José María López looking for glory in Japan
The FIA World Touring Car Championship heads to Suzuka for the second-to-last meeting of the season. Despite some 110 points being at stake, Citroën’s José María López may well be crowned champion after the first race, having to score just 17 points to make sure he wins his maiden title in his first full season in the championship.
The Argentinian will have to make sure pressure does not get in the way of his performances:“I have to stay focused till the end,” stressed López. “At the start of the season, I wasn’t thinking about winning the title. I was just there to do as well as I could and to help the team meet its goals. Although I’ve been leading since qualifying in Marrakech, I refused to think about the title until I won both races in Argentina.
“In Shanghai, I felt more nervous, as I felt the moment was drawing nearer. I have already won several titles over the course of my career, but I have to say that the prospect of becoming World Champion surpasses anything I’ve experienced before. There’s a lot of pressure, but it’s nice pressure to have to cope with!”
With no Argentinian World Champions since Juan Manuel Fangio in the ’50s, the driver seems to have a big responsibility resting on his shoulders. His team-mate Yvan Muller is the only driver left in with a chance to at least take the fight to Macau, but the Frenchman is skeptical about it:”In my mind, my Championship hopes disappeared a while back. The outcome of our little trip to China only strengthened that belief!”, admitted the 2013 champion.
Muller is focusing on next year’s campaign with Citroën:”That won’t stop me from approaching the final rounds with the same determination and professionalism as ever, but I’m now focusing all my efforts on preparing for next season. We still have room for improvement in several areas. We can find new setups and improve our understanding and use of our tyres. Meanwhile, the competition isn’t exactly resting on its laurels either!”
Sébastien Loeb is going to use the last races with a view into next year, as the multiple World Rally Champion believes he will have to improve his on-track fights, his weakest point according to him:”This season is about laying the foundations for stronger performances next year. As I’ve said since Spa-Francorchamps, it’s in the pack that I have the most improving to do. Unfortunately, that was apparent in Shanghai, but you can only get better by racing. I’m delighted to be returning to Japan, which is home to some of my most loyal supporters. I’m sure they’ll be there to cheer us on in Suzuka!”
But there is even more than the championship battle going to the wire at Suzuka. With both the Chevrolet RML Cruze and the Honda Civic with a +30 kg ballast, the fight between the two makes is completely open, as ROAL Motorsport’s Tom Coronel and Tom Chilton mount the challenge to the Honda trio, with Tiago Monteiro ahead of Norbert Michelisz and Gabriele Tarquini. The title of ‘best of the rest’ sees the Portuguese 28 points ahead of the Hungarian, with Tarquini a further 6 behind and Coronel at -40 from Monteiro.
An exciting event is coming up as the championship fight could come to an end, with a fierce battle going on behind and potentially able to get in the way of the outright championship.
The first session will be held on Friday, 24th, with the test session.
