Citroën to make no changes to it's World dominating WTCC Team for 2015.

• There will be no changes to the Citroën Total driver line-up for the team’s second FIA WTCC season in 2015
• José María López, Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb, who have secured the top three places in the 2014 World Championship standings*, will all be continuing their association with the team
• Two other Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs will also be entered on a private basis by the Sébastien Loeb Racing team

Citroën Racing’s first season in the FIA WTCC has been a great success, with the team picking up the Manufacturers’ World Championship and securing a treble in the driver standings with José María López, Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb.

In 2015, there will once again be three official Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs competing in Citroën Total colours. “We were completely satisfied with our drivers, and they didn’t have any thoughts of going elsewhere, so it was easy to sort out,” explains Yves Matton.

“José María López has had the perfect season this year, thanks to his unwavering commitment. He has blazed a trail for a new generation of drivers, but now he will have to defend his title, and he will be up against some highly motivated rivals, not least his own teammates,” Citroën Racing’s Team Principal continues. 

“Despite his unflagging efforts throughout the year, Yvan Muller has really been short of success, and he is eager to start afresh next season and go after a fifth world title. After achieving his first race wins in the discipline this year, Sébastien Loeb will be looking to do even better next season. Switching from rallying to track racing was a huge challenge to take on, but he has already shown that he has all the qualities necessary to become one of the best drivers in the competition.”

In addition to the official team, two further Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs will be taking part in the championship. They will be operated by Sébastien Loeb Racing, the team set up by the nine-time World Rally Champion. “Since it was created, SLR has amassed real know-how at international circuits, in both GT and sports prototype racing. 

The FIA WTCC marks a new stage in the team’s development,” explains Seb. “I didn’t have to think for very long when the opportunity presented itself for the 2015 season. Since the new TC1s were introduced, the championship has been attracting more and more interest, and it’s great for Sébastien Loeb Racing to be involved.”

“Entrusting the two private Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs to SLR was an obvious choice,” adds Yves Matton. “The two cars will be good-as-new reconditioned 2014 chassis, complete with all the developments we introduce next season. It’s now up to the team to finalise its agreements as far as its drivers are concerned, but we are all working together to make it possible for Ma Qing Hua to continue his FIA WTCC career with Citroën. His performances have shown that he deserves the chance to race a full season in 2015.”

Citroen Take Drivers as well as manufacturers titles in its first year in the WTCC.

• Two weeks after winning the Manufacturers’ World Championship*, Citroën has added the Drivers’ title to its trophy cabinet thanks to José María López
• Suzuka meeting saw Pechito notch up his ninth race win of the season. Sébastien Loeb also made it onto the podium in race one
• José María López is the first Argentinian to win a motorsport World Championship since Juan Manuel Fangio fifty-seven years ago

José María López moved one step closer to glory on Saturday by securing pole position for the first race. One fourth-place finish would have been sufficient to see him crowned FIA WTCC World Champion, but the driver of the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC car number 37 wanted to do things in style.

When the lights went out he made his best start of the season, reaching the first turn ahead of Yvan Muller. Sébastien Loeb started from third on the grid but did not get away as well. He finished lap one in fifth, behind Tom Chilton and Hugo Valente.

Racing bumper to bumper, the two Citroëns quickly left the chasing pack behind. A few laps later, Yvan Muller suspected a puncture in one of his rear tyres. His fears were confirmed and the four-time World Champion was forced to withdraw halfway through the race.

That effectively settled the Driver’s title race, but the team remained 100% focused on the task at hand. In one car, José María López was closing in on a well-deserved victory, while in the other, Sébastien Loeb continued to battle it out in the pack. 

The tussle between Chilton and Valente worked to Seb’s advantage, allowing him to slip back into third place with just one lap to go. At the end of the race, the Citroën Total team were able to celebrate with their new champion, dressed in a celebratory sky-blue and white number-37 uniform.

