FIVE FACTS

Best of the best: With more titles (four), wins (48), poles (29), fastest laps (38) and laps led (571), Muller is the most successful driver in FIA World Touring Car Championship history.

A family affair: Muller followed in the wheel tracks of older sister Cathy by going racing, while her son and his nephew, Yann Ehrlacher, has joined him on the WTCR OSCARO grid when Muller returns to full-time driving after a one-year absence.

Ice is not always nice: After making it 10 titles in the Andros Trophy ice racing series, Muller was effectively banned for continuing in the series he’d dominated for many winters.

Mr Versatile: As well as being an accomplished circuit racer – he took the British F2 crown in 1992 – Muller’s CV also lists Dakar and World Rally Championship outings, while his touring car career has included stints in France, Germany, Italy and the UK.

Did you know? Had he not tried motorsport for size Muller admits he would have joined the family haulage business, meaning trucking’s loss was very much touring car racing’s gain.