Citroen Racing takes the WTCC Championship title once again making it the third on the trot, as they leave to go back to WRC.

The day after securing its third consecutive FIA World Touring Car Championship title, Citroën shone in the races at the Shanghai circuit, with José María López, Yvan Muller and Mehdi Bennani giving the C-Elysée WTCC its first one-two-three finish of the season. 

Yvan Muller’s two podium places secured his position as second in the Drivers’ World Championship, now with a healthy lead over his rivals. Mehdi Bennani has sewn up the WTCC Trophy, the competition for independent drivers.

For the reverse-grid opening race at the Shanghai International Circuit, Yvan Muller and José María López started from eighth and tenth positions respectively.

SLR driver Tom Chilton got off to a flyer in his Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, moving into second place.

Back in the chasing pack, Yvan Muller and José María López were engaged in something of a free-for-all. The Citroën Total drivers ended the first lap in sixth and ninth respectively, with their cars already battered and bruised from their attacking rivals.

On lap two, Muller snatched fifth place, while Pechito found himself in a fight for seventh. The safety car made an appearance after John Filippi stopped, causing the cars to bunch up somewhat before the battles resumed for a further 11 laps.

Shortly afterwards there was a turning point as Gabriele Tarquini ran into Chilton. Both drivers were forced to withdraw from the race, enabling Muller to climb to third behind Norbert Michelisz and Thed Björk. José María López also moved up to fifth.

The crowd was exhilarated as the gaps between the top five closed up with three laps remaining.

The top two made contact on several occasions, with Björk eventually emerging victorious, ahead of Michelisz, Muller, López and Nick Catsburg.

After the podium ceremony, the mechanics had just a few minutes to repair the cars from the opening race. Their sterling work meant José María López and Yvan Muller were able to go into the main race with their cars in perfect condition.

Once again, the Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs started superbly. Pole sitter José María López was the first man to turn, followed by Yvan Muller and Mehdi Bennani. The leader wasted no time in opening up a gap between himself and his teammate. In a much less turbulent race than the first, Pechito never looked back, speeding to his eighth win of the season.

Yvan Muller, meanwhile, held off Mehdi Bennani to finish second. That rounded off an excellent weekend for Muller in which he scored 36 points compared to his nearest rival, competing for second place in the driver standings, who scored five points. 

Mehdi Bennani beamed from the third step of the podium, having achieved his primary goal of winning the WTCC Trophy for independent drivers. The Moroccan driver saw off the challenge of his teammate Tom Chilton with a meeting to spare.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY

Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal: “It’s been a hugely positive weekend for Citroën Racing. Yesterday, we achieved our main goal by winning the Manufacturers’ World Championship. Today, we converted our good qualifying performance into great results in the races, with our first treble of the season. China and Shanghai are obviously a happy hunting ground for us, as this is where we took the top four places in a race for the first time in 2014. Pechito didn’t have anything to think about today: points were irrelevant, and he didn’t have to worry about how his performance might affect the compensation weights. I think he produced a performance that confirms his status as the best driver in the WTCC at present. With twin podium places, Yvan has put himself clear of his rivals in second place. All that remains is to finish the job in Qatar. Congratulations, too, to Mehdi Bennani and the SLR team for their WTCC Trophy victory, as well as Volvo and Thed Björk for their first wins in the competition.”

José María López: “It has been a fantastic weekend for all of us. We were the fastest out there.

There was no pressure on me, as I knew I could get the better of Catsburg at the start of the main race. After that, I just tried to enjoy every lap in the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC. What a fantastic car! It’s not often you get the opportunity to go out and win like that, without having to worry about anything whatsoever. We are all incredibly lucky to be part of this amazing adventure and we will be looking to finish in style in Doha.”

Yvan Muller: “I didn’t win, but two podiums in a single day is pretty good going, particularly at my age! There were two important things this weekend. First of all, the manufacturers’ title for Citroën, which makes me particularly proud to be part of this team. Secondly, I was able to pull away from Tiago Monteiro in the championship by scoring a lot more points than he did. That is important in the fight for second place, which is the last goal remaining for us. We will be doing our best to wrap it up in Qatar.”

Mehdi Bennani: “It was a tough weekend to manage. To win the title, I had to score points in both races, making sure I didn’t crash off or get involved in any collisions. It was strange competing against Tom Chilton, as we are teammates, with the same car and often the same setup. He didn’t have any luck today and that’s what enabled me to win the title with a meeting to spare. Mission accomplished!”

