Hughes wins as Müller nears title

Warren Hughes recorded his first victory of the British Touring Car Championship season in race one at Brands Hatch yesterday.

The Newcastle-born driver, who started third on the grid, eventually prevailed as Vauxhall's Yvan Müller extended his lead in the championship.

The Frenchman came home second, almost three seconds behind Hughes' MG, but his Vauxhall team-mate and title rival, James Thompson, could only manage fifth. Hughes' team-mate, Colin Turkington, finished third while Matt Neal, who won last time out at Snetterton, was fourth for Honda.

BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP (Brands Hatch) Race 1: (35 laps): 1 W Hughes (GB) MG ZS 29min 58.504sec; 2 Y Müller (Fr) Vauxhall Astra Coupe +2.713sec; 3 C Turkington (GB) MG ZS +3.787; 4 M Neal (GB) Honda Civic Type-R +8.526; 5 J Thompson (GB) Vauxhall Astra Coupe +8.736; 6 P O'Neill (GB) Vauxhall Astra Coupe +9.031; 7 A Reid (GB) MG ZS +12.460; 8 T Chilton (GB) Honda Civic Type-R +18.053; 9 D Leslie (GB) Proton Impian +19.958; 10 C Breeze (GB) Vauxhall Astra Coupe +26.062. Race 2: 1 Turkington 31min 09.023sec; 2 O'Neill +1.398sec; 3 A Morrison (GB) Honda Civic +2.099; 4 Reid +3.586; 5 Müller +5.792; 6 Hughes +6.157; 7 Chilton +6.437; 8 Leslie +6.704; 9 P Bennett (GB) Proton Impian +6.929; 10 Thompson +7.974. Leading Overall Standings: 1 Müller 183pts; 2 Thompson 158; 3 O'Neill 119; 4 Neal 114; 5 Reid 103; 6 Morrison 99; 7 Hughes 75; 8 Turkington 69; 9 Chilton 61; 10 R Collard 32.