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WTCC Shanghai: Dominant eighth win of 2016 for Jose Maria Lopez

Jose Maria Lopez claimed his eighth World Touring Car Championship win of the season in the second race at Shanghai

The world champion was never headed in a tame second affair on the modified Formula 1 grand prix circuit, and eased clear of Citroen team-mate Yvan Muller to win by 11.037 seconds.

Starting from pole, Lopez's task was made easier by Lada's Nicky Catsburg bogging down and dropping to fourth off the line, handing Lopez a clear run into the first corner.

Having slotted into second, Muller did his best in the opening laps to stay with Lopez but soon dropped back and consolidated his position ahead of Bennani, who had also jumped Catsburg at the start.

Lopez forfeited a potential win in Japan to allow Muller through three weeks earlier, but there was no repeat in China as the Argentinian streaked clear to his most convincing win of 2016.

Muller had a comfortable enough margin over third-place finisher Bennani, who completed a Citroen 1-2-3 in his satellite Sebastien Loeb Racing C-Elysee and in so doing wrapped up the Independents' title with a round to spare.

Catsburg stayed with the podium finishers after a wobbly opening couple of laps but was never able to challenge Bennani and settled for fourth.

He headed team-mate Gabriele Tarquini, who made up somewhat for his premature exit from the opening race after a collision with Tom Chilton with fifth.

Race one winner Thed Bjork pressed Tarquini for the position, but handed his sixth back to Volvo Polestar team-mate Fredrik Ekblom on the final lap having been unable to find a way past the Lada.

Tiago Monteiro finished a lonely eighth in the lead Honda Civic, advancing from 13th on the grid, while Chilton headed Tom Coronel for the final points positions.

MAIN RACE RESULT

Pos Driver Team Car Laps Gap
1 Jose Maria Lopez Citroen Racing Citroen 15 28m18.258s
2 Yvan Muller Citroen Racing Citroen 15 11.037s
3 Mehdi Bennani Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 15 12.742s
4 Nicky Catsburg LADA Sport Lada 15 13.205s
5 Gabriele Tarquini LADA Sport Lada 15 15.715s
6 Fredrik Ekblom Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 15 18.176s
7 Thed Bjork Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 15 18.516s
8 Tiago Monteiro Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 15 23.878s
9 Tom Chilton Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 15 24.700s
10 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet 15 26.509s
11 Norbert Michelisz Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 15 30.202s
12 Hugo Valente LADA Sport Lada 15 34.387s
13 Rob Huff Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 15 36.452s
14 James Thompson Munnich Motorsport Chevrolet 15 42.431s
15 John Filippi Campos Racing Chevrolet 15 51.238s
16 Ferenc Ficza Zengo Motorsport Honda 15 57.430s
17 Gregoire Demoustier Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 15 58.850s
18 Daniel Nagy Zengo Motorsport Honda 15 58.880s


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