Yvan Muller admits that he was not expecting to be victorious in the second World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) race in Shanghai on Sunday, after having been the slowest of the works’ Citroëns on Saturday.
Muller started ahead of his team-mates in the second race in Shanghai and managed to keep title rival José María López at bay in the early stages of the race.
With López unable to mount a challenge, Muller set about closing the gap to Honda’s Gabriele Tarquini in the lead, eventually passing at the exit of the hairpin on lap eight.
The Frenchman then opened up enough of a lead to be assured of his fifth win of the season, whilst Tarquini kept López bottled up in the battle for second.
“I was not even expecting to be in the top ten in qualifying after my free practice,” admitted Muller. “In the races I had two good starts, I had a good car that gave me the opportunity to pass some cars and to have good pace and all the scenarios went in the right direction for me this time. I am pleased for that and of course for Citroën.
“From the beginning of the second race Gabriele was a little faster than me but I was looking after my tyres and maybe step-by-step I could come back to him.
“Then on the back straight he closed the door at the end of the straight before turn 14 and I knew that would be the only opportunity to overtake him. I know him, and I used that opportunity and fortunately it worked.”
Muller helped Citroën to lift the manufacturer’s title for the second consecutive season in race one, and whilst the driver’s championship is yet to be decided, he conceded defeat to López, with a 75-point deficit to his team-mate and only four races left to run.
“Citroën deserve what they got, because they are for the second time the manufacturers’ world champions, because they are the best. I have to say well done to Pechito [López] too because it will be his second title soon and well done to all the guys who are behind us because without them we can’t do anything.”