1:27.125 | 2 |
| R | 33 | Jordi ORIOLA | |
Target Competition | Honda Civic TCR | 8 | 8 laps | 1:27.337 | 4 |
| R | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 2 | 2 laps | 1:36.289 | 7 |
| R | 43 | Harald PROCZYK | |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 2 | 2 laps | 3:20.866 | 3 |
| R | 22 | Petr FULÍN |  |
Mulsanne Racing | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 1 | 1 lap | 3:50.463 | 8 |