Present: 
Yves Matton, Citroën, first position WTCC MAC3
Mehdi Bennani, Sébastien Loeb Racing, DHL Pole Position, first position WTCC Trophy
Thed Björk, Polestar Cyan Racing, second position
José María López, Citroën Total WTCC, third position

Q:
A fifth outright WTCC MAC3 victory for Citroën, this time relying on the the drivers from Sébastien Loeb Racing. What was the thinking behind the revised line-up?

YM:
They have helped us a lot during the year and give us a lot of points also for the manufacturers’ title. It was a way to thank them for the job they did this season.

Q:
The Citroën C-Elysée WTCC is on pole yet again in what is going to be the final appearance in the championship for the factory team. How significant is that for your as a team and personally?

YM:
It’s really important. During all the year we tried to help them as much as possible giving to the private teams driving the Citroën all the information to help them to perform. It showed a good collaboration and the good year that Mehdi has done. It’s quite important here for him also and after Marrakech it couldn’t be a better place.

Q:
And what was your reaction watching qualifying – it was a dramatic session and neither of your factory drivers got the pole this time?

YM:
Only that we have pole position for both races and that we won MAC3 with the best time. If I am only looking at it for Citroën, I can only be positive.

Q:
For the first time in your WTCC career you have the DHL pole position after a fantastic performance. Please talk us through what looked like a sensational lap?

MB:
It was my first pole position and it’s something very strange. It’s very nice for me to have this pole position in my second home race. It’s Qatar and I like a lot. We are also supporting a lot between Morocco and Qatar so in front of Qatar people it’s something very nice. For my pole position it’s very nice to get it. The lap was magic I think. The first and second sector I was very clean. In the second one my engineer helped me a lot. He told me I have nothing to lose and nothing to win. Our goal was Q3 so try to do your lap and save a lap time and it worked. The way we can manage to be in front of mistake of the other drivers and this is what happened in the end because some drivers do some mistakes. We have been on the pole because we have some luck to win from these mistakes.

Q:
After your lap you had that agonising wait standing on the pit wall watching all the other drivers set their time. What was that like, terrifying, stressful?

MB:
I think I feel more stress than inside the car driving because I saw the Volvo was very close and I was thinking we are already P2 but in the end at the chequered flag I saw we are still P1. So minimum we are P3 and I was very happy with P3 because Yvan and López are very strong and we have seen from the last two years when we work together they are very strong everywhere and they are on the limit everywhere. At the end I was sure I would sign for P3. But when I saw the mistake of Yvan I think maybe it’s going to be P2. Then with the lap of José I didn’t expect some things. He was everywhere nice and three-tenths in front of me. Then I don’t know what happened. Maybe it’s luck, only luck.

Q:
Turning to Thed Björk next and your best WTCC qualifying performance of second place. We saw a few purple sectors from you and it was looking very strong at one point but what happened in that final sector for you?

TB:
I was pushing really hard just like Mehdi said. Like Mehdi the goal for us was to come to Q3 then go as fast as possible with nothing to lose. I was pushing as hard as I could on the lap and actually I pushed a little too hard. I thought I did a mistake in Turn 15 and I lost the time there because the car didn’t react like it did before. I lost a little bit of time but the other part was good in the lap although it was not enough. When I saw I was behind Mehdi I thought ‘okay, that was that,’ but then when we started to climb and Yvan and López also did mistakes I was more and more angry because it was only four-hundreds. Sometimes you are on the right side and Mehdi put his lap together and deserves the pole position. I am very happy for him for doing this.

Q:
Seven pole positions makes you the DHL Pole Position Award winner of the season but it was third place rather than a record eighth pole today. Mehdi and Thed both made suggestions that you made a mistake, which is something that we don’t normally hear about you so what happened on that final lap?

JML:
I never heard so many times that I did a mistake, my engineer said I did a mistake in Turn 14 and I come here and now [Thed] says it and [Mehdi] says it. That’s life and you do it once and everybody says why did you do a mistake! It was just a mistake but not because I did a mistake did Mehdi get the pole because he deserves it and congratulations to the guys here. It was probably one of the pole positions I wanted the most and I jumped out of the car quite angry with myself. But I cannot be hard with myself. It’s been three fantastic years, many pole positions. Sometimes it can happen, I am a human being and as Mehdi said we are on the limit all the time with Yvan to be at the front. It’s not too often we do a mistake but I think after we stopped for 30 minutes the track changed a bit and we were sitting in the car for so much time. I was confident, I saw I was three or four tenths quicker. I didn’t try much but I lost the car and on this track with the sand it makes things more complicated. But P3 is not a bad position for the start. I am still confident, I have a very good pace and a good car. Let’s enjoy the last two races.

Q:
A short while again you were presented with a cheque for 2000 euros for a foundation you are involved with in Argentina as your prize for winning the DHL Pole Position Award for the season. Can you just briefly tell us about the beneficiary?

JML:
First thank you to DHL for this award. I am very pleased because I can give it to a foundation that I have been a part of for a few years. The kids have different capacities, it’s not much but it will make a big difference for them. I am just lucky to have received it and give it to them. The Fundacíon Baccigalupo know already and they are very happy. I am happy to have this award again this year.”