As shown by the final weekend of the season, held in Losaile, the undisputed leader of the last two seasons, Jose Maria Lopez to full happiness lacked... complete and total annihilation and humiliation of their rivals! And the Argentinian brilliantly mocked them.
To begin with Jose Maria literally crushed the opposition in training. Maybe in qualifying it went differently? If! His Citroen in the lead in all three segments, and as a result of Lopez won pole position with a separation from the nearest rival in 0.364 seconds. The second time showed Mehdi Bennani — he also spoke at the Citroen, but «private».
The Frenchman started the weekend with a heavy heart. His own team Citroen Racing put it on the street, and the race in Losaile was to be the last before parting. But Seb had good chances to finally how to «slam the door». He ranked second in the standings and a good result in the final race gives him «silver» at the end of the season.
Third place at the start of the first race — good start. Especially because his main rival in the fight for the second position in the Championship Yvan Muller finished only eighth skills!
The fourth time, went to «private trader» South Valens, and after it has finished the pilot qualifications Lada Nicky Katsburg. His teammates were less fortunate — Nicolas Lyaper become the twelfth, as Rob Huff and does seventeenth and penultimate...
The top ten on the basis of qualifications were also Norbert Mihelits, Ma Qing Hua, Yvan Muller, Tom Coronel and John Filippi. The latter two have won the first two positions on the grid of the second race — for the Corsican became the first pole of his career.
Grid — this is the only place where rivals Citroen saw Jose Maria Lopez. From the start of the Argentinian broke the first and in this communion with his rivals finished just saw him! As you know, talk about a struggle for victory was impossible.
Sebastien Loeb was unable to repeat what did his teammate. At first he kept the second place, but then missed two forward «privateers» Mehdi Bennani and South Valenta! Worse, Alsatian and could not play any of the positions lost! The result of the first race — the fourth place.
However, Seb is not very angry, because Yvan Muller finished sixth at all, yielding more and Ma Qing Hua (Chinese driver also «cut» from the Citroen next year).
The seventh place finish of arrival — Norbert Mihelitsa. He fought in the standings independent drivers and finished third behind Bennani and Valens.
Tiago Monteiro was the eighth best of pilots Nicky Katsburg Lada — the ninth and closed the top ten Stefano d`Aste. Nicolas Lyaper and Rob Huff led their Lada Vesta to the finish on the eleventh and thirteenth places respectively.
The second race of the weekend was more eventful. It all started back at the start — John Philip made a false start and was later punished with a drive-through pit lane.
Then, during the first round faced Nicky Katsburg and Stefano d'Asti — are both gone. Trying to dodge and avoid an accident with Tom Chilton flew them to the sidelines, but could return to the track. Judges have released the track the safety car.
Complete failure to complete the second race — and with it the entire season — for Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman finished the race fourth, which, coupled with a victory Alsatians Muller left without the coveted title of vice-champion. Worse — the third result, which achieved Norbert Mihelits not allowed Mehdi Bennani finished fifth in the standings to win the title «privateers» — nine-time world rally champion lost his title, which he could achieve as a team boss.
The top ten at the finish of the race closed the South Valens, Gabriele Tarquini, Jose Maria Lopez, Tiago Monteiro and Nicolas Lyaper representative Lada. Two other Lada — Rob Huff and Nicky Katsburga — failed to reach the finish line...
It is difficult to say what will be next season WTCC — last season in the history of the factory team Citroen. Even harder to predict the fate of the series after the departure as a serious player. Maybe everything will be fine. But if Jose Maria Lopez will continue to dominate, the interest in the series will fade. This we have repeatedly passed.
