WTCC: Lopez takes Qatar pole position

World champion Jose Maria Lopez stormed to the final World Touring Car Championship pole position of 2015 at Losail, with Mehdi Bennani securing a Citroen front row lockout.

Argentinian Lopez set a blistering time of 2m00.947s in his C-Elysee to dislodge Bennani from provisional pole with the final lap of Q3. Bennani, who was fifth fastest in the second phase of qualifying, ended up second in his satellite C-Elysee, two-tenths ahead of the second works car of Sebastien Loeb, who took third.

Hugo Valente dragged his Campos Racing Chevrolet Cruze into the final session but lost time in the second half of the lap as he secured fourth, while Nick Catsburg – who made the shootout with a last-gasp effort in Q2 – was fifth fastest on his sole run.

Bennani's effort keeps the fight for the Yokohama Drivers' Trophy interesting, with current leader Norbert Michelisz squeezed out of the pole position shootout by Catsburg's late effort, the Hungarian forced to settle for sixth on the race one grid. The third and fourth works Citroens of Ma Qing Hua and Yvan Muller were a subdued seventh and eighth.

Campos Racing driver John Filippi proved there was substance to his Friday practice pace by securing a spot in Q2, with 10th place in that session handing him pole for Friday evening's final race of the season.

Tom Chilton and Rob Huff were only able to manage 15th and 17th, respectively, while WTCC newcomer Nasser Al-Attiyah rounded out the field in 18th.

RACE ONE GRID

Originally on Autosport.com