Lopez takes home WTCC double

Autosport

Jose Maria Lopez completed a stunning double victory in Argentina to extend his lead in the World Touring Car Championship drivers’ standings to 60 points over Citroen team-mate Yvan Muller.

The local hero denied Rob Huff, who delivered Lada’s highest finish since entering the WTCC in second.

From pole, Huff led until four laps from the finish when Lopez calmly outbraked the former champion into the Turn 5 hairpin. A second home win in one day left Lopez fighting back tears of joy in the post-race press conference.

Yvan Muller’s progress through the field was delayed when he was forced to engage in a lengthy tussle with former team-mate Tom Chilton when disputing fifth on laps six and seven, but the Frenchman eventually escaped and was able to negotiate the Hondas to claim final place on the podium.

Chilton would later retire after being squeezed onto the grass by the third Citroen of Sebastien Loeb.

Lead Honda honours went to Gabriele Tarquini in fourth, as he edged out team-mate Tiago Monteiro by half a second.

Sebastien Loeb completed the top six ahead of race one runner-up Norbert Michelisz.

Mehdi Bennani held second place behind Huff during the opening laps, only to drop six places on lap five when he was swallowed up by the two factory Hondas, Lopez, Muller and Chilton. The Moroccan sunk to ninth at the chequered flag.

In an eventful race, Hungaroring victor Gianni Morbidelli received a drive-through penalty for contact with a Lada Granta, while front row starter Hugo Valente posted his second retirement of the weekend.

Lopez continues to lead the standings on 310 points, Muller is second on 250 and Loeb third on 213.

                                                  
Results - 13 laps:                                     
                                                       
Pos  Driver              Team/Car           Time/Gap   
 1.  Jose Maria Lopez    Citroen            23m16.716s 
 2.  Robert Huff         Lada               +1.863s    
 3.  Yvan Muller         Citroen            +2.896s    
 4.  Gabriele Tarquini   Honda              +5.311s    
 5.  Tiago Monteiro      Honda              +5.893s    
 6.  Sebastien Loeb      Citroen            +6.523s    
 7.  Norbert Michelisz   Zengo Honda        +6.978s    
 8.  Dusan Borkovic      Campos Chevrolet   +15.264s   
 9.  Mehdi Bennani       Proteam Honda      +16.464s   
10.  James Thompson      Lada               +16.810s   
11.  Tom Coronel         ROAL Chevrolet     +22.790s   
12.  Mikhail Kozlovskiy  Lada               +23.683s   
13.  Rene Munnich        Munnich Chevrolet  +29.022s   
14.  Gianni Morbidelli   Munnich Chevrolet  +38.501s   
15.  Franz Engstler      Engstler BMW       +1m06.948s*
16.  Camilo Echevarria   Engstler BM        +1m18.420s*
17.  John Filippi        Campos SEAT        -1 lap* ** 
                                                       
Retirements:                                           
                                                       
     Tom Chilton          ROAL Chevrolet    8 laps     
     Hugo Valente         Campos Chevrolet  8 laps     
                                                       
* TC2                                                  
** Not running at finish  

Lopez takes home WTCC double

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