WTCC: Muller takes race one at Spa.

Race one of the World Touring Car Championship double-header at Spa-Francorchamps was won by Dirk Muller after a cat-and-mouse battle with Britain's Andy Priaulx, who looked to be in command during the first few laps until he was caught out at the Les Combes corner following a safety car period.

Overcast but striking skies greeted the cars at the beginning of round eleven of the WTCC and, as ever at the track set in the picturesque Ardennes forest, the threat of rain was never far away, although it managed to hold off long enough not to affect the first race.

Brazilian Augusto Farfus Jr had scored his first pole position for the Alfa Romeo Racing Team ahead of current European Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx in the BMW Team UK entry, with BMW Team Deutschland cars of Jorg Muller and Dirk Muller lining up behind them, but it was Priaulx who got a great start to pass Farfus heading into Eau Rouge, as the SEAT Sport entry of Jordi Gene was pushed onto the grasscrete, nearly wiping out team-mate Jason Plato and the Honda driver Roberto Colciago.

As they continued through Eau Rouge, Dirk Muller managed to pass team-mate and near namesake Jorg and set upon the task of catching Farfus, which he nearly did with a look going into Les Combes. Jorg Muller also found himself dropped behind the Alfa Romeo of Gabriele Tarquini, who had made a strong start from sixth on the grid.

Further down the field, Michael Funke's Hotfeil Sport-entered Ford Focus was tipped upside down after being pushed into the barriers during a three-car battle at the top of Eau Rouge, the German devoid of the steering needed to avoid the accident and ending up riding the tyre barrier before landing on his roof. Despite the size of the impact, however, Funke was okay and walked away unharmed.

The incident brought out the safety car as marshals tried to recover the stricken Focus and, at the end of lap one, Priaulx maintained his lead over Farfus at around half a second, with Dirk Muller still behind.

After one full lap behind the safety car, the lights went out to signal that the race was about to restart with a snake of BMWs and Alfa Romeos leading the way. As they headed through Kemmel and down again to Les Combes, the BMW's power advantage over the Alfas was evident, as both Dirk and Jorg Muller found the horsepower to pass Farfus and Tarquini respectively, although Jorg was ultimately unable to make his move stick.

This left Priaulx battling with Dirk Muller at the end of lap three, with Farfus in third and Jorg Muller continuing to push Tarquini, as Briton James Thompson kept a watching brief in sixth.

The lead finally changed hands on lap four, as Dirk Muller was able to get a decent tow through Kemmel and held on to go around the outside of Priaulx into Les Combes. Priaulx locked up going through the chicane, but Farfus was too far behind to be able to take advantage.

As the Guernseyman tried to battle back, he used all of the available concrete going into Blanchimont to try and hit back at Muller, but was already half a second down and unable to respond.

Jorg Muller was also on the move by lap five, passing Tarquini at the start of the lap, but, like Priaulx before him, the Italian was determined not to let go and pushed as hard as he could through Stavelot to hit back at Muller. The German managed to hold him off as he homed in on Farfus, who was still running in third position, but, as they entered the La Source hairpin at the end of the lap, there was a small collision, as the Brazilian ran wide and Muller tried to capitalise. This allowed Tarquini to again catch the back of Muller as they came into Eau Rouge for the sixth time.

Further ahead, Andy Priaulx's pursuit of Dirk Muller continued apace, as he was all over the back of the German, but a slight mistake at the top of the track cost the British driver 1.2secs in his pursuit. With the championship becoming more and more of an issue, Priaulx knew that second place behind Muller would simply not be a satisfactory result, and was visibly trying to make a move, although seldom close enough to the German.

He had a go going into Les Combes, which had become the favoured passing place for drivers throughout the afternoon's entertainment, but was again unable to make it stick. Although he brought the gap back down to half a second, Muller managed to stretch it again at Bruxelles, staying in front until the end to maintain his grip on the 2005 championship race.

Priaulx trailed the winner by 0.270secs, while the Farfus-Muller-Tarquini battle ran until lap seven, Muller continuing to put pressure on the Brazilian as the trio fought on right throughout the final lap. As they entered La Source for the final time, Farfus again left a gap for Muller, which the German was only too pleased to take advantage of, forcing his way past the Brazilian.

However, Farfus was not about to let the position go without a fight, and battled back as the two swapped paint in a door-to-door run to the finishing line. Farfus appeared to be pushing Muller deliberately towards the pit wall, but wisely decided that it was better to live and fight another day rather than risk the wrath of the stewards after the race.

Muller had appeared to pick up a puncture in his right rear tyre in the collision, and was smoking spectacularly as he crossed the finish line, but still pipped Farfus to third place.

Tarquini finished in fifth, with Alfa Romeo team-mate James Thompson sixth, ahead of Antonio Garcia and Fabrizio Giovanardi. Tom Coronel was the highest placed independent in the GR Asia SEAT in 13th.

As Dirk Muller, Priaulx and Coronel celebrated on the podium, Jorg Muller looked disgusted with the way his race had ended and refused to join in with the celebrations, saying afterwards that he had been "pushed by Tarquini and hit by Farfus".

"It was a stupid fight at the end," the German complained, "It was again bad driving from Farfus, which we have had now for two to three years, and nothing ever happens about it, I'm not happy."

Namesake Dirk was more pleased with the result and his victory claiming that "it's a really perfect result as I was really confident for this race. I had a little luck as they were all fighting behind me."

Andy Priaulx was in reflective mood with his second place.

"It was a tough race," he admitted, "I'm disappointed not to have benefited more from Dirk's slipstream, but I'm happy with the performance of the car, although there is still a long way to go."