Loeb et Ma were key to Citroen’s WTCC success

Sébastien Loeb and Ma Qing Hua have earned praise for the role they played in Citroën’s standout FIA World Touring Car Championship success story.

Frenchman Loeb spent two seasons as a works Citroën driver in the WTCC, winning six times and taking third place in the drivers’ standings behind team-mates José María López and Yvan Muller in both 2014 and 2015.

Ma, from China, tackled selected WTCC events for Citroën in 2014 before embarking on a full campaign the following season, adding victory in Vila Real in 2015 to the top spot he scored in Moscow on his debut the previous year.

Reflecting on the French make’s dominant three-season stretch as a factory WTCC team, squad boss Yves Matton said: “I cannot help thinking of Sébastien Loeb and Ma Qing Hua, who also contributed so much to this success, which I will always remember as an amazing adventure for the people involved.”

While Loeb’s eponymous team has raced on in the WTCC, achieving considerable success in the WTCC Trophy, the motorsport legend switched to FIA World Rallycross with Peugeot for 2016 after his long-term Citroën deal ended. Funding issues prevented Ma from continuing his impressive WTCC programme.