Paul Ricard, Race 1: Loeb upstages WTCC champions for home win

Frenchman Sébastien Loeb converted pole position to win number three of the FIA World Touring Car Championship season following a dominant drive at Circuit Paul Ricard.

The nine-time world rally champion beat the intense heat and Citroën team-mates Yvan Muller and José María López with Muller’s capture of second enough to narrow defending champion López’s title lead to 26 points ahead of this afternoon’s second race.

“In the start Yvan put me under pressure and I had to close the door one or two times,” said Loeb, who won by six seconds. “I was able to take a little lead and drive like I want without closing the doors. He was under pressure from Pechito and couldn’t go flat out so I was able to pull away and it was okay.

“But you have to stay concentrated and I prefer to keep in my rhythm, try to save a little bit the tyre too and drive like I can.”

Ma Qing Hua completed a Citroën top-four as Tom Chilton grabbed the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy prize in fifth in his privateer Chevrolet.

Norbert Michelisz beat fellow Honda driver Gabriele Tarquini for sixth with Gabriele Tarquini eighth and Mehdi Bennani passing LADA pilot Jaap van Lagen for ninth. Bennani will start the 16-lap reverse race from pole with the action due to begin at 14h00 local time.