The 2014 World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is off to a great start for newcomers Citroen Racing and Sebastian Loeb as they emerged victorious in the first round at the Marrakech street circuit, Morocco. During the first of the two races in the WTCC Race of Morocco, all three drivers from Citroen Racing took all three podium positions with Jose Maria Lopez emerging victorious, Sebastien Loeb and multiple WTCC champion, Yvan Muller behind the Argentine.
During race two, the chaotic first lap took out Yvan Muller, leaving the other two surviving Citroens to challenge the other cars comprising Honda Civics, Chevrolet Cruze and Lada Granta. The Citroen C-Elysee touring cars proved unbeatable as Loeb and Lopez outpaced the other competitors to take the first two podium positions. The nine-time world rally champion took his first victory in the WTCC in only his second race. The only non-Citroen on the podium was the Campos Chevrolet Cruze driven by Hugo Valente in second race.
“I didn’t know what to expect today, but Citroën have developed a fantastic car,” he said. “The balance of the chassis, the engine… everything was perfect. We could have battled it out between us, but it was impossible to find a way past Pechito in the first race.
Meanwhile, Honda had a weekend to forget with the Civics outmatched by rivals. Veteran touring car driver, Gabriele Tarquini was forced to withdraw in both races following a horrid crash during qualifying, which pretty much ruined his car. The touring car action continues with the Race of France @ Circuit Paul Ricard this weekend, and we will see if Citroen continues to dominate on their home turf.
[Source: Crash]
