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WTCC - Lopez: "It’s very important to win here in my country"

08.08.16
WTCC - 2016 Race of Argentina - Post-Race Press Conference transcript
FIA, Motorsport, Mobility, Road Safety, F1, WRC, WEC, WTCC, World RX

Present: 
Tom Chilton, Sébastien Loeb Racing, Opening Race first, WTCC Trophy winner
Rob Huff, Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team, Opening Race second, Main Race third
Yvan Muller, Citroën Total WTCC, Opening Race third
José María López, Citroën Total WTCC, Main Race first
Tom Coronel, ROAL Motorsport, Main Race second, WTCC Trophy winner
Esteban Guerrieri, Campos Racing, Main Race sixth

Q:
Turning to Tom Chilton first as the winner of the Opening Race. Congratulations on that achievement. Talk us through what was an excellent victory?

TCh:
It’s absolutely fantastic, my first win of the year. It was definitely not easy out there because it's a circuit where it's very easy to make a mistake and it’s also very hard on the tyres. I worked very hard with the team this weekend and Sébastien Loeb Racing has done a fantastic. The Citroëns had a strong race pace and I had a good fight with my rivals. They were closing on me and I was worried it would come down to the line so I’m absolutely over the moon. After a few seconds and thirds this year it’s great to get this first win.

Q:
Thank you Tom, turning to your fellow Briton Rob Huff. Second place in the Opening Race, a good result or could it have been more?

RH:
Very much so. To qualify in P6 is one of the hardest places to make a good weekend from. The Opening Race you’re starting sixth and it’s so difficult to overtake. With the aerodynamics we have now we see the gaps opening up, especially through Turn 11. But for myself to get the championship back on track for the team means it was a really good weekend.

Q:
Thank you Rob, turning to Yvan. Third place from seventh the grid in the Opening Race. You must be pleased with that?

YM:
The race went well. I start in the seventh position, I did a good start and good first lap. Then it was a good fight with Rob, a good podium. Unfortunately, the second race didn’t go so well.

Q:
And now turning to the winner of the Main Race, José María López. Congratulations for that but did you imagine you could get a home victory after the problems with your engine after qualifying?

JML:
Of course I knew I had a good chance in the second race but already Norbert did a better start than me, which I knew would be possible here. He moved very well and did a fantastic defensive manoeuvre in Turn 2. I have to say thank you to the team and especially to Yvan who allowed me to have a go at Michelisz without disturbing me. Without that it would have been very difficult. When we went side-to-side for Turn 9 something happened because he defended from Yvan and let the inside clear for me. It’s very important to win here in my country. I didn’t expect to be able to pull out points with the engine problem we had. I’m a very lucky guy and thank you to everyone who has been here pushing for me. One less race to go and it’s looking good [for the title].

Q:
Turning to Tom Coronel, second in the Main Race after another good performance. Talk us through what happened out there?

TCo:
Probably before I was not so in the race so it was the things outside of motorsport that I liked about Argentina but somehow now in Argentina the races were quite good to me. The car felt very strong and I saw already in the Opening Race that my car was consistent. I knew there was a good chance for the the Main Race to score some points. In the first few laps I saw them fighting with Michelisz. I knew López was going to try to win this race. I understand the state of mind of a racing driver racing in his home country so I knew it was going to be a hot fight. I just stayed there, 20 metres back to keep my tyres right, and I saw some really good action, really good racing, I saw some touching, I was in the VIP row to see everything and it looked all nice and somehow two disappeared and I finished P2. It’s nice to be on the podium and to bring the trophy home.

Q:
Turning back to Rob Huff, you had a second podium with third place in the Main Race. How was that for you?

RH:
It was tough. We knew from the Opening Race the car was good on pace. I was sitting behind Tom and was in the VIP seat with him to see what was going on in front. The Citroën was very quick, especially on the back straight down into Turn 5 and 6 and 7. Of course every lap they were mounting an attack. I just saw two cars touching and Norbi going a bit wide, both back on and I was in P3. I saw José was in the lead and stretching away. Tom and I were keeping a pretty similar gap the whole time. For me to have a second and a third during the weekend was more than I could have asked for. I settled for third in the second one but was ready just in case Tom made a mistake.

Q:
Turning to Esteban, what an impressive WTCC debut weekend. Not quite the results your qualifying pace suggested but talk us through how it went from your perspective.

EG:
Thanks everyone to come here and congratulations to all the guys. I am really happy for all the things that happened to me this weekend, more than what I expected. It was great. It was a very good team at Campos and it felt like a family straight away. It was good to work together. To everybody in the WTCC I felt really comfortable and thanks to all that help. For the races it wasn’t the best day because we had a few problems with the clutch in the first race so I had a bad start. We had a touch with a Civic and it broke my upright so I had to stop. In race two again we had no clutch so I made another start, which wasn’t ideal. But I made some positions back, I got into a rhythm that wasn’t the best because I started to have problems with the braking. It wasn’t the best place but to finish the race in this place is good for all the guys after all the effort, it’s cool and I’m happy with this. Thanks to everybody.

Q:
And what about some more WTCC races in the future? What are the chances?

EG:
Now the weekend has finished I would say I love the WTCC. I was focused on doing my best this weekend. It’s definitely a category that’s nice, it’s a world championship and this weekend I tested myself against a very good level of drivers, good guys driving out there and good teams as well. It’s the best touring car championship in the world and if there is a chance I would be very keen to analyse it and god forward.

Q:
Finally, turning back to José, your result today means you have now won more world championship races than the great Juan Manuel Fangio. Can you give us your reaction please?

JML:
For sure it’s very nice. Comparisons are a bit difficult. Fangio made his record in Formula One, I made it in WTCC and there is a big difference. I don’t intend to compare with him. He’s the greatest we ever had and everything we have in motor racing is because of him. For sure it’s a nice personal thing but the best thing is to be here racing against these guys and having fun.