Photo: Citroën Racing

José María López wins Nürburgring opening race as leaders crash out

Citroën’s José María López won the opening race at the Nürburgring in a dramatic race which saw the leading pair of Honda’s Tiago Monteiro and Citroën’s Yvan Muller crash out at Kesselchen on the final lap.

Tiago Monteiro had led the way from pole position on the reversed grid ahead of the Sébastien Loeb Racing-run Citroën of Mehdi Bennani with the Polestar Volvo S60 of Thed Björk holding on to third at the start.

Behind, the two factory Citroëns of Yvan Muller and José María López had a great start from eighth and ninth on the grid and were up to fourth and fifth after the first few corners.

At the end of the first lap, Bennani had an awkward run through the final turns and lost several spots, promoting Björk to second ahead of Muller, but not for long, as the Swede then dived into the pits with an engine problem, handing Muller a clear run at Monteiro on the second lap.

On the Döttinger Hohe straight, the two Citroëns of Muller and López closed right up on Monteiro’s Honda, flanking him on each side, but the Portuguese driver held firm, with Muller still in second and López third.

The Argentinian then made an error at Turn 1 at the start of the final lap and briefly dropped behind the privateer Citroën of Tom Chilton, but was able to repass the Briton and started to close back up on the leading pair throughout the 25km final lap.

The race defining incident occurred as Kesselchen, as Monteiro slammed into the barrier with an apparent mechanical failure, and was collected by the close pursuing Muller, allowing López through into the lead.

López would go on to take the chequered flag first, but by just half a second from Chilton’s Citroën C-Elysée, the best-placed of the privateer entries, with Norbert Michelisz completing the podium for Honda.

Rob Huff made a valiant charge in the #12 Honda from the back of the grid to finish fourth, with Mehdi Bennani finishing fifth and Hugo Valente the top Lada in sixth.

Fredrik Ekblom was the top Volvo driver in eighth position, while Sabine Schmitz picked up points in tenth as the best Chevrolet driver after ROAL’s Tom Coronel also crashed out on the final lap with a puncture.

“I think Tiago had a problem with the tyre, he just went straight, it was scary,” said López after the race. “That’s why I’m quiet on the celebration, as I won today because the others have a problem. My team-mate (Muller) was a bit slower than me, but I couldn’t pass him on the Nordschleife.”

The main race follows imminently with López to start on pole position, but with Muller and Coronel unlikely to start the race, Honda’s Norbert Michelisz is moved up to second ahead of the Citroën of Tom Chilton.