Citroën are expecting a close fight in qualifying for the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in Beijing, with Sébastien Loeb admitting that qualifying will be “really tight” after testing and practice on Saturday.
Only part-time driver Ma Qing Hua ended Saturday having been at the top of the times in any session, with Citroën’s regular drivers all struggling to find the optimum setup in Beijing. In part, that is due to changeable circuit conditions and the fact that the C-Elysée cannot reach its top-speed potential around the twisty circuit.
“I’m quite happy with my day – I was generally the quickest driver at the time when I was out on track,” said Loeb, who ended the day having been fifth, sixth and fifth in the three practice sessions respectively. “The conditions were tricky, with some wet and slippery sections, especially when drivers crashed off and left earth on the track.
“It’s always difficult to know where exactly everyone stands, as the performances depend to a large extent on tyre strategy. I know that I’m up with the pace, but I’m expecting qualifying to be really tight.”
Chinese driver Ma was the only Citroën driver to top a session on Saturday, posting a fast lap late in second practice to show his potential around the challenging circuit.
“I found out what it was like to drive the car on a wet track this morning,” explained Ma, who is the only driver to have raced on the Goldenport Park circuit before. “It took me a while to find a groove, but more than anything I wanted to avoid making errors. The safety barriers at this circuit are so close that you really have to avoid slipping off the track.
“As the weather conditions changed, we tried a few different setups. I could have gone even quicker this evening, but everything went OK and I think we’re ready for tomorrow. I’ll be aiming for at least a podium place, but I think everyone here has the same ambition!”
Reigning champion Yvan Muller was less complimentary about the circuit, which many have deemed to not be worth of hosting a World Championship event. “Obviously, this isn’t the most interesting circuit of the season,” said Muller. “The straight sections are a little short for our cars, which haven’t been able to go any faster than 190 kph, when they are capable of reaching 270 kph. The track is quite wide, but there are unlikely to be many overtaking opportunities.
“We put in some pretty good work today, but the conditions will probably be different tomorrow. I hope we’re in for some interesting races!”
Championship leader José María López fell foul of the circuit’s extensive and deep gravel traps, put in place due to the lack of significant tyre barriers around the perimeter.
“You can’t relax for a minute on this circuit: the straights are so short that you’re always braking or turning,” explained the Argentine racer. “I ended up in the gravel pit at the end of the second session. I was on my last run and I was trying to attack. The track was dry, but I got two wheels in a wet spot and lost control of my front end. It doesn’t matter, though.
“I feel really confident with my car. Qualifying tomorrow morning is going to be difficult: the weather is set to be good, and we will hardly have driven here in the dry before we set off for Q1.”
Qualifying takes place at 08:30 Beijing time (02:30 CEST, 01:30 BST).