Motegi WTCC: Michelisz heads first-ever Honda 1-2-3 in Race 1
Norbert Michelisz has claimed his first win for the factory Honda team at their home race in Japan, leading a 1-2-3 for the Japanese manufacturer, while Jose Maria Lopez will have to wait until at least Race 2 to wrap up his third drivers’ title.
Norbert Michelisz, Honda Racing Team JAS, Honda Civic WTCC
FIA WTCC
Michelisz started from pole in the opening race and had a good getaway in the Civic ahead of teammate Rob Huff.
Behind, Tom Chilton had a great launch in the Sebastien Loeb Racing-run Citroen from sixth to challenge the Volvo of Thed Bjork for third into the first corner.
But as Bjork got the switch back at Turn 3, Chilton fell behind the Honda of Tiago Monteiro, who himself had a great getaway from seventh on the grid.
At the end of the first lap, Lada’s Hugo Valente became the first retirement of the race, pulling into the pits with damage from an incident with the other SLR Citroen of Gregoire Demoustier, who was handed a drive-through penalty.
The French team's share bad luck continued, as the third car of Mehdi Bennani was handed a drive-through for a jump start, wiping out the outside possibility for the Moroccan to secure the independents’ title early this weekend.
The two factory Citroens of Yvan Muller and Lopez were carving their way forwards from the fifth row on the grid.
While Muller was stuck behind the Lada of Nicky Catsburg in fifth, Lopez made inroads and moved past his teammate at Turn 4 on lap six.
Up front, Michelisz was pulling away from teammate Huff, who was defending against Bjork’s Volvo, only for the Swede to fall into the clasps of Monteiro.
The Portuguese made his move stick on Bjork at Turn 11 on lap seven to grab the final podium spot and secure a crucial first-ever top three lock-out for Honda in their first year as a three-car factory team.
There was drama on lap nine, as Lopez made his way past Catsburg’s Lada for fifth, forcing the Dutchman wide, who made an aggressive rejoin and swiped the rear of Lopez’s Citroen.
Though both cars shed carbon fibre aero, they were able to continue, though Muller was also able to pass the Lada during the melee for sixth.
The race director quickly handed out a black and white bad sportsmanship flag for Catsburg, who went on to finish the race in seventh position.
One lap later, Lopez and Muller dispatched Bjork’s Volvo for fourth and fifth positions, picking up 27 points in the manufacturers’ championship, but Honda taking the maximum possible of 43 after their 1-2-3 result.
Chilton eventually finished eighth with Volvo's Nestor Girolami and Lada's Gabriele Tarquini completing the top 10.
Meanwhile, Lopez starts the second race from pole and only needs to stop Monteiro gaining more than seven points on him in order to secure his third drivers’ title.
Opening race results:
Pos | Driver | Car | Laps | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norbert Michelisz | Honda | 13 | 26'07.443 | |
2 | Rob Huff | Honda | 13 | 26'08.801 | 1.358 |
3 | Tiago Monteiro | Honda | 13 | 26'09.616 | 2.173 |
4 | Jose Maria Lopez | Citroën | 13 | 26'11.052 | 3.609 |
5 | Yvan Muller | Citroën | 13 | 26'12.248 | 4.805 |
6 | Thed Björk | Volvo | 13 | 26'15.492 | 8.049 |
7 | Nicky Catsburg | LADA | 13 | 26'16.181 | 8.738 |
8 | Tom Chilton | Citroën | 13 | 26'16.828 | 9.385 |
9 | Nestor Girolami | Volvo | 13 | 26'17.578 | 10.135 |
10 | Gabriele Tarquini | LADA | 13 | 26'17.899 | 10.456 |
11 | Ryo Michigami | Honda | 13 | 26'25.743 | 18.300 |
12 | Tom Coronel | Chevrolet | 13 | 26'26.134 | 18.691 |
13 | James Thompson | Chevrolet | 13 | 26'29.139 | 21.696 |
14 | John Filippi | Chevrolet | 13 | 26'33.862 | 26.419 |
15 | Daniel Nagy | Honda | 13 | 26'34.378 | 26.935 |
16 | Mehdi Bennani | Citroën | 13 | 26'35.570 | 28.127 |
17 | Grégoire Demoustier | Citroën | 13 | 26'41.918 | 34.475 |
Ferenc Ficza | Honda | 5 | 26'56.877 | 8 Laps | |
Hugo Valente | LADA | 1 | 15'39.358 | 12 Laps |
Neil Hudson / TouringCarTimes
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