FIA WTCC SWITCHES TO HIGH DEFINITION TV COVERAGE

FIA WTCC SWITCHES TO HIGH DEFINITION TV COVERAGE
The first ever FIA World Championship to be produced in HD
Eurosport Events, host broadcaster and promoter of the WTCC via its subsidiary KSO, is delighted to announce that it will produce the FIA World Touring Car Championship in High Definition, starting with the third event of the season, from Marrakech’s new street circuit, on May 3rd.
The WTCC is becoming the first FIA World Championship to be produced in native High Definition.
Plans for the season include the production in HD of nine of the championship’s twelve events:

. Marrakech
. All European events – Pau, Valencia, Brno, Porto, Brands Hatch, Oschersleben and Imola
. Okayama, the last-but-one event of the season on November 1st

The HD broadcasts of WTCC will be produced using an average of 14 track-side HD cameras, two RF HD cameras and 14 on-board SD 16:9 cameras, as well as a new Digital TV outside broadcast van developed by Belgium-based company Alfacam.
In addition to Eurosport HD channel – the high definition simulcast of Eurosport launched in May 2008 – several broadcasters are expected to air WTCC in HD over the course of the season.
"It is the first time an FIA World Championship will be produced and televised in HD, representing another breakthrough for WTCC," said Géraldine Filiol, Managing Director of Eurosport Events. "We are very proud to further enhance the appeal of WTCC for viewers. We believe that this upgraded production will attract more racing fans who will be able to enjoy the WTCC exciting show in a closer way than ever before!"


Eurosport will produce FIA WTCC in High Definition from Marrakech

MOROCCO BACK ON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE
WTCC’s next event in Marrakech will mark an historical moment in motorsport, bringing back a World Championship race in North Africa and Morocco after long time.
Only once in the past the region and the country hosted an event counting towards a racing world title: the 1958 Grand Prix of Morocco held on October 19th at the Ain Diab street circuit along Casablanca’s seaside. That was the final round of the season and decided the title fight between Ferrari’s Mike Hawthorn and Vanwall’s Stirling Moss.
Under the eyes of King Mohammed V, Moss obtained a flag-to-flag victory, but Hawthorn managed to claim a second place that was worth a one-point lead in the championship’s final classification.
Morocco appeared in the international calendar again in the Seventies, hosting for three times (1973, 1975 and 1976) a round of the new FIA World Rally Championship. The French car manufacturers dominated the event: Alpine (with Darniche in ’73) and Peugeot (with Mikkola and Nicolas) claimed victories.


Moss leads the 1958 Grand Prix of Morocco at Casablanca

SEAT’S APPEAL TO BE HEARD NEXT WEEK
The hearing of the International Court of Appeal for the appeal lodged by the SEAT Sport team against the decision taken by the Stewards in Mexico, will take place in Paris next Tuesday, April 21st.
After the second race in Puebla, the Stewards decided to give SEAT Sport driver Gabriele Tarquini a drive-through penalty (that resulted in 30 seconds added to his elapsed time) because of an incident with BMW Team Germany’s Jörg Müller.
The two drivers had clashed on lap 6 at the exit of the North banking, while fighting for the second position behind Jordi Gené; Müller spun and eventually finished the race in 13th position, while Tarquini was classified 8th.
Having judged Tarquini responsible for causing an avoidable collision, the Stewards decided to give him also a penalty of ten grid positions that will remain suspended for the next three events.

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