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Citroen adds fourth works WTCC car for ex-F1 tester Ma Qing Hua

Citroen will expand to a fourth full-time factory World Touring Car Championship entry for ex-Formula 1 test driver Ma Qing Hua in 2015

The Chinese racer contested five WTCC rounds for Citroen last year, taking a win on his debut weekend in the Moscow Raceway reversed-grid race.

Citroen made clear when it announced it was retaining Jose Maria Lopez, Yvan Muller and Sebastien Loeb as its primary line-up that it was working on options for Ma as well.

Although it intimated at the time that he could be placed with the new customer team that Sebastien Loeb Racing will field, it has now settled on an additional full-season works C-Elysee for the 27-year-old.

While a Citroen statement emphasised that the deal was "a key component of Citroen's development policy in China", team boss Yves Matton underlined that Ma had earned the seat on merit.

"Last season, we tested lots of drivers to find one that had the potential to shine at the wheel of a Citroen C-Elysee in the WTCC," he said.

"Our decision to go with Ma Qinq Hua was vindicated in his second race, in Russia, which he won.

"We hope to build on the experience he has gleaned from his first five meetings with a full racing programme in 2015."

The Loeb team has announced ex-Proteam Honda racer Mehdi Bennani as its first driver for this year and still has one seat vacant.

2015 WTCC LINE-UP SO FAR

Citroen
Works: Jose Maria Lopez, Yvan Muller, Sebastien Loeb, Ma Qing Hua
Sebastien Loeb Racing: Mehdi Bennani, tba

Honda
Works: Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro
Proteam: Dusan Borkovic
Honda Sweden: Rickard Rydell

Lada
Works: Rob Huff, James Thompson, Mikhail Kozlovskiy

Chevrolet
ROAL: Tom Chilton, tba
Campos: Hugo Valente
Craft-Bamboo: Gregoire Demoustier

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