WTCC - Marrakech: Huff leads Honda Sweep in Africa

Matt White (@MattWhiteRacing) - WTCC Editor
May 9, 2016
3 min read

The World Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to Marrakech in Morocco provided a surprised winner, a wet race and a sweep of the podium by Honda.

Race 1 – Dutch Delight for Coronel

James Thompson started race one from pole position in the All Inkl Chevy Cruze, but by turn three he was facing the wrong way after being dumped by fellow front row starter Hugo Valente’s Lada.

Valente subsequently led from the Cruze of Tom Coronel, and the front two were able to make a small break at the head of the race. This was aided by Ted Bjork’s Volvo and Nicky Catsburg’s Lada both going off down the escape road half way round the first lap as the Lada cannoned into the side of the S60.

Bjork was unable to continue but Catsburg joined Thompson in retirement and would have to start race two from pit lane.

Valente was given a drive through penalty for the contact with Thompson, which left Tom Coronel having the enviable task of holding off both the factory Citroen’s of championship leader Jose Maria Lopez and team mate Yvan Muller.

By lap 10 Coronel was under heavy attack from Lopez – he had one big lunge at the beginning of lap 12 which didn’t come off – but the Dutchman drove expertly, even with a slight mistake on the penultimate lap, to take his first WTCC win since Japan 2013, Lopez second with team mate Muller rounding out the podium.

Coronel’s win was the first for the previously all-conquering Chevrolet in the WTCC since Tom Chilton won at Beijing in 2014 – 37 races ago.

Thankfully for Castrol Honda, all three of their cars avoided the incidents in the first few laps, Monteiro, Michelisz and Huff rounding out the top six.

Gabriele Tarquini was next in his Lada, followed by both Sebastian Loeb Citroens of Tom Chilton and local hero Medhi Bennani.

The remaining Volvo of Fredrik Ekblom rounded out the points scorers in tenth.

Race 2 – Honda Sweep Podium in the Rain

Rain in Africa – not a song from an American rock band in the eighties – but the unusual scene just as teams were getting ready for race two, which meant a wet race was declared.

Rob Huff took pole position in Saturday’s qualifying for the main race with his two Honda team mates sat just behind him, and the Englishman made the perfect get away.

Lopez was the main mover at the beginning, managing to make his way around the outside of Monteiro around the turn one and two complex and up into third place.

As the race settled down it looked like Lopez was doing enough to cover his main championship rival Monteiro, but the world champion made a mistake by running wide at turn 11, allowing the Portuguese driven Honda to get back up into third place.

Lopez may consider himself lucky, as it appeared he lined up out of his grid position but got away with what would have been a drive through penalty.

There was no fighting between the three Hondas, with Huff leading them home to take his second win of the year.

Lopez held onto fourth well clear of team mate Muller who had a quiet weekend by his standards.

Gabrielle Tarquini was again best of the rest, this time finishing in fifth place ahead of team mate Hugo Valente in the Ladas.

Next along was Bennani taking good WTCC Yokohama Independent Trophy points this weekend ahead of James Thompson and Tom Chilton.

Tom Coronel was unable to repeat his form from race one finishing 11th.

Points standings after 8/24 races:

01 - José María López - 106 pts

02 - Tiago Monteiro - 94 pts

03 - Mehdi Bennani - 77 pts

04 - Robert Huff - 60 pts

05 - Yvan Muller - 54 pts