Ma wins on maiden WTCC weekend

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World Touring Car Championship newcomer Ma Qing Hua achieved a remarkable reversed-grid win on his maiden outing of 2014 at Moscow Raceway.

The former Caterham and HRT Friday practice Formula 1 driver held off a charging performance from team-mate Yvan Muller to take victory by just 1.1s, becoming the first Chinese driver to win in the WTCC.

After suffering a run of reliability troubles that has disrupted his progress over several race weekends earlier this season, Mehdi Bennani claimed his first podium of the season for Proteam Honda.

Pole-sitter Hugo Valente, who was an innocent party when he was harpooned out of race one by Campos team-mate Dusan Borkovic, appeared in control in the early stages in his patched-up Cruze.

But the Frenchman was handed a drive-through penalty owing to the failure of his team to secure a wheel before the five minute board was displayed.

In a furious fight at the front, Ma exchanged positions on at least three occasions with Norbert Michelisz at the final corner.

The pair, second and third on the road, effectively disputed the lead owing to Valente’s impending drive-through.

Citroen driver Ma had repeatedly marginally compromised his exit of the last turn, allowing fast-starter Michelisz the opportunity to counter attack, but on lap six Ma successfully secured the lead.

From fifth on the grid, Muller produced an aggressive drive and was in the thick of the action throughout. After running side-by side with team-mate Sebastien Loeb at the first corner, Muller was sent sideways after receiving a tap – possibly from Bennani. Thereafter, Muller knuckled down to make progress from his opening lap position of ninth.

Muller gained one position when Tiago Monteiro knocked Tom Chilton sideways at Turn 3 and out of seventh, before bullying passed two Hondas in one manoeuvre on lap six.

The JAS Honda of Gabriele Tarquini retired with power-steering problems, and team-mate Tiago Monteiro was also forced to park prematurely with apparent technical trouble.

Muller demoted Michelisz from second on lap eight, but despite taking 2.3s out of Ma’s lead, the Alsace racer had to be content with second. The result closes Muller to 41 points behind championship leader Jose Maria Lopez’s 209-point tally in the drivers’ standings.

Race one winner Lopez posted his first retirement of the season after suffering a gearbox-related problem on the grid.

Results – 16 laps

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Ma Qing Hua Citroen 27m11.31s
2. Yvan Muller Citroen +1.261s
3. Mehdi Bennani Proteam Honda +12.252s
4. Tom Coronel ROAL Chevrolet +12.424s
5. Sebastien Loeb Citroen +14.725s
6. Tom Chilton ROAL Chevrolet +14.890s
7. Norbert Michelisz Zengo Honda +15.118s
8. Gianni Morbidelli Munnich Chevrolet +19.894s
9. Hugo Valente Campos Chevrolet +20.157s
10. Rene Munnich Munnich Chevrolet +20.984s
11. Dusan Borkovic Campos Chevrolet +26.813s
12. James Thompson Lada +31.686s
13. Franz Engstler Engstler BMW +1m03.478s
14. Pasquale Di Sabatino Engstler BMW +1m15.84s3
15. John Filippi Campos SEAT -1 lap
16. Nikita Misiulia Campos SEAT -1 lap

Not classified/retirements

Tiago Monteiro Honda 11 laps
Rob Huff Lada 10 laps
Gabriele Tarquini Honda 7 laps
Jose Maria Lopez Citroen 0 laps
Mikhail Kozlovskiy Lada 0 laps

马青骅WTCC俄罗斯站夺冠 中国国歌首次在国际车坛奏响

今天，FIA 世界房车锦标赛(WTCC)俄罗斯站在莫斯科举行，中国车手@ 马青骅 在第二回合的比赛中，从第二位发车夺得冠军，成为第一位在国际汽车赛事中夺冠的中国车手。

　　这场比赛同时也是马青骅的WTCC处子秀，他今年计划参加4站比赛。分别是：俄罗斯站(6月8日)，比利时站(6月22日)，中国上海站(10月12日)，中国澳门站(11月16日)。