José María López on target for points record with Macau pole

With the drivers’ title already in hand, Argentina’s José María López is set to surpass his tea-mate Yvan Muller’s points record this weekend in Macau, only having to score six points on Sunday to match the Frenchman’s achievement.

Muller’s record was set in 2011 while on his way to his third title with Chevrolet, although in a direct comparison, it’s notable that Muller’s result was achieved before the introduction of five points for pole position, which means another 60 points has been available this season.

Nevertheless, the 433 point target is still there to beaten, and a sixth place finish in either race will allow López past that barrier, after the Argentinian picked up five points for pole position in Macau today, at a track he’s racing at for the first time in his career.

“I will remember this pole position for a long time,” said López. “Macau is a circuit I have been wanting to discover for over ten years, but I never did Formula 3 so I never got the chance. Now my chance has come at the wheel of a Citroën WTCC. I did a lot of work on a simulator before I got here, but it’s a circuit that takes more time to adapt to than others.

“Given a clear track, you could be tempted to take the Mandarin Bend at top speed. But there are rails, so you need to go at it gradually to build your confidence. Seb (Loeb) and Yvan put me under pressure once again, but I’m delighted to have clocked the fastest time today.”

WTCC Drivers’ Championship after Macau Qualifying