Champion López braced for big WTCC battles

José María López has told the Autosport website that winning a third consecutive FIA World Touring Car Championship will be “really tough”.

López has taken the WTCC Drivers’ crown for the past two seasons and has also played a key role in handing Citroën the Manufacturers’ championship in 2014 and again in 2015.

However, the Argentine has pointed to renewed opposition from Honda and LADA, the addition of the Polestar Cyan Racing Volvos on the grid from this year, plus the success ballast increase from 60 to 80 kilograms, as serious threats to his recent dominance.

“It’s going to be a different year, the competition is going to be really strong,” López told Autosport. “This year is going to be really tough and it will be really interesting to see what happens, especially as this season we’re carrying 80kg of ballast.”

Of his rivals, López reckons Honda’s decision to add Rob Huff and Norbert Michelisz to its factory line-up will make the Japanese make “really strong”. He believes LADA will improve its Vesta to become a “strong team as well”. And while Polestar’s Volvo S60 is unproven at WTCC level, López has said the Swedish squad can win its first season.