Yvan Muller will call time on his glittering FIA World Touring Car Championship career at the end of the current season.

The four-time world champion, who starts this weekend’s WTCC Race of China locked in a seven-way fight for the coveted runner-up spot, is the category’s most successful driver with more wins, pole positions, fastest laps, laps led and titles than any of his rivals.

While the 47-year-old Frenchman, part of Citroën’s factory WTCC line-up since 2014, won’t stop racing entirely, he will scale back his competition programme to spend more time with his family and to build his emerging Yvan Muller Racing team.

“I am not sure that age is the main factor when it comes to ending a career,” he said. “With all the testing, the simulator sessions, the physical training and the travel to the race venues, a season of professional motor racing requires a level of personal commitment that I am no longer prepared to put in. At the same time, I am at a time of my life where I want to do something else and I am happy to be able to make that decision after 11 seasons of FIA WTCC.”

Muller enjoyed success in karting and single-seaters earlier in his career, but it has been in touring cars where he really made his name, winning titles in France and Britain before arriving in the WTCC in 2006. Unsurprisingly given his record, he was immediately a contender for victories, and in 2008 claimed his first title.

Three more titles followed in 2010, 2011 and 2013, and when Citroën arrived in the WTCC ahead of the 2014 season and wanted a driver that could help them adjust to touring cars from rallying, Muller was the obvious choice. He has claimed 11 victories with the French manufacturer, taking his record win total up to 48.

Paying tribute to Muller’s contribution to the team’s WTCC success, Citroën Racing head Yves Matton commented: “The whole Citroën Racing team is proud to have Yvan Muller in its ranks. Every time we get involved in a competition, we look to recruit the best drivers. That is why we invited Yvan to join us from the start of our involvement in FIA WTCC. We will not forget his contribution. Coming in from rally driving, we had everything to learn, and he has always been more than happy to offer the team the benefit of all his experience. He is a great competitor and a great guy, who has always put Citroën’s interests first.

“It is to Yvan’s credit that, after three seasons with us, he has decided to end his career at a point when he is still capable of winning pole positions, races and titles. He will always be part of the Citroën Racing family and we wish him all the best for the next stage of his life, which we will follow with interest.”

Speaking about the future, Muller himself added: “Driving has been part of my daily life for so long that I can’t see myself stopping racing entirely. But I am going to spend more time with my family and developing my team, Yvan Muller Racing. Before that, though, I am going to put everything I’ve got into meeting the team’s goals.”