Yvan Muller insists he is happy with qualifying on the front row of the grid at Vila Real, despite missing out on the chance to score a second World Touring Car Championship pole position in the current season.
A mistake by Muller in the final sector of the lap left him just over a tenth shy of eventual pole man Tiago Monteiro, although the Frenchman’s time was good enough to net him second.
Despite missing out on pole, Muller out-qualified Citroën team-mate José María López for only the second time this season, and admits that he is pleased with his qualifying effort.
“I’m happy with my qualifying,” said Muller. “Every time I went out on the track, I put everything I had into it to make sure I made it through to the next stage. From Q1 to Q3, I had to string together four runs, going flat-out in every one. That’s how tight it was.
“In my Q3 lap, I cut across a rumblestrip and part of my suspension got twisted. I then had to cope with substantial vibrations, which is not ideal when you’re going at 240 km/h between the safety barriers!
“I think it cost me pole position, but a spot on the front row is good enough for me. At the same time I’m pleased, because these kind of tracks are very challenging and demanding.
“You have to put your brain out and when you’re my age it starts to be hard to do that! You have to be young to put the brain out, mine is fixed!”
Muller admits that with overtaking likely to prove challenging around the street circuit, he is hoping to get the jump on Honda’s Monteiro at the start of the race.
“My plan is to make a better start than Tiago, then I will be at the front and because he can’t overtake on this track I will win the race,” explained Muller.
“Unfortunately, racing is not that easy, a lot [of emphasis] will be on the start because afterwards there is no opportunity to overtake
“If the guy in front of you doesn’t make a mistake you cannot pass. Even if he [makes] a mistake probably you will hit him, so I hope he will not make a mistake. We had one already [at the Nordschleife]. We’ll see, I will do everything in my start.”
Citroën Racing Team Principal Yves Matton praised Muller’s efforts, adding that he thinks the former four-time champion can take victory in the Opening Race.
“Yvan had a good day in qualifying: he was a tenth of a second off pole position and his place on the front row means he can aim for a win tomorrow,” said Matton.
“The gaps are very small on this circuit and in these conditions, and that suggests the races could be interesting, despite the lack of overtaking opportunities.”