Marrakech, Race 2 : Huff wins in an all-Honda podium at wet Marrakech
Lopez finishes fourth but keeps the championship lead
Rob Huff led a one-two-three finish for Honda in wet conditions in the Main Race at FIA WTCC AFRIQUIA Race of Morocco.
For the first time, the WTCC drivers had to deal with rain on the new-look Circuit Moulay El Hassan. Huff held the lead from the DHL-presented pole position ahead of team-mate Norbert Michelisz as José María López got past Tiago Monteiro on the opening lap.
The combination of rain and recently-laid asphalt made the conditions difficult, and they caught out López when he ran deep on lap five, allowing Monteiro back through. Michelisz would run wide a few laps later, putting Monteiro and López onto his tail and allowing Huff to build a two-second lead.
That gap came down again as the rain came down harder but Huff stayed out front and won by six tenths of a second. Michelisz took second and Monteiro was third as López was made to settle for fourth after winning the Main Race at the first three rounds of the season.
Yvan Muller was a relatively distant fifth, finishing just in front of LADA driver Gabriele Tarquini, who passed team-mate Hugo Valente on lap seven after contact out of Turn 1.
Mehdi Bennani took eighth and the WTCC Trophy victory at home after a great first lap from 13th on the grid. James Thompson and Tom Chilton completed the top 10 after Opening Race winner Tom Coronel struggled in the conditions and slipped back to 12th.
Pos. | Driver | Team | Car | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rob Huff | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | 22 laps |
2 | Norbert Michelisz | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | +0.611 |
3 | Tiago Monteiro | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | +1.251 |
4 | Jose Maria Lopez | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | +2.710 |
5 | Yvan Muller | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | +9.916 |
6 | Gabriele Tarquini | LADA Sport | Lada | +10.517 |
7 | Hugo Valente | LADA Sport | Lada | +32.503 |
8 | Mehdi Bennani | Sebastien Loeb Racing | Citroen | +36.143 |
9 | James Thompson | Munnich Motorsport | Chevrolet | +37.222 |
10 | Tom Chilton | Sebastien Loeb Racing | Citroen | +44.097 |
11 | Nicky Catsburg | LADA Sport | Lada | +46.695 |
12 | Tom Coronel | ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet | +64.823 |
13 | John Filippi | Campos Racing | Chevrolet | +67.716 |
14 | Ferenc Ficza | Zengo | Honda | +68.035 |
15 | Thed Bjork | Polestar Cyan | Volvo | +1 lap |
16 | Fredrik Ekblom | Polestar Cyan | Volvo | +1 lap |
17 | Grégoire Demoustier | Sebastien Loeb Racing | Citroen | DNF |
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