The mechanics were all smiles when they set about preparing the cars for race two. Loeb, Muller and López started from 8th, 9th and 10th on the grid respectively. Yvan Muller made up the most ground on the first bend, sneaking past his rivals on the outside. He was sixth by the end of lap one, ahead of Seb and Pechito.

The three Citroëns were separated by a hair’s breadth when they got stuck behind Hugo Valente. Muller tried his luck on lap five, but the two cars collided and Valente was forced to withdraw. López then took advantage of the slightest of openings to make his way past Loeb. There would be no further change in the race order before the chequered flag, with the three C-Elysée WTCCs finishing fifth, sixth and seventh.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY

Yves Matton, Team Principal, Citroën Racing: “José María López is a great World Champion, for Citroën, for Argentina and for the FIA WTCC. 

We are happy and proud to have helped him win the title. He’s a guy who shines as much for his performances as for his human qualities. The Drivers’ title brings further success for our team, after winning the Manufacturers’ World Championship two weeks ago. Over the past quarter of a century, Citroën Racing has developed unique know-how which has allowed it to triumph in rally-raid, the WRC and now the FIA WTCC. 

This stability has created a cohesion that has proved key to our success in this, our very first season in the discipline.”

José-María López:“It’s an amazing feeling. As ever, the first thing that comes to mind is all the people I need to thank. Thank you to my family, to all those who helped me when things were at their hardest, and to Citroën for choosing me to drive one of their C-Elysées. 

Thanks, too, to all the engineers and mechanics. Not just the ones who look after my car, because we all work together. It’s really special to have won on one of Ayrton Senna’s favourite circuits. He won two titles here and I am proud to have done the same. It’s also an honour to emulate Juan Manuel Fangio as an Argentinian World Champion. It’s thanks to him that our country is so mad about motorsport and I am proud to represent my nation in the FIA WTCC.”

Sébastien Loeb:“I got off to a terrible start in race one. I pressed the wrong buttons. I was fifth at the start, but it was very difficult to find an opening on this circuit. I stayed in touch with the drivers ahead of me, looking for the slightest opportunity. Eventually, just before the end, one presented itself. It’s great to make it onto the podium again.”

Yvan Muller:This weekend is pretty representative of my season as a whole. Success was sorely lacking. Quite early in race one, I felt that my rear wheels were sliding, and a puncture was confirmed a few laps in. In the second race, I got off to a good start before getting stuck behind Hugo Valente. It wasn’t easy to get past him. I tried an attack and ended up accidentally clipping his car.”

* Subject to publication of the official results by the FIA

USA - ALL new cars by 2018 to have rear view cameras as standard.

The U.S. Department of Transportation today finalized a rule that will effectively require all new vehicles to come standard with backup cameras by 2018. The new rule requiring "rear visibility technology" on all new vehicles will be phased in gradually over the next few years.

Starting May 1, 2016, automakers will need to have rearview systems on 10 percent of the vehicles they build. This will increase to 40 percent for the next year, and up to 100 percent beginning May 1, 2018. According to the rule, new vehicles will have to give the driver a 10-foot by 20-foot view of the area directly behind the vehicle.

The systems must also meet specific requirements for image size, response time, durability, and deactivation. The rearview camera rule applies to all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including buses and trucks. Congress made a push to get these rules underway in 2008 as a response to numerous incidents of parents accidentally backing over their children in vehicles. The government has delayed the rules several times over the years due to cost concerns.

The government estimates that the rearview systems will cost between $43 to $142 per vehicle, depending on whether or not the car already has a display screen. On average, around 210 deaths and 15,000 injuries per year are caused by backover accidents.

The government estimates that between 58 and 69 lives can be saved each year once every vehicle on the road is equipped with rearview cameras. The vast majority of new cars today come with rearview camera, at least as optional equipment. More and more, automakers are spreading this feature throughout their lineups. So much so, that by the time 2018 rolls around, all cars will have this feature anyway. The government estimates that 73 percent of light vehicles will already voluntarily have rear cameras by the deadline.

REPORT HERE