The Chevrolet team opened the turbo era in WTCC in style at Curitiba that also meant a great start to the season in which they aim to defend their world titles.
After setting pole position, Rob Huff scored a lights to flag win in the first race, with team-mates Yvan Muller and Carlos Bueno in tow. After finishing third in last year’s championship the young Englishman is now set to be the one of the most serious pretenders to WTCC throne.
Alain Menu won the second race after an exciting fight with Tom Coronel. His victory was not quite expected after he qualified yesterday in a disappointed 11^th position. But this time Lady Luck decided to help, promoting him to the pole position in Race 2 following the exclusion of his fellow countryman Fredy Barth.
Huff leaves Brazil as the leader of the championship, closely followed by Menu and Muller.
A double success of the Cruze cars powered by the new 1.6L engine was easy to be predicted, especially after the RML crew had worked so hard in development and testing. However, Coronel showed that the BMW 320 TC has not a big gap to fill. As a matter of fact the Dutchman was very close to create a surprise and win the second race.
The fight between Chevrolet and BMW is set to draw the attention in the first part of the season, at least until the SEAT and Volvo cars will also switch to the new engine.
If the drivers of the SEAT TDi were not far away from the pace of the winners (especially Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro and Michel Nykjær), Robert Dahlgren and his Volvo suffered from the altitude that penalises the normally aspirated engines and also from a clutch failure.
In the Yokohama Trophy, Kristian Poulsen took the lead despite an accident in the second race that marked the first victory for the Spanish rookie Javier Villa who was able to master his BMW car despite the total lack of testing until Saturday morning.
His even younger compatriot Pepe Oriola was also able to shine and is now leading the new Jay-Ten Trophy.
The championship will resume at Zolder, Belgium, on April 24^th for rounds 3 and 4.

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Predictions came true as three Chevrolet turbo cars achieved the first places in the qualifying session at Curitiba.
It is not a surprise that Rob Huff and Yvan Muller will share the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s Race 1. However, the third blue car is not Menu’s as expected, but that of local Stock Car hero ‚Cacá‘ Bueno, as the Swiss racer failed to reach Q2.
The new system that determines the starting grid for the second race by reversing the top-ten drivers classified in Q1 proved spectacular as those who had adopted a conservative approach were forced to push or kicked off.

Q1 – Fastest laps improved quickly in the early minutes with Monteiro posting a 1:22.869 that nobody was able to beat. Poulsen was second fastest and best of the Yokohama Trophy.
The fight to win a top-ten spot was thrilling, with Huff capable of jumping back from 11^th to fifth just as the session expired, unintentionally kicking off his team-mate Menu.
Monteiro, Poulsen, Muller, Engstler, Huff, Bueno, Tarquini, Coronel, Barth and Nykjær proceeded to Q2, with the latter awarded with pole position for the second race.
Menu and Dahlgren were the first illustrious casualties of the season as they both were excluded at the last second and will line up 11^th and 12^th respectively on the grid for both races.

Q2 – The three remaining Chevrolet cars of Huff, Muller and Bueno posted the fastest times for good on their first lap out. The Briton’s impressive 1:21.758 smashed the existing lap record and gave him the first pole position of the season. Muller’s 1:22.147 and Bueno’s 1:22.503 were enough to secure them the second and third spot on the grid for tomorrow’s Race 1.
With a lap of 1:22.632 Nykjær secured the fourth spot of the grid and pole position for the Yokohama Trophy.
A common drama involved the group of drivers who waited until the last minutes for improving. When Coronel, Tarquini, Poulsen, Barth, Monteiro and Engstler were on their hot lap a light rain began to fall and as a results they all missed the braking point at the end of the straight and went wide, their hopes vanished.

