Yvan Muller was happy to have taken two podium finishes in the World Touring Car Championship races in Shanghai, with the results moving the Citroën driver into a clear runner-up position in the points.
In the reverse-grid Opening Race, Muller proved to be one of the biggest beneficiaries when Tom Chilton and Gabriele Tarquini collided, moving into a podium position and ultimately taking the chequered flag in third, having started from eighth.
The Main Race then saw the Frenchman follow team-mate José María López across the line for his ninth podium of the season, giving him a 31-point lead over Honda’s Tiago Monteiro, who picked up just four points in China.
“I didn’t win, but two podiums in a single day is pretty good going, particularly at my age,” said Muller. “There were two important things this weekend. First of all, the Manufacturers’ title for Citroën, which makes me particularly proud to be part of this team.
“Secondly, I was able to pull away from Tiago Monteiro in the championship by scoring a lot more points than he did. That is important in the fight for second place, which is the last goal remaining for us.
“It looks good for the next round but let’s see what happens. We will be doing our best to wrap it up in Qatar.”