RML secured a double podium finish during round 4 of the 2013 World Touring Car Championship as Yvan Muller led home Tom Chilton for a 2, 3 finish.
After his fourth place finish in race 1, Muller has extended his Championship advantage to 37 points over Nika Racing’s Michel Nykjaer and Honda’s Gabriele Tarquini while Chilton had dropped to fourth in the standings after failing to score in the opening race of the weekend.
Having qualified 3rd and 5th for the opening race of the weekend, Muller was soon battling former title rival and team-mate Rob Huff for position, the Brit had moved up the order in his SEAT Leon. Muller ultimately came out on top of that battle to finish fourth.
Chilton had retired from the first race with an overheating engine after tapping the rear of the #12 Chevrolet Cruze and despite rejoining, he was forced to park the car on the 10th lap.
Race 2, round 4 of the season saw Muller and Chilton moving up the order from the standing start and they were both soon challenging for the victory while exchanging fastest laps along the way.
The race ended with a one lap shootout after Tarquini and Alex MacDowall collected each other at the exit of the final chicane and despite Muller piling the pressure on race leader Pepe Oriola, the young Spanish racer held on for his maiden victory and defeated Chevrolet for the first time since Suzuka 2012.
“I take a lot of important points from the weekend, which is key for the championship,” explains Muller, who is chasing his fourth WTCC crown.
“In race two, Pepe was defending very well so despite my speed advantage before turns 3 & 4, I couldn’t make a pass. In the end Tom and I made an agreement that we wouldn’t fight each other, but try to take a win without too much risk. It didn’t happen but I have to congratulate both Pepe and Michel for their first WTCC wins.”
Chilton is pleased with how his weekend despite a slip up in qualifying and he reckons he could have had an ever better weekend had he started further up the order.
“I had the pace this weekend and I worked really well with my team and engineer, but sadly we didn’t come away with the points we should have. But I’m happy to receive the nicest piece of silverware I’ve ever picked up – Morocco knows how to make a trophy!” adds Chilton.
“I’m gutted we missed a trick in qualifying with the kerbs compared to others, and I’m sure if we’d started on the front row our weekend would have been completely different.
“But on the whole it’s been a weekend with positives – I was quick in practice, quickest in the morning’s warm up and during the race with the fastest lap, so it proves the pace is there for sure. I just need to make sure I keep finishing the races,” he concluded.