PENALTIES PROMOTES MENU TO RACE 2 POLE
The penalties awarded by the Stewards after today’s qualifying demoted Fredy Barth and Darryl O’Young, but also promoted Alain Menu to pole position for tomorrow’s Race 2.
Barth and O’Young were stripped of all their qualifying times for different infringements.
The crew of the Hong Kong man worked on his car under parc fermé condition which resulted in O’Young being demoted from 15^th to 19^th.
Barth was penalised for missing twice the red light at the weighing bay and straight-cutting a chicane during Q1. The Stewards decided to exclude him from the qualifying results and pushed him to the back of the grids for both Race 1 and Race 2.
As a consequence of Barth’s exclusion, Menu was promoted to 10^th in the final results of Q1 that also meant pole position for Race 2.
Franz Engstler too had his fastest lap time disallowed from the Q2 results for straight-cutting a chicane. However this did not affect his tenth position.

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Tom Coronel emerged as the fastest driver in today’s test at Curitiba. At the wheel of his ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC the Dutchman posted a lap of 1:23.090 just before the end of the 30-minute session.
After the morning shake down the drivers begun to look for aspiration on the long straight and lap times improved drastically. Three other men were able to break the 1:24 mark: Huff (1:23.713), Muller (1:23.796) and Barth (1:23.864).
Tarquini (1:24.003) and Bueno (1:24.338) clocked the 5^th and 6^th fastest laps respectively ahead of the Liqui Moly duo of Poulsen and Engstler, with Dahlgren and his Volvo in 9^th position (1:24.379).
The session was disrupted once by the red flag after 14 minutes to tow Poulsen’s BMW off the gravel trap at the Esse de Alta.
In the dying moments Taniguchi took a big risk when his Chevrolet Lacetti ran very wide at the last corner, however the Japanese racer managed to avoid crashing into the tyre-wall.
Dudukalo did not take part as his team is still working to repair the cars after the massive morning crash; nor did Villa, whose car has still some mechanical issues to be solved..

Tom Coronel’s BMW was the fastest car in today’s test at Curitiba

THE WORD TO. TOM CORONEL
"It was one of those prefect lap you manage to post two, three times a year. I did not make any mistake and I benefited from a double slipstream on the straight from Poulsen and Menu. I was surprised by my time, but honestly I was at my limit.
I am very pleased, because this morning the car was driving me and I did not like it. For the afternoon test I adopted a more aggressive approach and asked for a number of set up changes. The package worked very well and I could feel I was in total control, though I did not expect such a big gap between me and the rest of the field."

DUDUKALO CRASHES IN WTCC SHAKE DOWN
The WTCC drivers hit the track for the first time at Curitiba for a shake down.
The session was due to last 90 minutes, however it was red-flagged with 20 minutes still on the clock and not resumed after Aleksei Dudukalo lost his SEAT TDi at the exit of the Esse da Alta and crashed heavily into the inside barriers. The Russian driver escaped unscathed while his car suffered from heavy damage.
Tiago Monteiro and his SEAT TDi created a surprise by setting the fastest lap of 1:24.360 ahead of the new Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 Turbo of Alain Menu (1:24.440) and Yvan Muller (1:24.446). The fourth fastest lap was clocked by Franz Engstler’s BMW 320 TC (1:24.472).
The top ten drivers were all covered by 0.6 seconds with Robert Dahlgren’s Volvo in 10^th position (1:25.036).
Gabriele Tarquini and Javier Villa did not post any lap time as their cars sat in the respective garages for the last adjustments.

Dudukalo’s SEAT is brought back to the pit after the crash

FOUR BRANDS TO FIGHT FOR MANUFACTURERS‘ TITLE
Four different brands will be fighting to win the 2011 FIA WTCC Manufacturers‘ Championship.
The complete list was released today by the FIA and it includes:
– Chevrolet Europe
– BMW Customer Racing Teams
– SR Customer Racing
– Volvo Polestar Evaluation Team
All the SEAT cars taking part in the championship are eligible to score points for the SR Customer Racing.

DRIVERS MEET FANS AND MEDIA IN CURITIBA
Official proceedings to the 2011 WTCC season got underway yesterday in the centre of Curitiba that hosts the championship’s opening meeting this weekend.
The promotional day began with the drivers parading through the city centre on board a double-decker bus and then meeting the fans in a crowded autograph sessions in the central Boca Maldita.
In the evening WTCC drivers joined the Secretary for Sport of Curitiba, Mr Marcelo Richa and championship promoter Marcello Lotti for a reception for local media at the WYN Club.
Two Chevrolet racing cars were exhibited in front of the building: Carlos Bueno’s WTCC Cruze and Max Wilson’s Stock Car.

