Jean-Karl Vernay won an eventful reverse grid for the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) in Marrakech, beating local hero Mehdi Bennani and pole-sitter Pepe Oriola to the win.
At the start of the race Audi Sport driver Vernay got off to a better start than Campos Racing’s Oriola, going around the outside of the CUPRA driver to take the lead, despite slight contact at the first turn.
The reigning TCR International Series champion was then in control of the race thereafter, able to hold off a challenge from Moroccan hero Bennani in second, who had also got past Oriola at the start of the race.
“I’m really happy; the start was a little bit tight with Pepe, but much better than yesterday, I was able to overtake, and I took the risk,” said Vernay.
“I really wanted the win for me and to show that the TCR International Series is not that bad compared to the WTCC, and also to show my new bosses at Audi also that they made the right choice.”
Oriola completed the podium in third, despite pressure from Münnich Motorsport’s Yann Ehrlacher, who had to settle for fourth.
The leading Hyundai driver was YMR’s Thed Björk in fifth, with the second Honda of James Thompson finishing in sixth.
Norbert Michelisz made up for his woes of Saturday by scoring his first points of the season in seventh in the leading BRC racing Hyundai, although his team-mate Gabriele Tarquini fared less well, with the race one winner limping into the pits after 16 laps with a problem on his Hyundai.
Münnich Motorsport’s Esteban Guerrieri was eighth, although the Argentine came under sustained pressure late in the race from YMR’s Yvan Muller, with the two rubbing at Turn 3 on lap 17, leading to Guerrieri cutting the next chicane on two consecutive laps. As a result, the incidents are being investigated by the stewards.
Muller took ninth, whilst Boutsen Ginion Racing’s Tom Coronel completed the top ten ahead of the second Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil RS3 of Gordon Shedden, who was just outside the points in 11th.
The race featured two safety car periods, with the first necessitated on lap ten to retrieve the stricken CUPRA of Zsolt Szabó, who made contact with Team Mulsanne’s Gianni Morbidelli and broke his suspension.
A second safety car intervention was needed when the second Boutsen Ginion Honda of Benjamin Lessennes hit the wall on lap 12, having on the previous restart managed to get past John Filippi.
Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Rob Huff fell out of contention on lap 15 whilst running in fifth when he picked up a front-right puncture on his Volkswagen Golf GTi.
The final race of the weekend takes place at 18:10 BST (19:10 CEST).
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 20 LAPS | 1:26.368 | 2 |
| 2 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 20 | 0.890 | 1:26.499 | 4 |
| 3 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 20 | 3.270 | 1:26.812 | 1 |
| 4 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 3.631 | 1:26.439 | 6 |
| 5 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 20 | 6.570 | 1:26.694 | 7 |
| 6 | 15 | James THOMPSON |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 7.916 | 1:26.746 | 3 |
| 7 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 20 | 11.929 | 1:26.851 | 8 |
| 8 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 13.630 | 1:26.786 | 12 |
| 9 | 48 | Yvan MULLER | |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 20 | 14.555 | 1:26.857 | 9 |
| 10 | 9 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 14.959 | 1:27.224 | 13 |
| 11 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 15.386 | 1:26.655 | 11 |
| 12 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 20 | 18.169 | 1:27.549 | 14 |
| 13 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 20 | 19.480 | 1:27.643 | 15 |
| 14 | 88 | Fabrizio GIOVANARDI |  |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 20 | 20.091 | 1:27.493 | 22 |
| 15 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 21.327 | 1:27.379 | 23 |
| 16 | 23 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 22.411 | 1:27.340 | 20 |
| 17 | 8 | Norbert NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 20 | 24.790 | 1:27.795 | 21 |
| R | 12 | Rob HUFF | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 17 | DNF | 1:26.773 | 5 |
| R | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI | |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 16 | DNF | 1:27.308 | 10 |
| R | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 11 | DNF | 1:27.626 | 18 |
| R | 63 | Benjamin LESSENNES |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 10 | DNF | 1:27.098 | 16 |
| R | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH | |
Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS | 9 | DNF | 1:26.760 | 17 |
| R | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 9 | DNF | 1:27.734 | 24 |
| R | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 7 | DNF | 1:27.886 | 19 |