WTCC Marrakech: Honda's Monteiro wins main race of season opener

Having started from pole, Monteiro led from start to finish, creating a crucial buffer between himself and Micheilsz following a mid-race safety car on his way to victory.

Monteiro made a clean start off the line to head Michelisz into Turn 1, the Hungarian having launched his Honda Civic ahead of front-row starter Nestor Girolami.

While the gap between the two Honda drivers hovered around the half-a-second mark, Monteiro appeared in control in front before the appearance of the safety car to aid the recovery of Aurelien Panis's Zengo Motorsport Civic that stopped with suspension damage.

But as the field prepared for the restart, Monteiro made a break as he headed through the penultimate corner and managed to catch Michelisz off guard.

Michelisz clawed back some of his deficit, but never looked likely to challenge his team-mate as the pair cruised to a Honda one-two.

Monteiro therefore assumes the lead of the championship after the first round with 43 points, taking five points for pole alongside his maximum score in the main event - increased to 30 points for 2017 - plus a sixth-place finish in the opening race.

Girolami was also challenged into the first corner by the Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen C-Elysee of Mehdi Bennani, but shrugged that off to score a maiden WTCC podium on his first weekend as a full-season works Volvo driver.

Bennani was briefly shuffled back to fifth after his failed attempt to get by Girolami, but soon reclaimed fourth after clipping the second Volvo S60 of Nicky Catsburg at Turn 3, forcing the Dutchman wide in the process.

Local hero Bennani crossed the line in fourth, but was later demoted to sixth after being handed a two-second penalty for that incident.

That therefore promoted Catsburg to fourth and Bennani's SLR team-mate Tom Chilton to fifth, while the third Volvo S60 Polestar of Thed Bjork was classified seventh.

Race one polesitter Tom Coronel kept a frustrated Rob Huff at bay to claim eighth.

Huff recovered to ninth after his team performed a steering rack change before the race having retired from the opener, while Ryo Michigami completed the top 10 to claim his first WTCC point in the third factory Honda Civic.

Race one winner Esteban Guerrieri finished 13th, having started from the pitlane and later served a drive-through penalty for the work his team undertook on the car in the pits before the start, recording the fastest racing lap of the weekend during his recovery.

RESULTS - 23 LAPS: