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Alessandro Zanardi took victory, for the second consecutive year in Brno, in an event-filled first race. Starting from third on the grid, the Italian managed to avoid a massive accident involving some of his BMW fellow drivers at the start. Jörg Müller stormed through the field to take second ahead of Gabriele Tarquini.
On paper it was Farfus’ race, however after the start he veered left and collected Andy Priaulx, Robert Huff, Nicola Larini and Jordi Gené on his way to the gravel trap. The safety car was out for two laps at which point Zanardi was lying second. Moments after the restart, the BMW man took the lead and soon pulled away. Jörg Müller ensured his podium place coming from eleventh at the restart – he did so with some fantastic and fair driving.
Félix Porteiro had a strong race to take the Independent win and seventh overall. Yvan Muller crossed the line eighth and therefore took pole for Race 2.

Men of the race
BMW Team UK achieved the seemingly impossible during the course of the race. The incident at the start had left Priaulx’s car in a bad way. It crawled back to the pits with an absence of a front bumper, engine damage, sparks flying from the broken suspension and a puncture. However, half way into the race the car was back on the track. If that wasn’t an achievement enough for the skilled RBM team, Priaulx went on to set the fastest lap of the race in his mended car.

Key moment
The start of the race was the pivotal moment. Pole-man Farfus mysteriously turned left on the straight which sent him into Priaulx before collecting the Chevrolets of Huff, Larini and SEAT Sport’s Jordi Gené. It spelt the end for all concerned.
“It was my own mistake. I am very sorry to the others who were taken out of the race. There is not much more to say," a shattered Farfus commented.

Withdrawals
A. Farfus: race incident; A. Priaulx: race incident; J. Gené: race incident; N. Larini: race incident; R. Huff: race incident; A. Menu: race incident; K. Poulsen: engine problems; M. Čolak: pierced radiator.