WTCC win that got away for Thompson

James Thompson said he felt for the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport mechanics after he was nudged out of the lead of the FIA WTCC AFRIQUIA Race of Morocco Opening Race – and a potential shot at victory – on Sunday.

Thompson made the most of his DHL pole position to lead through the early stages of lap one before contact from Hugo Valente’s LADA sent him spinning backwards and into retirement after his Chevrolet Cruze struck a concrete retaining wall.

Afterwards, the Briton, whose last WTCC win came in 2008, said: “You can only do the best you can, everything else is out of your control. I made a good start from pole and was leading but we lost a great chance for a good result but I’m more disappointed for the guys [in the team] because they’ve been waiting for a couple of years for this.”

Thompson was deputising for team boss René Münnich for the second time this season. He recovered from his early setback to finish ninth in the Main Race and second in the WTCC Trophy for independent racers.