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WTCC Marrakech: Honda leads the way in free practice

Honda drivers Norbert Michelisz and Tiago Monteiro were fastest in practice ahead of the first World Touring Car Championship round of the season in Marrakech

Monteiro had topped the morning's first 45-minute session, but Michelisz ended practice with the fastest time after a late flying lap of the Moulay el Hassan street circuit in practice two.

Hungarian Michelisz managed only five laps and failed to record a time in the first session as a result of an oil leak, but he racked up 21 laps in the second session, recording his fastest time of 1m22.234s at the death.

That bettered Monteiro's previous session best by 0.206 seconds to ensure a 1-2 for the works Honda team.

Former Honda driver Rob Huff ended second practice with the third-fastest time, but his morning was not without its dramas.

Huff was barred from taking part in the first practice session after his Munnich Motorsport Citroen C-Elysee failed scrutineering - having originally been fitted with out of date seatbelts.

While he was later cleared to take part in second practice minutes before the session start after 2017-specification belts were flown over from the UK, Huff stopped on track late on, shortly after recording his fastest time having run out of fuel.

Volvo drivers Nestor Girolami and Nicky Catsburg were fifth- and sixth-fastest in the second session, with the Campos Racing Chevrolet Cruze of Esteban Guerrieri separating the pair from the third Vovlo S60 Polestar of Thed Bjork.

Mehdi Bennani had been second fastest in first practice to Monteiro but was eighth in the lead Sebastien Loeb Racing C-Elysee in the second session, ahead of the third factory Honda Civic of Ryo Michigami and team-mate Tom Chilton.

PRACTICE ONE TIMES:

Pos Driver Team Car Gap Laps
1 Tiago Monteiro Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 1m22.685s 15
2 Mehdi Bennani Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 0.778s 10
3 Tom Chilton Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 0.894s 12
4 Thed Bjork Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 0.908s 12
5 Ryo Michigami Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 1.241s 20
6 Nestor Girolami Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 1.441s 14
7 Esteban Guerrieri Campos Racing Chevrolet 1.454s 18
8 Nicky Catsburg Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 1.845s 13
9 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet 1.984s 11
10 Yann Ehrlacher RC Motorsport Lada 2.082s 23
11 John Filippi Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 2.092s 16
12 Daniel Nagy Zengo Motorsport Honda 2.252s 20
13 Norbert Michelisz Honda Racing Team JAS Honda - 5
14 Aurelien Panis Zengo Motorsport Honda - 0
15 Rob Huff Munnich Motorsport Citroen - 0

PRACTICE TWO TIMES:

Pos Driver Team Car Gap Laps
1 Norbert Michelisz Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 1m22.234s 21
2 Tiago Monteiro Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 0.206s 18
3 Rob Huff Munnich Motorsport Citroen 0.303s 19
4 Nestor Girolami Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 0.913s 16
5 Nicky Catsburg Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 1.029s 13
6 Esteban Guerrieri Campos Racing Chevrolet 1.131s 16
7 Thed Bjork Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo 1.164s 14
8 Mehdi Bennani Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 1.175s 22
9 Ryo Michigami Honda Racing Team JAS Honda 1.270s 20
10 Tom Chilton Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 1.291s 20
11 John Filippi Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen 1.328s 19
12 Daniel Nagy Zengo Motorsport Honda 1.737s 23
13 Yann Ehrlacher RC Motorsport Lada 2.838s 8
14 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet 3.051s 12
15 Aurelien Panis Zengo Motorsport Honda 3.329s 17


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