BRC Racing’s Gabriele Tarquini led a Hyundai 1-2 in the first FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) race on the streets of Marrakech, with YMR’s Thed Björk finishing in second and SLR’s Rob Huff completing the podium.
At the start it was Tarquini who got the best start, jumping from second on the grid to pass reigning WTCC champion Björk before Turn 1.
Further back, Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch made contact with Münnich Motorsport’s James Thompson at the first corner, sending the Brit into a half-spin, whilst Aurélien Panis tagged the rear of Tom Coronel’s Honda, causing slight damage, and ending the former’s race.
Local hero Mehdi Bennani also got past Münnich Motorsport’s Esteban Guerrieri with a bump into the first turn, which the Argentine later expressed his displeasure about.
Vervisch would later stop on the circuit further around the lap, which ultimately brought out the red flags after two safety car laps. It would be another 20 minutes before the race resumed, during which time Coronel’s car was repaired and Fabrizio Giovanardi pitted for repairs to the front of his Alfa Romeo.
Tarquini got off to a strong restart, but the racing would only last for a lap as the second BRC Hyundai of Norbert Michelisz stopped on track when his front-left wheel fell off.
Another four laps behind the safety car then followed, and when the race resumed for the second time Tarquini again got a good restart.
The race thereafter was relatively sedate, with Björk unable to mount a serious challenge and settling for second.
Behind Huff, Jean-Karl Vernay was the leading Audi driver in fourth, ahead of Bennani in fifth and the second Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil car of Gordon Shedden in sixth, who had a solid race on his début after an earlier strong start saw him pass Bennani at the beginning.
Guerrieri finished in seventh ahead of Münnich Motorsport team-mate Yann Ehrlacher in eighth, whilst Aurélien Comte was the leading Peugeot in ninth.
Campos Racing’s John Filippi completed the top ten, and the young Frenchman did well to hold off repeated attempts from his vastly more experienced compatriot Yvan Muller, who took 11th.
Mat’o Homola picked up damage early in the race and despite the best efforts of his DG Sport Compétition team, he retired from the race after 12 laps.
Qualifying for Sunday’s races takes place at 10:30 BST (11:30 CEST) on Sunday.
UPDATE – Bennani was later hit with a post-race 10-second penalty for contact with Guerrieri, dropping him to ninth overall.
Revised race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 20 | 20 LAPS | 1:26.450 | 2 |
| 2 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 20 | 0.729 | 1:25.492 | 1 |
| 3 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 20 | 2.823 | 1:26.606 | 4 |
| 4 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 4.593 | 1:26.826 | 3 |
| 5 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 5.702 | 1:26.648 | 7 |
| 6 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 10.136 | 1:27.226 | 6 |
| 7 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 10.784 | 1:27.104 | 12 |
| 8 | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 20 | 11.577 | 1:27.090 | 11 |
| 9 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 20 | 15.025 | 1:26.724 | 8 |
| 10 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 20 | 15.026 | 1:27.133 | 5 |
| 11 | 48 | Yvan MULLER | |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 20 | 16.556 | 1:27.072 | 9 |
| 12 | 23 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 17.046 | 1:27.185 | 15 |
| 13 | 20 | Denis DUPONT |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 20 | 18.039 | 1:27.341 | 19 |
| 14 | 15 | James THOMPSON | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 18.537 | 1:27.248 | 10 |
| 15 | 63 | Benjamin LESSENNES | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 20 | 22.213 | 1:27.483 | 23 |
| 16 | 8 | Norbert NAGY |  |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 20 | 25.096 | 1:27.078 | 22 |
| 17 | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 20 | 53.666 | 1:27.769 | 21 |
| 18 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 19 | + 1 LAP | 1:27.333 | 14 |
| 19 | 88 | Fabrizio GIOVANARDI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 19 | + 1 LAP | 1:27.133 | 20 |
| 20 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 18 | + 2 LAPS | 1:27.359 | 24 |
| R | 9 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 15 | DNF | 1:26.979 | 16 |
| R | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | DNF | 1:28.738 | 18 |
| R | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ | |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 4 | DNF | 2:00.056 | 25 |
| R | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 1 | DNF | N/A | 17 |
| R | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH | |
Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS | 0 | DNF | N/A | 13 |