NorthAmpton Chronicle&Echo
RML pulled off one of their most successful weekends in the third round of the World Touring Car Championship, as they achieved two 1-2-3 wins in Marrakech in Morocco, with their Chevrolet Cruzes, writes TOM LAWLER. HAPPY DAYS – RML driver Alain Menu celebrates his win, alongside team-mates Yvan Muller (right) and Rob Huff
The result extends Chevrolet’s lead ahead of nearest rivals BMW in the manufacturers’ championship by 107 points, while all three of the team’s drivers are comfortably placed at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Recording his fourth victory of the season in race two, championship leader Yvan Muller described the Cruze as ‘perfect’ and ‘unbeatable’. The three-time and reigning WTCC champion also finished third in race one, ensuring he kept his spot at the top of the drivers championship.
The Frenchman said: “It was a good race and good result in race one, but I wouldn’t characterise it as easy and tranquil, because on such a circuit you always have to pay a lot of attention to preserve your brakes and pass as smoothly as possible on the kerbs, which are really vicious for the car.
“Race two was incredible and it is, of course, a great satisfaction to win a race from P7 on the grid on an urban track.
“The Cruze was perfect and unbeatable. This said, it was not easy, because I didn’t have a great start. After that I focused on passing the cars ahead of me one by one and in not doing stupid things, and it worked out well.”
The Wellingborough team dominated race one from the beginning, with Alain Menu taking his second victory of 2012 – his first in Marrakech – ahead of team mates Muller and Rob Huff.
Race two was more of a difficult task for the Chevrolet team as they started from rows three and four on the grid.
But all three drivers were able to pull off a number of overtakes on the narrow street circuit to climb up through the field.
Muller took the chequered flag in the team’s sixth win out of six this season, ahead of Huff and Menu, who finished second and third respectively.
The result sees Menu maintain second position in the drivers’ championship, 24 points behind Muller. Speaking after the weekend’s racing Menu said: “It was fantastic winning race one and adding Marrakech to my collection of wins on street circuits.”
Chevrolet will look to maintain their 100 per cent winning record in 2012 at the next round of the World Touring Car Championship in Slovakia later this month.
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