50 years of Yvan Muller: the cars that took him to titles

1992: Reynard 91D-Cosworth in Formula 2 British

Tourism was not the only thing in the Frenchman's life. At the turn of the 1990s, the Alsatian climbed the ladder towards the holy grail of Formula 1. In 1992, he decided to cross the Channel for the first time to take part in British Formula 2. He is the only representative of France involved in a championship with around twenty elements. 

Author of four successes, Yvan Muller stands out above all for his consistency, as evidenced by his seven podiums. He succeeds famous names like Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Niki Lauda. Not nothing ! 

1995: BMW in French Supertourism 

The first steps in Supertourism for Yvan Muller took place in 1994. Despite the specificities of the category (fights, driving very different from the car), it didn’t take long for him to make a reputation. Engaged in the official BMW team managed by Oreca, Yvan Muller became the best French driver in the genre, beating big names like Laurent Aiello or Éric Hélary. One of his feats of arms will remain a double success in Dijon-Prenois (Côte-d'Or):

2003: Vauxhall in BTCC

This is a brand known to the general French public, and for good reason. Vauxhall only exists in the UK; the manufacturer being owned by Opel, Vauxhall cars are simply rebadged Opels. That was just for the record.

Let's go back to 2003, where Yvan Muller had the guts to measure himself against the big names in British Tourism. It's a bit like the wild west. All pilots are representatives of Her Majesty. All, except our national Yvan! 

The BTCC is renowned for being one of the most virile competitions in Tourism. Contacts are commonplace for the greatest pleasure of spectators. The only ''froggy'' in the land of Shakespeare, Yvan Muller is targeted by several attacks on the track, like the one launched by Anthony Ried at Brands Hatch: 

For having taken the law into his own hands, Yvan Muller will receive an 11-day license suspension. Despite heightened adversity, Frenchy won six events and won the title ahead of his teammate James Thompson: 

2008: Seat Leon TDI in WTCC

“A true legend of touring car racing”. This is how Thed Björk, last WTCC champion (in 2017) decided to describe his teammate at Lynk & Co in the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) Yvan Muller. At world level, no one has done better than the Alsatian in this discipline, with four crowns, 48 ​​victories, 29 poles and 38 best laps. 

After two seasons of increasing power with Seat and Oreca in the WTCC, Yvan Muller wants nothing more and nothing less than the coronation in 2008. It must be said that in November 2007, an innocuous part of a diesel pump dropped, taking away from him same occasion a title almost acquired. 

The Seat Leon TDI was a real revolution in tourism at the time. This is the first time that a diesel vehicle has been entered in competition. At the time, Dieselgate did not exist and communication was in full swing in favor of this technology. The French automobile fleet is stuffed with diesel cars. In a discipline which precisely takes up the stylistic codes of production cars, it's a masterstroke!

On a sporting level, Yvan Muller plays regularity, his best card. He did not commit any retirements during the 22 previous events before the final. Arriving in Macau with a 14-point lead over his teammate Gabriele Tarquini, he avoids the pitfalls of the city-state to win his first FIA world title.

2010: Chevrolet Cruze in WTCC

At the turn of the decade in 2010, the RML team, preparer of the Chevrolet Cruze, became the armada to beat in the WTCC. Seat and BMW are reducing the size, and Yvan Muller will have two dream seasons, with two coronations.

“I have been leading the drivers' championship since the first race in Brazil which I won, I remained at the top of the standings throughout the 2010 season, 11 meetings and 22 races”, he analyzed in 2010, with a laurel wreath received one round before the end! 

In 2011, the opposition with his teammate Rob Huff will be a soap opera. The Englishman will prove very threatening in Macau, where he will fail just three points behind the Frenchman despite two consecutive successes in Asia. “It was very tight! Robert deserved the title just as much as I did. He was very fast today”, launched Yvan Muller.

It is still with a Chevrolet Cruze (with a cylinder capacity reduced to 1.6 liters compared to 2.0 liters previously) thatYvan Muller pockets a fourth world title in 2013.