WTCC, Citroën triumphs on home turf

– As well as proving a great success with the public, the French round of the FIA WTCC at the Paul Ricard Circuit has ended in glory for Citroën!

– In Race 1, Sébastien C, Yvan Muller, José María López and Ma Qing Hua claimed the top four places for the Citroën Total team.

– In Race 2, Pechito López produced a spectacular performance to work his way up the field and return to winning ways. He was joined on the podium by Ma Qing Hua, who finished third.

– The results mean José María López once again has a little breathing space at the top of the World Championship, with Citroën also extending its advantage in the Manufacturer standings.

Summer has well and truly arrived in Provence, and the sun was shining for the crowds who came along to witness the FIA WTCC races at the Paul Ricard Circuit. The Race 1 starting grid augured well for the Citroën clan, with Sébastien Loeb, Yvan Muller, José María López and Ma Qing Hua occupying the first two rows.

Starting from pole, Sébastien Loeb kept his advantage when the lights went out. José María López tried to get into his slipstream, but Yvan Muller closed the door. So Loeb came out of the first bend in front, with Muller, López and Ma in pursuit.

Keen to put himself out of his teammates' reach, Sébastien Loeb quickly opened up a lead of a few lengths. Behind him, there was a fierce battle raging between Muller and López. Ma was monitoring the situation closely, on the lookout for the slightest opportunity. Despite a few valiant efforts from Pechito, the four-time World Champion held on to second spot until the chequered flag, and the official Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs thus picked up the first four places in exactly the same order as in qualifying.

As always, Race 2 promised to be a much livelier affair! Starting from pole position after clocking the tenth-fastest time in qualifying, Mehdi Bennani pulled off a fraction too early, giving the Moroccan driver a handsome but illusory lead over Michelisz, Monteiro, López, Ma and Loeb! The three Citroën drivers had succeeded in working their way through the pack, but Yvan Muller was not able to emulate them, finishing lap 1 in tenth position.

Mehdi Bennani was then duly handed a drive-through for his false start, which resulted in all the other drivers moving up one place. There were a number of tussles going on, with Monteiro and López fighting over second spot, Ma and Loeb locking horns for fourth, and Valente and Muller battling it out for ninth!

On lap 4, Sébastien Loeb ran into one of the tyre stacks on the outside of a corner, causing serious damage to the front of his Citroën C-Elysée WTCC which forced him to withdraw from the race.

Three laps later, López tried to sneak past Tiago Monteiro at the end of the straight. Taking an outside line on the first bend, Pechito was hit by his rival, who was sent into a spin! Ma Qing Hua took advantage to slip into second place.

The incident only made José María López more determined. He snatched second place back from Ma Qing Hua on lap 11, before taking the lead with three laps to go. Pechito thus scored his fifth race win of the season, while Ma Qing Hua made his first podium appearance since Marrakech. Yvan Muller ended up fourth after an impressive recovery which saw him get the better of Valente and Van Lagen.

José María López now has a 39-point lead over Yvan Muller in the World Championship, while Sébastien Loeb is now 74 points in arrears. The battle for fourth place couldn't be tighter, with Monteiro on 114 points, Ma on 113, Michelisz on 112 and Tarquini on 110! Citroën is now 193 points clear at the top of the Manufacturers World Championship.

Yves Matton, Team Principal, Citroën Racing: "After picking up the top four places in qualifying, our drivers finished the job by repeating the feat in Race 1. It's very satisfying to see Seb win in front of his home crowd, particularly as this was his first win in a race that, more than anything, rewards pure performance. In Race 2, Pechito went out there like a man possessed in search of a win. After two meetings without a victory, he was determined to get back on the top step of the podium! I must also pay tribute to the consistency of Ma Qing Hua, who produced one of his most solid weekends since he joined our team. Yvan would have done better had it not been for two average starts. Our drivers are at such a similar standard that the slightest error can have a huge influence on the outcome. It has been a great weekend for Citroën Racing, for the FIA WTCC and for French motorsport!"

Sébastien Loeb: "First of all, I was really pleased to be starting from pole position for the first time in the FIA WTCC. I didn't get a great start. I didn't handle the clutch well and I found myself battling to hold on to my position in the first lap. After pulling a few lengths clear thanks to the scrap between Yvan and Pechito, I was able to drive with greater peace of mind, keeping to my racing line. "I got a good start in Race 2 and found myself on the tail of Ma Qing Ha. I made a stupid mistake on Turn 4 and hit the tyre stack on the outside. There was just too much damage and I had to give up. Despite notching up my third win of the season, it's not been a positive meeting for me overall, as I've fallen further behind in the Championship."

José María López: "I didn't think I would be able to win on a circuit where it is so difficult to overtake! I took the wrong option at the start of Race 2, and the gap I wanted to move into closed up. But I reacted well and I didn't lose any places. After passing Ma Qing Hua, I went after Tiago. He ran into me and I don't feel any responsibility for him spinning off. Qing Hua took advantage to move past us, but I managed to come back at him, despite the car pulling to the left slightly. I moved back into second, got into a good rhythm, and went after Norbert Michelisz. He was very sporting and didn't try and resist for the sake of it. It's incredible to have won here. I'm delighted."

Yvan Muller: "Race 1 was decided on the first lap. As I couldn't find a way past Seb, I concentrated on holding on to my second place until the finish. I didn't get off to the best start in Race 2. I managed to come back, but it was too late to do any better than fourth. This weekend hasn't been quite so good as the previous two, but that's racing!"

Ma Qing Hua: "It's really satisfying to be back on the podium. I want to thank the team, who gave 100% to make it happen! Finishing fourth in the first race behind three World Champions was a gratifying result. I couldn't have hoped for better, as it's almost impossible to overtake someone in the same car as you here. I took a risk at the start of Race 2 by trying to sneak past on the outside on the first bend, but it paid off. After that, Pechito was just terrific. I didn't think he would overtake me so quickly! It's been a good weekend for me. I hope I can maintain this standard over the next few meetings."

RACE 1
1. Sébastien Loeb (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
2. Yvan Muller (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
3. José María López (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
4. Ma Qing Hua (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
5. Tom Chilton (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)
6. Norbert Michelisz (Honda Civic WTCC)
7. Tiago Monteiro (Honda Civic WTCC)
8. Gabriele Tarquini (Honda Civic WTCC)
9. Mehdi Bennani (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
10. Jaap van Lagen (Lada Vesta WTCC)
Fastest lap: Sébastien Loeb (1:31.148)

RACE 2
1. José María López (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
2. Norbert Michelisz (Honda Civic WTCC)
3. Ma Qing Hua (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
4. Yvan Muller (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
5. Gabriele Tarquini (Honda Civic WTCC)
6. Hugo Valente (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)
7. Tom Coronel (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)
8. Tom Chilton (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)
9. Mehdi Bennani (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
10. Rickard Rydell (Honda Civic WTCC)
Fastest lap: José-María López (1:31.575)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: DRIVER STANDINGS
1. José-María López: 282 points
2. Yvan Muller: 243 pts
3. Sébastien Loeb: 208 pts
4. Tiago Monteiro: 114 pts
5. Ma Qing Hua: 113 pts
6. Norbert Michelisz: 112 pts
7. Gabriele Tarquini: 110 pts
11. Mehdi Bennani: 40 pts

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: MANUFACTURER STANDINGS
1. Citroën: 621 points
2. Honda: 428 pts
3. Lada: 190 pts