Photo: Citroën Racing

José María López leaves Hungary with an extended points lead

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Reigning champion José María López has continued to extend his points lead in the 2015 FIA World Touring Car Championship after a win and a sixth at the Hungaroring.

The Citroën driver recovered from a slip-up in qualifying to take the lead into Turn 1 at the start of the first race, passing the Campos Racing Chevrolet RML Cruze of Hugo Valente and the sister C-Elysée WTCC of Yvan Muller from third on the grid. After a brief battle with team-mate Muller at the start of the race, he went on to take victory in race one.

“I think my start in race one was the best I’ve ever made in the WTCC,” said López. “I’m really happy with this win, particularly after qualifying, which didn’t go brilliantly. Points-wise, this meeting has allowed me to extend my lead over Seb slightly, so it’s all positive.”

At the tough-to-pass Hungaroring circuit, in the reversed grid second race, López only made up two positions, moving up from eighth position on the grid, getting ahead of team-mate Ma Qing Hua and Lada Sport Rosneft driver Rob Huff, who were both caught up in a first corner melee which eliminated Huff from the race.

“I think the first corner was very slippery, I was outside, Séb was inside, Yvan was further do the inside, everybody locked and I think Ma hit Rob (Huff) while I was hit from behind,” said López trying to recall the fracas.

“I have to see the images, because I think Sébastien was on my right, Ma on my side and López on my left/ I’d overtaken Huff and Ma on the straight so in the corner they were behind me,” said Muller to TouringCarTimes.

López’s haul of 36 points from the whole weekend sees him extend his points lead over Sébastien Loeb to 33 at the ¼ way point of the season.

Yvan Muller took 29 points over the weekend and is now just ten points behind Loeb, chasing down second position in the standings. Tiago Monteiro is the closest non-Citroën driver in fourth for Honda, a further 28 points adrift heading to the next round of the championship at the Nürburgring.