Marrakech, FP 1-2 : Michelisz sets the best time

The 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship got underway at the Circuit Moulay El Assan this morning, with Tiago Monteiro fastest in Free Practice 1.

Monteiro, driving a factory Honda Civic WTCC, set a time of 1m22.685s to be fastest – ahead of local hero Mehdi Bennani who was second in his Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën. His team-mate Tom Chilton was behind him in third.

Rookie Yann Ehrlacher, nephew of World Touring Car legend Yvan Muller, made a solid WTCC debut, ending FP1 in P10 for RC Motorsport.

Thed Björk was fourth – despite a technical issue that left him limping back to the pitlane at the end of the session – with Ryo Michigami in fifth on his Circuit Moulay El Hassan debut. Néstor Girolami, Esteban Guerrieri and Nicky Catsburg were sixth, seventh and eighth respectively. Tom Coronel, last year’s Opening Race winner in Morocco, placed ninth.

It was a session to forget however for another rookie Aurélien Panis, who failed to set a lap for Zengo Motorsport due to a water system issue. WTCC title contenders Rob Huff and Norbert Michelisz were also both unable to set a lap during the session due to technical issues.
The second practice session of the FIA World Touring Car Championship round at the Circuit Moulay El Assan was topped by Norbert Michelisz, with a time of 1m22.23s.

Michelisz failed to set a lap in his Honda FP1 but leapt into the number one spot late on in the session. Behind him in second was this morning’s fastest man, and fellow Honda driver, Tiago Monteiro.

Meanwhile, Rob Huff too enjoyed a better session, after also failing to run in FP1 as a result of a drama with his seatbelts. He was placed third in his ALL-INKL Racing Citroen.

Fourth and fifth went to Néstor Girolami and Nicky Catsburg in their Volvo’s, with Esteban Guerrieri putting in a last-gasp lap in his Chevrolet to end the final practice in sixth.

Home hero Mehdi Bennani was in eighth position, behind Thed Björk who was seventh. Ryo Michigami and Tom Chilton completed the top 10 in ninth and tenth respectively.

Star rookie from this morning’s session Yann Ehrlacher finished FP2 in 13th position, while 2017’s other rookie Aurélien Panis was 15th after a disappointing first practice which saw him confined to the garage.