José María López is a race car driver, and reigning World Touring Car Champion. He raced in the 2006 GP2 Series for the Super Nova team, and at the forefront for the DAMS team, and the CMS team in Formula 3000. He was moreover at Renault F1 as a test driver. On 16 December 2013 he linked the Citron Total WTCC team for the 2014 World Touring Car Championship season.
López began in karting, by now touching to the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup in 2001, act in 17th incline, taking one pole slant and one fastest lap. He stayed in the series for the 2002 season driving for Cram Competition, carrying out in fourth incline, taking one victory. He also drove for Cram in Italian Formula Renault that year, where he became champion, taking four wins, beating Robert Kubica to the crown. He moved vis--vis to the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup in 2003, making his first association gone the DAMS team, winning the title in the ventilate of five race wins.

In 2004 López moved occurring to International Formula 3000 in addition to the CMS team, accomplish sixth overall. He moreover continued in the V6 Eurocup that year, driving in four races.
López raced in the inaugural season of the GP2 Series in 2005, making him one of forlorn a choose few drivers in the series who had previous experience of a full season in Formula 3000, the series which GP2 replaced. He ended ninth in the standings racing for the DAMS team. For 2006 he moved to the Super Nova Racing team, realization tenth in the standings.

In the to the front portion of 2007, López raced in the American Le Mans Series, racing a Ferrari 430 GT for Corsa Motorsports/White Lightning in the 12 Hours of Sebring, and for Risi Competizione at St. Petersburg.
López next returned to Argentina in 2007 to race in TC 2000, the country's major production-based touring car championship. He was 5th that year, won the drivers' title in 2008, and successfully defended this crown in 2009. López as well as similar the Turismo Carretera in 2008 and the Top Race V6 in 2009; he became TRV6 champion in 2009. He narrowly drifting out a propos winning the 2009 Turismo Carretera title after crashing out on an oilspill upon the 18th lap of the realize race of the season, thereby losing the unique opportunity to win three every option championships in the same season.
He with competed in chosen races of the FIA GT Championship in 2008 for the ACA Argentina team.

López was a driver who started in the Renault Driver Development programme together along between 2004 and 2006, and was test driver for Renault F1 during the 2006 season.
In November 2009 López confirmed that he had a concord in place along between the add-on US F1 Team to race in the 2010 Formula One season, provided he secured an eight million-dollar guidance package. Sources near to López claimed he already had eighty percent of the funds needed to fasten his place in the team.
López was announced as a driver for US F1 upon 25 January 2010. Former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann, a near friend of US F1 principal Peter Windsor and a leading politician in Argentina, helped put the funding package together for López. Complications in USF1's touch in front and uncertainty on summit of whether USF1 would be practiced to stay in F1 for 2010 caused rumours to surface that López was in talks furthermore challenger team Campos, in order to secure his place in F1. This was confirmed by his overseer in late February. On 2 March 2010, he was freed from his concurrence due to US F1 not being adept to attempt to race. On 4 March, Karun Chandhok completed the 2010 grid by signing for Campos (now renamed as the Hispania Racing F1 Team), rejection López without a race steer.

He made his World Touring Car Championship dbut considering Wiechers-Sport at the 2013 FIA WTCC Race of Argentina, substituting for their regular driver Fredy Barth. He took both Yokohama Independents' Trophy victories and scored an overall victory in race two. In 2014, he moved to the Citron team, and became World Touring Car Champion, clinching the title at Suzuka.