WTCC – Lopez on pole in Argentina, full of success from Citroën

José-Maria Lopez was uncompromising in qualifying at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina. The reigning world champion clocked a time of 1'45"461 in the final session to beat his teammates Yvan Muller and Sébastien by more than a second. Loeb.

Ma Qing Hua completes the quartet of official drivers of the French manufacturer on the second row. Mehdi Bennani could have delivered an even better result for the seasoned brand, but the resident of Sébastien Loeb Racing finished his session in the gravel trap.

Tiago Monteiro (Honda) will start from fifth position, already more than two seconds from pole. The Portuguese will start ahead of Tom Chilton (Chevrolet) and Gabriele Tarquini (Honda). Stefano d'Aste (Chevrolet) follows in eighth place ahead of Tom Coronel (Chevrolet). Completing the top ten on the grid, James Thompson (Lada) will start from pole for Race 2.

Hugo Valente (Chevrolet) was unable to take part in the session following a violent exit from the track in free practice. The Frenchman hopes to be able to compete in the races.