Lopez gesture underlines Citroën team spirit

Yvan Muller has thanked team-mate and FIA World Touring Car champion José María López for gifting him the Main Race victory at WTCC JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan yesterday, a result that promoted him to joint second in the standings.

López was on course for victory number eight of 2016 but slowed to let Muller get ahead for what proved to be the four-time world champion’s first victory of the season on a day when López celebrated provisionally claiming the WTCC title* for the third time.

“We discussed about that possibility during the weekend, yesterday actually, because sometimes it was opposite like in Argentina when I decide for myself to give him help,” Muller explained. “He wanted to give me back. There was no team order but even if that was a team order I don’t see why that would be a problem because we are Citroën drivers. But he decided for himself to do it like I decided from myself to do it in Argentina. For him to win a race was just another win but he was champion so he give me a hand to take some points for the second place. But it’s very rare this kind of gesture in motor racing and I am pleased there is that team spirit in Citroën. I am really pleased of that, José and myself have a great team spirit and that showed the relation there is in the team.”