José María López is a six-time winner in the FIA World Touring Car Championship after he converted pole position into a stylish victory in the first WTCC Race of Portugal in Vila Real.
Argentine López rocketed off the line and was never headed, beating Citroën team-mate Sébastien Loeb to extend his title advantage.
Norbert Michelisz benefited from Hugo Valente’s sluggish start to snatch third with fellow Honda drivers Gabriele Tarquini and home hero Tiago Montiero fourth and fifth respectively.
Ma Qing Hua, Yvan Muller, Jaap van Lagen, Nicky Catsburg and Rob Huff completed the top 10.
Valente pitted at the end of the first turn after an incident-filled first lap, while Néstor Girolami stopped with a suspected mechanical fault.
The second 13-lap race is due to begin at 17h15 local time.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Maria Lopez | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | 13 laps |
| 2 | Sebastien Loeb | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | +1.519 |
| 3 | Norbert Michelisz | Zengo Motorsport | Honda | +5.391 |
| 4 | Gabriele Tarquini | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | +5.711 |
| 5 | Tiago Monteiro | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | +9.402 |
| 6 | Ma Qing Hua | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | +12.807 |
| 7 | Yvan Muller | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | +21.126 |
| 8 | Jaap van Lagen | LADA Sport Rosneft | Lada | +22.324 |
| 9 | Nicky Catsburg | LADA Sport Rosneft | Lada | +27.636 |
| 10 | Robert Huff | LADA Sport Rosneft | Lada | +28.860 |
| 11 | Mehdi Bennani | Sebastien Loeb Racing | Citroen | +29.395 |
| 12 | Tom Coronel | ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet | +39.853 |
| 13 | Stefano D’Aste | Munnich Motorsport | Chevrolet | +34.158 |
| 14 | Tom Chilton | ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet | +47.443 |
| 15 | John Filippi | Campos Racing | Chevrolet | +66.056 |
| 16 | Grégoire Demoustier | Craft-Bamboo Racing | Chevrolet | +66.927 |
| 17 | Hugo Valente | Campos Racing | Chevrolet | DNF |
| 18 | Nestor Girolami | Nika International | Honda | DNF |