Drivers meet the fans in the autograph session at the Boca Maldita

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The start of the 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship is just one week away. The series‘ seventh season will get underway once again at Curitiba, Brazil.
This will be the sixth time the 3.7 km circuit has hosted the WTCC. The championship visited Curitiba for the first time in July 2006; a crowd of 34,000 attended the races that were won by Jordi Gené (SEAT León) and Andy Priaulx (BMW 320si).
From 2007 the Brazilian event was moved to March and given the honour of opening the season. BMW Team Germany fellow drivers Jörg Müller and local boy Augusto Farfus shared victories and the attendance was even larger, with 45,000 spectators.
In the latest years (2008, 2009 and 2010) Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini dominated the field, winning Race 1 and Race 2 respectively for three consecutive times. Five of those six victories were for SEAT, while Muller’s won for Chevrolet in 2010.

The seventh season of WTCC kicks off next week at Curitiba, Brazil

O’YOUNG AND TANIGUCHI STAY AT BAMBOO
Bamboo-engineering announced that their driver line up for the 2011 FIA WTCC will remain unchanged, with Darryl O’Young from Hong Kong and Yukinori Taniguchi from Japan.
In their first season in the series the team came very close to clinching both the Drivers‘ (with O’Young) and Teams‘ Yokohama trophies.
Taniguchi who joined the team for the last four events in 2010 and clinched a victory in Race 1 at Okayama, is the first Japanese driver to commit for a full season in WTCC.
Team Principal Richard Coleman said: "We are obviously delighted that Darryl and Yukinori have resigned with us. The continuity is vital to the development of the team. We were of course disappointed to have just missed out on both Yokohama trophies last year, but to be in that position was a fantastic achievement for us and we are wanting to build on that success this year." The team will start the season with their existing pair of Chevrolet Lacetti cars that will be replaced by the Cruze with the new 1.6L turbocharged engine from the second event at Zolder.

Bamboo will start the season with the Lacetti before switching to the Cruze 1.6 T

USTCC CHAMPION WINS TEST IN A WTCC CAR
Following the meeting they had last week, WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti and USTCC director Ali Arsham unveiled the first act of cooperation between the two championships.
It was agreed that the winner of the 2011 Nitto US Touring Car Championship will earn a free test at the wheel of a WTCC car with the Italian outfit Proteam Racing.
At the end of the season, the USTCC Champion will travel to one of the scheduled test dates. "Then it’s up to him to impress Proteam’s staff. We have some amazing drivers in the US and we want to show the world that they can compete at the highest levels," said Ali Arsham.
And Marcello Lotti echoed: "I’m very proud of this intiative that fits perfectly in our plans of throwing a bridge between the World Championship and those National Championships that share the same view of what touring car racing is."

NEW SEASON, NEW FEATURES
Let’s see what are the new features of the season that starts in Brazil next week.

NEWCOMERS AND FAMILIAR FACES
There are five rookies among the 21 competitors: Aleksei Dudukalo from Russia, Urs Sonderegger from Switzerland, Marchy Lee from Hong Kong and the two young Spaniards Javier Villa and Pepe Oriola. The last one is the youngest driver ever to join the world championship at the age of 16.
Some others are familiar faces who committed to the season for the first time like Robert Dhalgren at the wheel of Polstar Racing’s Volvo C30, Fabio Fabiani and Yukinori Taniguchi, the first Japanese to take part in the full championship.
Among the teams, Roberto Ravaglia’s ROAL Motorsport make their comeback after a one-year absence. The Italian outfit that run Tom Coronel’s BMW had achieved seven WTCC race victories between 2005 and 2009.

