It was the opening round of the 2010 World Touring Car Championship season and the fifth running of the FIA WTCC Race of Brazil.

The two races were won by Yvan Muller of Chevrolet and Gabriele Tarquini of SR-Sport Reigning manufacturer's champion SEAT withdrew from the series for the 2010 season.

Former SEAT Sport drivers Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro and Jordi Gené transferred to new team SR-Sport, run by SUNRED Engineering.

The leading independent was Franz Engstler while Vaulkhard took to the track near the end of the session after repairs to his car following his practice one crash.

Gabriele Tarquini was fifth, ahead of the BMW's of Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus, which had set the pace in the testing and practice sessions earlier in the weekend.

Augusto Farfus finished sixth after a battle with Tom Coronel that saw the Dutchman drop to eighth behind a recovering Gené.

Fredy Barth finished ninth on his world championship debut, after passing Norbert Michelisz on the penultimate lap.

Gené led the race until lap three until he was passed by Tarquini and the two distanced from the Chevrolet trio of Huff, Menu and Muller.