WTCC Argentina: Sebastien Loeb holds off Jose Maria Lopez for win

In a chaotic opening lap at Termas de Rio Hondo, polesitter James Thompson made side-to-side contact with fast-starting Stefano D'Aste at the first corner. D'Aste then spun off on oil at Turn 2 while the Lada cruised into retirement; a cracked front suspension part was to blame.

This might have benefited those immediately behind on the grid, but Honda's Gabriele Tarquini took to the grass in an unsuccessful bid to pass front-row starter Tom Coronel, and fifth-placed starter Tom Chilton was swallowed up in the onrush of Citroens.

Ma Qing Ha broke through from seventh on the grid to lead from Loeb and Coronel, but then ran wide and took to the grass, allowing his team-mate through.

Coronel then had an off-track moment while grappling with Tarquini and broke his splitter, forcing him to retire.

During a brief safety car interlude because of the oil, spiking temperatures forced Ma to pit to have mud and grass removed from his C-Elysee's radiators, consigning him to the back half of the top 10 in the final reckoning.

Immediately after the green flag Lopez made short work of Tarquini but was unable to make inroads into Loeb's lead.

"I had a good start from eighth on the grid, good overtaking, and then I was in the lead," said Loeb.

"I saw Pechito [Lopez] in my mirrors and wasn't happy to see him there so quickly, so I just pushed.

"You know when you have him behind you cannot be confident, because he is so quick."

Lopez backed off in the final laps to preserve his tyres in the heat, finishing 4.690 seconds adrift.

The factory Hondas swapped places in the final laps, leaving Tiago Monteiro to complete the podium ahead of Tarquini, while Mehdi Bennani finished fifth after an eventful afternoon.

Bennani and Yvan Muller made contact while they were running fourth and fifth, and Muller then ran off-track, collecting mud in his radiators that ultimately brought him to a smoking halt in the pits.

This cost Bennani two positions, but he eventually made it past the impressive Honda privateer Norbert Michelisz, who completed the top six finishers after starting on the back row of the grid.

After the race, Michelisz was handed a one-place penalty for making contact with Ma, while Muller will take a five-place grid penalty at the next round for his collision with Bennani.

RESULTS - 15 LAPS:

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER TWO OF 24 ROUNDS: