Yvan Muller – So close yet so far

Yvan Muller led the 30-race 2004 British Touring Car Championship from round two, right up to the penultimate meeting of the season, with just a minor blip at Silverstone dropping him back behind VX Racing teammate James Thompson. The Frenchman won five races during the season, one more than Thompson. It is a tally bettered only by reverse-grid master Jason Plato.

Muller lost the points lead when Thompson won the first of the three races at Snetterton. Muller trailed his teammate in second over the early stages of the race, and was third until the closing laps, when he lost out to both Tom Chilton and Colin Turkington, going on to finish the race in fifth position. Thompson also took bonus points for pole position, leading the race and the fastest lap in that race.

They were all points that proved to be crucial. Back at the second meeting of the season at Brands Hatch, Muller told BTCCPages.com, “It is too early to be thinking of the championship – what is important is that we score points in every race”. Little did he know at that point just how important EVERY point would be in the battle for the championship.

Starting the season with the number one on his door, after finally clinching his much-desired first championship after five seasons of racing for Vauxhall, the flamboyant Frenchman had his sights set on becoming the first back-to-back title winner in the modern era of the BTCC. But this was never going to be an easy task in what proved the most competitive season of racing of the aforementioned ‘new era’.

As the season unraveled, Muller looked to be in a strong position, but this one was going to the wire. Going into the final race of the season, ‘Jimmy’, as he has been baptized by Muller in recent years, had a six point lead. After finishing second in race two, Muller would start on the front row of the grid. Thompson was down on the third row, with Plato alongside him. The Muller-Plato relationship is well-documented as being a little turbulent, and it was no real surprise to see Thompson and Plato in conversation at the back of the Donington garages before this decider.

Whether they were discussing elaborate strategies, or simply indulging in a friendly chat, it seemed to work for Thompson. Muller got away in the lead of the race and soon had Plato and Thompson behind him. This would have been enough to hand the Frenchman the title. However, Thompson set the fastest lap of the race, and indeed of the weekend, on lap three. The bonus point that Thompson earned for that lap was enough to swing the pendulum in his favour, and he was content to sit out the race in third as Plato distracted Muller in front.

And that is how it ended. Muller won the race, Thompson won the title.

"One point...it is a bit frustrating"     - YM

“One point. It is a bit frustrating”, Muller told BTCCPages.com after the race. “Especially as I lost the championship by one point and in the last two or three races I lost important points with some contact with some other cars. So that cost me a lot but unfortunately I don’t have everything in my hands.”

In typical Muller-style, Yvan was able to find a positive from the situation: “I think it has been a good year because Vauxhall has won again, for the fourth time in a row.”

However, the disappointment on his face was clear for all to see after the race. “It is a bit frustrating because, you know, to lose a championship because you are less quick, or less strong than the first is fine, but here I think it is not the case. I was leader of the championship during 27 races, and losing by one point at the end is a bit frustrating….but that is life, it is like this.”

Despite missing out at Donington, Muller was immediately ready to look forward. He has since competed in the Bathurst 1000km race in Australia, and will once again defend his ice racing title in France with Kia over the coming months.

In 2005, Muller will be back with Vauxhall for his eighth season in the BTCC, with the likelihood of an all new challenge, in the shape of the new Astra.

“I am looking forward. I expect a lot with the new car”, he continued. “We will have a lot of work to do, but I hope for a lot.”

Photos: Triple Eight (www.tripleeight.co.uk)