The Citroens win again in the latest rounds of the WTCC in Morocco.

On a circuit where overtaking is virtually impossible, the Citroën Total team drivers managed to improve on their starting positions. With podium finishes in the first race, José María López and Yvan Muller leave Morocco feeling satisfied with their performance. With a third of the season now complete, Citroën and López maintain their leads in the FIA World Touring Car Championship standings.

In the opening race, Yvan Muller was the best placed Citroën driver on the reverse starting grid, setting off from fifth. The four-time World Champion got an excellent start, as did Pechito López, who found himself up alongside his teammate. The two C-Elysée WTCCs were neck and neck until the Argentine got the better of the exchange.

The first lap saw James Thompson pushed off the track by Hugo Valente, with Nick Catsburg also going straight on at a bend. Valente took the lead ahead of Coronel, López, Muller and Monteiro. Valente was then handed a drive-through and his rivals all moved up a place.

José María López made several attempts to get past Tom Coronel, who held him off in a car some 80kg lighter. The top 10 remained unchanged for the last 15 laps, proving that it is impossible to overtake under normal racing conditions on this new Marrakech circuit.

In the late afternoon on Sunday, the drivers lined up on the grid for the main race. This time, José María López and Yvan Muller started from fourth and fifth respectively. The few drops of rain that had fallen pre-race turned into a shower, causing all competitors to put on their wet tyres.

When the lights went out, Rob Huff and Norbert Michelisz were the first men to turn one, with Tiago Monteiro and José María López neck and neck behind them. Pechito managed to snatch third position, while Yvan Muller completed the leading pack.

On the fifth lap, Pechito made a rare error. His wheels locked at turn 10, forcing him to let Tiago Monteiro slip past. For the rest of the race the top 10 remained unchanged for 12 laps.

This weekend’s results extend José María López’s World Championship lead by two points. Yvan is in sixth position, four points short of the top five. In the Manufacturers’ standings, Citroën continues to lead the way, with a 39-point advantage over its nearest rival.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY

Yves Matton (Team Principal, Citroën Racing): “I am satisfied with the team’s overall results.

We might not have won, but this is only the third time that has happened to us in twenty-eight FIA WTCC meetings. Thanks to solid races from José María López and Yvan Muller, we have conceded only one point in the Manufacturers’ World Championship and we still have a healthy lead. Pechito also strengthened his position in the Drivers’ standings. We leave this circuit sorry that there was not more of a spectacle for the Moroccan crowd and delighted that we will soon be tackling the biggest challenge of the year, the Nürburgring and the Nordschleife.”

José María López: “My second place in the opening race was an excellent result given my grid position. The first lap was like a street fight. Thereafter, I knew overtaking would be impossible. I stayed close so as to be ready to seize the slightest opportunity, but I had to manage the tyres and the brakes too.

In the main race, I managed to get the better of Tiago, but then it was my turn to make a mistake. Still, I’m satisfied with my weekend. The aim was to stretch my lead at the top of the World Championship, and I have done that. We mustn’t relax, as our rivals have never been closer to us.”

Yvan Muller: “I’m a little surprised with my podium finish in the opening race. I didn’t think there would be so many incidents in the first lap, but that’s what enabled me to climb from fifth to third. However, it was impossible to overtake after that, even if you were much quicker than the car in front. The main race was very tricky in the rain. With the different road surfaces and the painted sections, the track was extremely slippery. I even thought I was losing a wheel when my car skidded on a straight section! It’s not been an exceptional weekend, but it has been a positive one for me and for the team.”

The latest Bentley dealership opens up in Casablanca, Morocco.

• Bentley Casablanca increases brand’s international presence
• Centrale Automobile Chérifienne announced as authorised partner
• Customers in Morocco can now order Bentayga, Bentley’s SUV

Bentley Motors announces the opening of its first dealership in Morocco, Bentley Casablanca, set at the heart of the country’s economic and business district.

The new dealership offers customers the complete Bentley model range, including Bentley’s latest model, the Bentayga- the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world.

Kevin Rose, Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales for Bentley Motors, comments: “Bentley’s continued expansion is a further sign of strength in the international appeal of our brand. We are selling in more markets than ever before and with the all-new Bentayga added to our model line-up, we look forward to Bentley Casablanca contributing to our continued positive performance.”

Located in the Aïn Sebaâ district in Casablanca, the showroom covers an area of 400 m². In addition to Bentley Bentayga, customers can choose from the rest of the Bentley family - the stylish, Continental GT, the Flying Spur luxury sedan and the Mulsanne, Bentley’s pinnacle flagship.  Bentley Casablanca also offers aftersales services and the company’s branded luxury goods.

Robert Engstler, Regional Director Europe for Bentley Motors, comments: “We start in Morocco in a strong position, already seeing high levels of enthusiasm for Bentley from potential customers. We are confident we have found the right partner in Centrale Automobile Chérifienne, combining an in-depth knowledge of business in Morocco with a long and successful track record of automotive retailing.”

Victor Elbaz, President of Centrale Automobile Chérifienne, comments: “We believe we have significant potential in our market with Bentley and we look forward to welcoming customers and fans to our dealership and offering them a truly first-class Bentley experience.”

