Muller and Chevrolet crowned at FIA Gala

The FIA officially crowned Yvan Muller as the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Champion at its gala awards event in Monaco.

It was a fitting finish to another exciting season, with Muller claiming his second FIA World Touring Car title after the one he had won in 2008. His victory also helped Chevrolet to win their first Manufacturers’ Championship.

In the lastest four seasons Muller has emerged as the most consistent driver in the WTCC field, winning the championship in 2008 and 2010, and finishing runner-up in 2007 and 2009.

His consistency was especially highlighted by the results obtained throughout the current season: three victories and 18 podium finishes out of 22 races.

Results that enabled him to beat SEAT’s Gabriele Tarquini and his own Chevrolet team-mate Rob Huff, who finished on equal points, 55 behind. 2009 World Champion Tarquini managed to secure second position thanks to five race wins against Huff’s three.

Yvan Muller said: “There are many keys to a championship. Consistency is important but you also need a good car, good engineers, good mechanics and a bit of luck! It is nice to have been fighting for the title in the last five years. I think if you do a world championship classification over the whole of the last five years, I would also win that!”

He was also the first driver to win the WTCC with different Manufacturers.

“To make comparison it’s unavoidable. When I won my first title with SEAT it was a very important year after I had lost the 2007 championship on the last lap. Winning now with Chevrolet has also been special. It has been my first year with them, and giving them their first title added a special feeling.”

Chevrolet Motorsport Director Eric Nève, who collected the manufacturers’ trophy, said:

“I am very proud. To win Chevrolet’s first championship in the World Touring Cars is fantastic. This is not only the first FIA world championship for Chevrolet, but the first ever for any GM brand and it feels great to be part of that.”

“We have fought for both championships this year and winning the Drivers’ title obviously helped for the Manufacturers’. To be able to get both was a great achievement. It has been a terrific season. We finished on the podium 21 out of 22 races. The team have had a consistent season, from starting with a 1-2-3 in Brazil to ending on a high note in Macau.”