* All results subject to official confirmation from the FIA

Citroen makes it five out of five in Marrakech, making it the best result in its history.

For the first time in its motor sport history, Citroën has claimed the top five spots in an international competition. Race one in Marrakech saw José María López, Ma Qing Hua, Sébastien Loeb, Mehdi Bennani and Yvan Muller dominate proceedings in their Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs. The race two podium was also an all-Citroën affair, with Yvan Muller taking the honours ahead of Sébastien Loeb and José María López.

Encouraged by the balmy weather, spectators flocked to Marrakech’s Moulay El Hassan circuit to witness the third and fourth races of the 2015FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Race one began in spectacular fashion, with Ma Qing Hua making an explosive start from the second row to pass Mehdi Bennani and draw level with José María López. 

The two Citroëns were door-to-door going into the first bend, but the Argentine was able to cling onto his lead thanks to his inside position. Sébastien Loeb slipped into third spot, while Yvan Muller moved up several places after avoiding the pile-up at the first turn.

The four Citroëns wasted no time in pulling away from the chasing pack. Qing Hua put pressure on López, and Bennani on Loeb, but the race order remained unchanged. 

Sébastien Loeb’s task was particularly tough, as his bumper had been damaged in a collision with his rival. Back in the pack, Yvan Muller had got stuck between Tiago Monteiro and Gabriele Tarquini, but the four-time World Champion eventually found a way through to move up into fifth.

In scenes resembling a parade, the first five cars to cross the finish line were all Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs as López, Qing Hua, Loeb, Bennani and Muller made history.

A few minutes later, the cars were back out on the grid for race two. This time, Yvan Muller had no obstacles in his path, starting from pole position. The man from Alsace was still leading at the first bend, with Sébastien Loeb in second. Once again, the first lap saw plenty of commotion in the pack. Behind Muller and Loeb were Chilton, Valente, López, Qing Hua and Bennani.

Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb were putting on quite a show out front, with little to separate them. Lap by lap, Valente and Chilton succumbed to the onslaughts of José María López, who worked his way up into third place. Ma Qing Hua, meanwhile, was finding the going tougher: after climbing to fifth, the Chinese driver made a mistake and ran into a safety wall. He was able to resume his race, but finished out of the points.

Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and José María López monopolised the podium for race two, once again securing maximum points for Citroën in the World Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY

Yves Matton: “Our drivers have just written a new chapter in Citroën motor sport history. Their quintuple success is testament to the speed and reliability of the C-Elysée WTCC, as well as the close-knit nature of our team. Pechito and Yvan turned their qualifying results into race wins, while Seb once again showed the progress he has made, with two podium finishes. Qing Hua also put in a good performance, and it’s great to see him showing what he can do like that. Congratulations must go to Mehdi Bennani, too. He shone in front of his home crowd and won the private drivers’ trophy.” 

José María López: “Thanks to all the team for a fantastic weekend. I had to fend Ma off at the start of race one. He was really close, so I had to attack quite hard to open up a bit of a gap. Often, I feel quite relaxed after winning the first race. This time, though, I was feeling anxious because I didn’t want to lose too many points against Yvan and Seb. I got off to a good start and managed to avoid the accident at the first turn. After that, I gradually made my way up the field and ended up on the podium. It was quite unexpected, but it’s a great result as far as the Championship is concerned.”

Yvan Muller: “I got a good start in race one. I was careful on the first bend, because I didn’t want to wreck the car and compromise my chances for race two. Finishing fifth after starting from so far back on the grid was satisfying. Race two was no easier. I had to attack from start to finish, as Seb didn’t let up. Even when I was out in the lead, I constantly had to keep an eye on the temperature of my brakes. I am really happy to get back to winning ways. It has been a long time.”

Ma Qing Hua: “I’m happy with my second place. I wanted to battle it out with Pechito and I tried my luck at the very beginning, when the gap was still small. But our pace was similar and it wasn’t easy. I was going well in race two, but my brakes got hot while I was following the other drivers. I crashed off into a wall, but I was able to continue and make sure I finished.”

Sébastien Loeb: “After a frustrating qualifying day yesterday, the races have gone well. We managed to improve the car’s setup, and everything went OK. I got away brilliantly in race one and immediately found myself in third. Mehdi was hot on my heels, and I had to hold him off all through the race. I tried to keep up the pressure on Yvan, but overtaking a four-time World Champion who had the same car as me was nigh on impossible.”