Shanghai, Race 1: Citroën clinches Manufacturers’ title in style

"We are happy for the great job the entire team did"

By Franck Drui

12 October 2014 - 10:05
Shanghai, Race 1: Citroën clinches (…)

“C’est fait!”, it’s done. That’s what the Citroën team could say, with emotion and relief, at the end of a Race 1 in Shanghai that they dominated from beginning to the end.

The final 1-2-3-4 ensured in the most brilliant way the Manufacturers’ title for the French car maker. “We are happy for the great job the entire team did and proud to reach the title here in China,” said Team Principal Yves Matton.

The win was for José María López who kept the advantage of the pole ahead team-mates Ma Qing Hua and Yvan Muller, while Sébastien Loeb had to battle against the Honda cars to conquer the fourth spot.

The first non-Citroën at the end was Norbert Michelisz, who defended strenuously his 5th position from Tarquini and Monteiro.

Time to celebrate also for Franz Engstler, who won the TC2T race and secured the Yokohama Trophy title and his team-mate Filipe De Souza took the honours in the Asia Trophy.

Key moments
 Grid – Thompson pits after formation lap with a problem on the front left wheel
 Start – Trouble free start, with López taking the lead ahead of Ma, Muller, Michelisz, Tarquini, Monteiro and Loeb
 Lap 2 – Loeb attacks Monteiro and after a short fight takes 6th; Coronel takes 9th from Valente
 Lap 3 – Chilton, who was 8th, loses rear right wheel and retires
 Lap 4 – Loeb passes also Tarquini for 5th, on the outside!
 Lap 5 – Michelisz is defending fiercely his 4th place from the attacks of Loeb, while Bennani passes Borković for 10th
 Lap 6 – Loeb passes Michelisz for fourth; Lok retires with a broken suspension
 Lap 7 – Huff takes 12th from Morbidelli
 Lap 13 – Huff and Morbidelli pass Borković for 11th and 12th
 Lap 14 – Huff stops with a puncture on the front left; Citroën cars finish 1-2-3-4, while Engstler beats Filippi and De Souza in TC2T

Pos. Driver Car Time
1 José Maria LOPEZ Citroen C-Elysee WTCC 14 laps - 26m15.097
2 Qing Hua MA Citroen C-Elysee WTCC +2.089
3 Yvan MULLER Citroen C-Elysee WTCC +5.793
4 Sébastien LOEB Citroen C-Elysee WTCC +6.175
5 Norbert MICHELISZ Honda Civic WTCC +16.050
6 Gabriele TARQUINI Honda Civic WTCC +16.483
7 Tiago MONTEIRO Honda Civic WTCC +18.295
8 Tom CORONEL Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 +22.058
9 Hugo VALENTE Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 +25.896
10 Mehdi BENNANI Honda Civic WTCC +26.278
11 Gianni MORBIDELLI Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 +47.194
12 Dusan BORKOVIC Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 +53.710
13 Franz ENGSTLER BMW E90 320 TC +89.282
14 John FILIPPI Seat Leon WTCC +103.122
15 Rob HUFF LADA Granta 1.6T +1 lap
16 Filipe DE SOUZA BMW E90 320 TC +1 lap
17 René MUNNICH Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 +4 laps
18 Mikhail KOZLOVSKIY LADA Granta 1.6T DNF
19 William LOK Seat Leon WTCC DNF
20 Tom CHILTON Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 DNF
21 James THOMPSON LADA Granta 1.6T DNS

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