Photo: Citroen Racing

Morocco race one grid confirmed following raft of penalties

The grid for the first race tomorrow in Marrakech has been confirmed following the application of no less than eight grid penalties post qualifying, which accounts for almost half of the grid considering 18 cars are taking part in the second round of the World Touring Car Championship this weekend.

Citroën’s Yvan Muller and Campos Racing’s John Filippi both had five place penalties carried over from Argentina, while Lada Sport Rosneft pair James Thompson and Rob Huff, Craft-Bamboo’s Grégoire Demoustier, ROAL Motorsport’s Tom Chilton and Campos Racing’s Hugo Valente all drop to the back of the grid following engine changes, with only one permitted per season.

The grid was further complicated after Zengő Motorsport’s Norbert Michelisz picked up a three-place grid penalty when his Honda Civic was found to be underweight.

The full grid for race one follows:

Pos – Driver – Team
1 – José María López – Citroën Racing
2 – Mehdi Bennani – Sébastien Loeb Racing
3 – Ma Qing Hua – Citroën Racing
4 – Tiago Monteiro – Honda Racing Team JAS
5 – Sébastien Loeb – Citroën Racing
6 – Tom Coronel – ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet
7 – Norbert Michelisz – Zengő Motorsport Honda (+3 grid)
8 – Gabriele Tarquini – Honda Racing Team JAS
9 – Stefano D’Aste – Münnich Motorsport Chevrolet
10 – Dusan Borkovic – Proteam Racing Honda
11 – Yvan Muller – Citroën Racing (+5 grid)
12 – Mikhail Kozlovskiy – Lada Sport Rosneft
13 – Hugo Valente – Campos Racing Chevrolet (Engine change)
14 – Tom Chilton – ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet (Engine change)
15 – Rob Huff – Lada Sport Rosneft (Engine change)
16 – James Thompson – Lada Sport Rosneft (Engine change)
17 – Grégoire Demoustier – Craft-Bamboo Chevrolet (Engine change)
18 – John FIlippi – Campos Racing Chevrolet (+5 grid)