Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Mehdi Bennani has admitted that he cannot match the pace of the Citroën factory drivers, after he equalled his best-ever World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) qualifying result in Qatar.
Bennani was top of the times for most of Q3, before World Champion José María López put in a scintillating lap to demote the Moroccan independent to second on the grid for the first of Friday evening’s races.
With Bennani just seven points behind Yokohama Trophy leader Norbert Michelisz, and the Hungarian having qualified in sixth, Bennani has a chance to claw back some crucial points in race one.
“For sure I’m happy,” said Bennani, who also started on the front row at his home race in Morocco earlier this year. “It’s my first time at this track, it’s a night race for everybody, which is new and I have to fight against these huge and talented drivers.
“It’s wonderful to be here and to fight with them for the pole position is something very strong for the future of my career. I want to represent the Moroccan flag and to fight to be qualifying first in the WTCC. But we are not only here to do that, we are here to fight for the title and I hope that in the future Morocco can be world champion in this category.”
Despite being in the same machinery as his Citroën rivals, Bennani insists that he is on the back foot compared to the works drivers, having only switched to the C-Elysée at the start of the season.
“I think we are still learning and we have to congratulate all of the team, Sébastien Loeb Racing because we have been doing a fantastic job,” added the Moroccan. “I think we are really learning lots of new things in every race.
“We cannot do what the factory drivers are doing. The factory drivers have been in the car for one year more than me and they can be pushing directly, but for me I need more time.
“My lap was a good lap but for sure we can be faster. José has shown this but I must thank him because he has given me the possibility to learn even more.”