Citroen to demolish the competition in the WTCC with the new C-Elysée

• After an intense preparation programme, Citroën Racing will begin its maiden FIA World Touring Car Championship campaign in Morocco, with the C-Elysée WTCC making its racing debut
• Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and José-Maria López will all be in action for Citroën at the opening round
• World Champion Muller comes with a wealth of WTCC experience, but Marrakech will be a first for Loeb and López

After nine months of preparation and over 10,000 km of testing, the Citroën Racing team is preparing to begin its debut season in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).

The season gets underway in Morocco, at the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, also known as the Marrakech street circuit.  It’s a busy start to the 2014 season, with the first four rounds of this year’s competition taking place over just five weeks.  

Three Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs will be taking part in the season opener; Yvan Muller (n°1), Sébastien Loeb (n°9) and José-María López (n°37) will all be in action in Morocco.

Since the C-Elysée WTCC’s very first outing on 10 July 2013, Citroën Racing has undertaken an intense development programme with its four drivers: Sébastien Loeb, Yvan Muller, José-María López and Ma Qinq Hua.

Over the last few days, the team has stepped up its efforts even further in the workshops of its technical centre in Versailles. After being assembled, the first three racing cars were put through a “dress rehearsal” at the Magny-Cours circuit to iron out any glitches.

During this dummy run, Citroën Racing’s Managing Director, Yves Matton, took the opportunity to look back at what the team had achieved: “Starting a season is one thing, but starting your first season in a new discipline is something else entirely. Everything is new to us: the cars, of course, but also the equipment, the methods, the regulations, the race strategy… Every member of Citroën Racing has invested a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm to ensure that we are ready when the time comes.

“Of course, we would have liked to have had a few more days to prepare, but we can’t wait to get to Marrakech.

It will be the culmination of over a year’s work. Our challenge now is to develop the essential reflexes we need in order to be strong performers in WTCC. We will be looking closely at our first times to see where we stand in relation to the competition.”

A BIG CHALLENGE TO START THE SEASON

Used exclusively by the WTCC since 2009, the Moulay El Hassan circuit takes in the wide boulevards on the outskirts of Marrakech. At first glance, the circuit appears relatively straightforward, consisting mainly of straight sections, punctuated by chicanes.  

“Appearances can be deceptive,” says Yvan Muller, the only Citroën Racing driver to have raced in Morocco before. “In reality, it’s a very difficult circuit. Because it’s not a permanent track, the surface is very slippery at the start of a meeting. The key to a fast lap lies in how you tackle the rumble strips. You have to climb over them, or sometimes jump them, while making sure not to end up in the wall, of course! Obviously, we’ve worked on this in testing, but we will have to wait to be out on the track to get a clearer idea of what to do.”

With a very busy start to the season in prospect, the quadruple World Champion also thinks that starting the WTCC adventure on a street circuit will be particularly challenging: “Only a week after Marrakech, we’ll be at Paul Ricard for the second round. Even if all goes well, the mechanics won’t have a lot of time to get the cars ready. If there’s a lot of damage, things will be even tougher for them. That adds a little extra pressure.”

A BAPTISM OF FIRE FOR SEB AND PECHITO

Marrakech will be a first for Sébastien Loeb and José-María López. “Generally, I’m quite comfortable on street circuits, like Pau, Baku or Monaco,” says Seb, “but I haven’t had time to get to know Marrakech… and that won’t be the only new thing I have to get to grips with in the next few days! Even after a full season in GT, I’m still dreading the starts. It’s often very tricky when you’re trying to avoid dropping places on the first few corners.

“At the moment, the one thing I am sure about is the car, the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC. I know that we have done some good work on it and I’ve got a good feeling at the wheel. We may have got a head start on the competition in terms of development, but we also have less room for improvement than the teams that have only started their testing in the last few weeks. Like everyone, I’m feeling really motivated for the start of the season.”

“Testing is a really interesting part of our preparation, but I am glad to be going into the first meeting,” says Pechito (José-Maria López). We’ll get out on the track with our rivals and finally see if the work we have done pays off. I’ve already raced on quite a few street circuits – we’ve got a few in Argentina. It’s not my favourite style of race, but I think it’s a really positive thing to bring motorsport closer to the people.

“The circuit seems quite unusual, with high-speed chicanes and steep rumble strips, but we’ll see exactly what it’s like when we come to drive on it. The start of a season is always a special time, and this excitement is shared by the whole team. We are competitors, and we all want to make a good start and leave Marrakech in a good position in the championship!”

THE PROGRAMME

The WTCC cars will start their weekend with half an hour of free practice on Friday at 1.30 p.m. Two further practice sessions will be held on Saturday, at 9.00 a.m. and 11.15 a.m., to help the teams prepare for qualifying at 3 p.m. Like in Formula One, the crucial qualifying runs will take place in three stages. After an initial 20-minute session, Q1, the 12 fastest drivers will proceed to Q2. They will then have just 10 minutes to get themselves into the top five and win a place in Q3. In this last run, each driver has just one flying lap to try and clock the best time. The drivers who take part in Q3 receive five, four, three, two and one points towards their World Championship tally.

On the Sunday, race one (14 laps) will get underway at 4.20 p.m. The teams will then have just 15 minutes ‘repair time’ to prepare and/or repair their cars before the second race, which starts at 5.25 p.m., with the top ten qualifiers lining up in reverse order on the grid. Points are awarded to the top ten drivers in each race, as per the usual FIA scale.