Muller: “I would obviously have preferred to win”

Yvan, you were in contention until the last race, but you cede the title to your teammate, Gabriele Tarquini. Is the disappointment digested?
Yes. There was one, because I obviously would have preferred to win. For me, victory is only useful to avoid disappointment. Now it is digested. I have nothing to reproach myself. I think I've had a good season, I haven't made any mistakes, apart from a little miss in qualifying at Brands Hatch and Oschersleben. Is this part of the race? Just like in Macau, where if Priaulx doesn't hit the rail, I go in front and finish in front of Gaby (Tarquini). The philosophy of the race could have been different, but the success must be there. I put all the chances on my side. Obviously, this time, with this accident in qualifying practice, while I was in the process of setting an anthology time, it was not mine. Too bad, a vice-championship isn’t so bad.

Did the accident you suffered during testing, which required a lot of work from the Oreca mechanics, profoundly change your strategy?
It didn?t change anything, I was already happy to be at the start of the race. The car was very damaged – hats off to the team, by the way, for what they managed to do – and, personally, I was not feeling well. I still felt dizzy and my ribs were very depressed. I suffered and really gritted my teeth to run. Today, I still have pain in my ribs, which guarantees me restless nights, and the crystals in the inner ear have not completely recovered. It takes a little time and a few movements to put it all back in place. But nothing serious.

What do you remember from the past year in WTCC?
I especially don't want to focus on the political aspect. I think – and I hope – that things will change in 2010 with the arrival of Jean Todt at the head of the FIA. He seems to want to care about us, and not just about F1, unlike its predecessor. Sportingly, it was very good. There were quite a few fights on the track, virile, but always with respect for the opponent. Except for one or two individuals from time to time, but I don't think that's always intentional? I'm thinking of the start from Brno: why did Farfus, when he was in front, swerve one meter and hit his teammate Priaulx? Maybe he’s the one who has inner ear problems! (laughs)

Find the full interview with Yvan Muller as well as a review of the 2009 WTCC season in AUTOhebdo number 1732 available on newsstands since Wednesday.