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Race report

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

Norbert Michelisz, Honda Racing Team JAS, Honda Civic WTCC

FIA WTCC

Honda MAC3 qualifying
Norbert Michelisz, Honda Racing Team JAS, Honda Civic WTCC
Nestor Girolami, Polestar Cyan Racing, Volvo S60 Polestar TC1
Citroën MAC3 qualifying
Hugo Valente, LADA Sport Rosneft, Lada Vesta
Daniel Nagy, Honda Civic Team Zengo, Honda Civic WTCC
Nestor Girolami, Polestar Cyan Racing, Volvo S60 Polestar TC1
José María López, Citroën World Touring Car Team, Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
Rob Huff, Honda Racing Team JAS, Honda Civic WTCC
Lada MAC3 qualifying
Ryo Michigami, Honda Racing Team JAS, Honda Civic WTCC
Thed Björk, Polestar Cyan Racing, Volvo S60 Polestar TC1
Mehdi Bennani, Sébastien Loeb Racing, Citroën C-Elysée 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:

PosDriverCarLapsTimeGap
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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