Citroën’s World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) leaders José María López and Yvan Muller head to the Slovakiaring this weekend with confidence, with the latter citing recent changes for his upturn in performance.
Muller reeled in 13 points on leader López to close the gap to 35 points after the races in Moscow, where the Frenchman took a pole and a win whilst López made a rare mistake.
The former four-time champion is not resting on his laurels, however, and insists he will continue to fight for the championship until the very end of the season.
“Since the Hungaroring, I have felt that the work we have put in is paying off,” explained Muller. “I’ve changed lots of little things, in my preparation, my setup and my driving. A combination of those factors has allowed me to perform better in qualifying and in the races.
“It’s a long season and we’re not even halfway through yet. I’m going to keep fighting till the end! The Slovakia Ring has some similarities with the Hungaroring and Moscow Raceway, two circuits where I felt at ease. So I’ m feeling pretty confident.”
The 2014 race at the Slovakiaring featured the only race in the WTCC history to-date which was cancelled, caused by persistent heavy rain. As a result, 2014 pole sitter López was unable to capitalise in race one, which was ultimately won by team-mate Sébastien Loeb. Despite that, the Argentine driver calls the Slovakian circuit one of his favourites of the season.
“It’s going to be a special weekend,” said López. “The Slovakia Ring is one of my very favourite circuits. The surface is totally smooth and I particularly like the sequences of high- and mid-speed bends. Bend number two, which you can go through at full speed as long as you are totally confident, is one of the most exciting features of the season.
“Last year I got pole position, but I didn’t really take advantage of it in the race. It was raining so hard! I’m hoping for more clement weather this time around, for the spectators as much as for us. I can’t wait to get out there to defend my position and get some good results for Citroën.”