José María López found the perfect way of rounding off the FIA World Touring Car Championship season that has seen him crowned world champion for the second time*, picking up the seventh pole position and tenth race win of his 2015 campaign. Yvan Muller won the very last race of the year to snatch the runner-up spot from Sébastien Loeb by a single point.
After a podium finish in Race 2, Ma Qing Hua secured fourth place in the final overall standings, meaning Citroën achieved the unprecedented feat of monopolising the top four spots. The manufacturer also set a new record points haul. The Citroën Racing team paid a glowing tribute to Sébastien Loeb after a fifteen-year partnership with the driver.
The sun was already fading when the last qualifying session kicked off in mid-afternoon. The Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs picked up where they had left off in free practice, successfully negotiating Q1 without any hiccups. Yvan Muller, who was not happy with how his car was handling, opted not to push for a place in Q3. Instead, with the eighth-fastest time, just ahead of Ma Qing Hua, the man from Alsace assured himself a good position on the starting grid for Race 2.
First to go in Q3 was Mehdi Bennani, who produced an excellent lap clocked at 2:01.311. Sébastien Loeb, Nick Catsburg and Hugo Valente failed to match the performance of the Sébastien Loeb Racing driver. Yet again, however, José María López was in majestic form. With a time of 2:00.947, the Argentine driver clinched his seventh pole position of the season, equalling the record he set in 2014.
Night had long fallen when the cars came out for the Race 1 formation lap at 9.30 p.m. When the lights went out, José María López held onto his lead, with Mehdi Bennani, Sébastien Loeb, Hugo Valente, Ma Qing Hua and Yvan Muller in close pursuit.
Valente got the better of Loeb on lap 2. The battles between Valente and Loeb and Ma and Muller were closely fought throughout the race, but there was to be no overtaking to add spectacle to the proceedings, and Pechito López duly marched on to his tenth race win of the year.
After a short break, the cars lined up on the grid for Race 2. Having qualified on the front row, Tom Coronel started from the pitlane, giving Ma Qing Hua a clear run. It was Yvan Muller who took advantage of the situation, however, reaching the first turn in second place, just behind John Filippi. The safety car was brought out at the end of the very first lap after a collision that prevented two cars from playing any further part. Having been hit by a competitor in the first few turns, José María López found himself way back in twelfth place.
After four laps, the race resumed and Yvan Muller was soon putting pressure on the leader. One lap later, the driver of Citroën C-Elysée WTCC n°68 slipped through a gap that had been left open, but Filippi cut across his path and the two cars collided. Yvan emerged from turn n°1 in the lead, a few seconds before Filippi was handed a drive-through penalty for starting too early.
Lap after lap, Yvan Muller extended his lead over Ma Qing Hua, who in turn made safe his second place. Attention turned to the tussle for third spot. Norbert Michelisz was holding off Sébastien Loeb, who needed a podium finish to hang onto his Championship runner-up position! But once again, there was to be no change in the race order before the chequered flag, with Yvan Muller securing his sixth victory of the year. Further down the field, however, the pack had been livened up somewhat by José María López, who produced some impressive overtaking to climb to eighth place.
At the finish, Sébastien Loeb was met by the entire Citroën Racing team, who showed him their affection and gratitude with a long standing ovation.