Historic Win for Lynk & Co Cyan Racing in FIA WTCR

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TrackWorthy - Lynk _ Co win at FIA World Touring Car Cup in Marrakech (1)
TrackWorthy - Lynk _ Co win at FIA World Touring Car Cup in Marrakech (1)
“…to win in the debut race of the all-new Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car is a fantastic reward for all involved.”Swedish race car driver, Thed Björk

Swedish race car driver Thed Björk took his Lynk & Co Cyan Racing car to the top step of the podium delivering the first-ever win for a chinese manufacturer in the FIA World Touring Car Cup at the season opener in Marrakech, Morocco.

TrackWorthy - Lynk _ Co win at FIA World Touring Car Cup in Marrakech (2)

“Everyone in the team has worked so hard during the winter and to win in the debut race of the all-new Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car is a fantastic reward for all involved,” said Thed Björk. “We were a bit surprised by our speed, especially as this is one of the toughest fields in the history of touring car racing. I can’t thank everyone in the team enough, this is a fantastic start to continue building on for the remainder of the season that no doubt will be ultra-challenging.”

The first of ten FIA World Touring Car Cup weekends of 2019 resulted in one victory, three podium finishes, second place in the teams’ standings and the lead of the drivers’ standings for Lynk & Co Cyan Racing.

“This is a historic moment for Chinese automotive industry, with Lynk & Co claiming the first ever World Cup motorsport victory by a Chinese car manufacturer,” said Victor Yang, Vice President of Communications, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. “This is an incredible start to the season. I wish to thank our partners Shell and Denso, and above all, Cyan Racing. We wish the team the best of success in the coming races.”

Four-time World Champion Yvan Muller started second in the final race of the weekend and made a great start along with teammate Björk, with both passing Audi driver Frederic Vervisch to run one-two after turn one. Muller kept the lead until lap 14 when he was forced to retire due to suspension damage, handing the lead to Björk. The Swedish driver kept the lead until the checkered flag dropped on lap 23.

TrackWorthy - Lynk _ Co win at FIA World Touring Car Cup in Marrakech (3)

“I was really disappointed to retire from the lead after showing strong form in both qualifying and the races,” said Yvan Muller. “But I am very happy for the team, delivering a victory and points lead on debut with a manufacturer that is completely new to motorsport, Lynk & Co.”

Andy Priaulx fought hard from 17th on the grid to finish the race in 13th position. “Starting this far down on a street circuit like this makes it almost impossible to make progress,” said Priaulx. “But I managed to get into the points, and we have made loads of progress heading into the next rounds.”

Full race results can be found at the FIA WTCR website. The next round of the championship takes place at the Hungaroring in Hungary from April 26-28.

TrackWorthy - Lynk _ Co win at FIA World Touring Car Cup in Marrakech (4)

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