Photo: WTCC

Mehdi Bennani striving for results with new Citroën challenge

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After shining in testing yesterday, lapping the Circuit de Catalunya less than a second behind Citroën counterpart and his own team owner Sébastien Loeb, Bennani hopes for strong results in 2015 despite the tough benchmark which will be set by having three world champion drivers competing in the same specification of car.

Bennani, who is in his third car model of three years after racing a Honda with Proteam Racing last season, said his first experience at the shakedown run was quite challenging.

“Every time it is very tough to drive with this car,” he said to TouringCarTimes. “When I did the shakedown my first impressions were it’s a very difficult car to drive. I think compared to the (Honda), where I think if the car’s not very quick, you can still be quick, but with the Citroën I think you need to know it 100% to be quick.

“At the end I hope to learn as quickly as possible to use it 100%, it’s a world championship car but they also have a world championship level driver line-up.”

Bennani is racing with a new team to the championship with Sébastien Loeb Racing. Loeb’s team will also run the car of Ma Qing Hua, although Ma’s car will race under the banner of Citroën Racing as part of the factory programme, while Bennani’s will be the team’s independent entry and eligible for the Yokohama Trophy.

“In meetings with Sébastien Loeb he is also a top driver, but he also wants to be there with a top team, and that’s a good feeling, to know he wants the best image he can get for the team. I hope to learn as much as possible from them, to fight, I’m not here to be one of just 20 drivers, my aim is to progress in my career and to be one of the top drivers in the WTCC.

“The Yokohama Trophy is very competitive this year, but my aim is not the Yokohama Trophy, my aim is to get more podiums and if I can also get another victory. We have Argentina before Marrakech, so I hope to have enough time to be ready for Marrakech as that’s the most important event in my season.”