THE GLOBAL ENGINE OPENS A NEW ERA
Touring car racing and rallies are now significantly closer thanks to the adoption of the Global Engine.
After becoming the common denominator between the FIA World Touring Car and World Rally championships, the new 1.6-litre turbocharged power plant is set to be adopted in national and regional series as well.
The new unit for the WTCC cars supplies about 320 bhp, with a significant increase of 30 bhp compared to the 2.0-litre normally aspirated and turbo diesel engines.
However, more than power itself, the new engine’s peculiarity will be reliability as in 2011 competitors will be only allowed one engine change during the season and after the ninth event. Further changes will result in grid penalties. From the 2012 season all engine changes will be penalised.

Small but powerful: the new 1.6-litre turbocharged Global Engine

CHANGE OF SYSTEM FOR THE REVERSE GRID
The starting grid for the second race of each championship event is no longer based on the provisional results of the first race, but on the final results of Saturday’s Q1 qualifying.
The number of the reversed positions was also increased from eight to ten, matching the number of cars that are allowed to proceed from Q1 to Q2.
The new system is set to prevent drivers from voluntarily losing positions during the first race with the aim to win pole position for the second.

THREE CIRCUITS HOST WTCC FOR THE FIRST TIME
The FIA WTCC is set to visit three racetracks for the first time.
The seventh event of the season on July 17^th, will take place at Donington Park that becomes the third circuit to host the WTCC Race of the UK, after Silverstone in 2005 and Brands Hatch from 2006 to 2010.
The tenth race meeting will be held on October 24^th at Suzuka. The WTCC Race of Japan moves to Suzuka’s East Circuit after being held at Okayama from 2008 to 2010.
On November 6^th the World Championship will pay its first visit to Mainland China, as the Guangdong International Circuit will be home to the WTCC Race of China, eleventh and last-but-one event of the season before the traditional finale on the streets of Macau.

PRIZE MONEY TOTALS TO 624,000 EUROS
The prize money reserved for the competitors of the WTCC trophies totals to 624,000 euros.
In the Yokohama Trophy 40,000 euros will be awarded at each of the twelve events, meaning 480,000 euros over the season. This prize money will be split among the top six drivers classified by adding together the points obtained in the two races of each event.
An additional 60,000 euros will be allocated in the new Jay-Ten Trophy to the drivers in cars complying with the 2010 Appendix J (2.0-litre normally aspirated and turbo diesel).
And finally 84,000 euros will be at stake again for the Monroe Performer that awards 3,500 euros to the driver setting the fastest lap in the Trophy at each race.

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The entry list for the 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship that will kick off on March 20^th at Curitiba, Brazil, was released today; this list remains subjected to the FIA approval.
Twenty-one competitors entered for the full season plus Carlos "Cacá" Bueno’s Chevrolet Cruze that will take part in the Brazilian event.
The list is formed by drivers coming from sixteen countries at the wheel of cars built from four different manufacturers: BMW, Chevrolet, SEAT and Volvo.
"We are satisfied because we retain a solid twenty-one car grid in spite of the recession that keeps on affecting motorsport activities worldwide. This makes us trustful in the near future, especially when we look at the first full season participation of Polestar Racing with a Volvo car. It is also very rewarding to see that all the represented Manufacturers are investing on the new 1.6-litre turbo engine. And this will enable all the teams to switch to the new engines sometimes during this season," Promoter Marcello Lotti commented, adding:
"I want to say that we have signed two-year agreements with most of the teams, which provides already a solid basis of twenty cars again for 2012; a minimum guaranteed that we are trying to enhance further through the negotiations currently ongoing with other Manufacturers."

Download the entry list

Twenty-one car entered for the full season in the 2011 FIA WTCC

CHEVROLET DRIVERS VISIT GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Alain Menu attended the press days of the Geneva Motor Show at the Chevrolet stand.
The three racers posed for pictures, were available for interviews and acted as brand ambassadors and test drivers during the presentation of the new Chevrolet Volt.
Chevrolet’s presence at the Motor Show revolves around two main topics: the brand’s centenary and the victory in the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Therefore Yvan Muller’s racing car – that sports the new 2011 livery – sits in the centre of the stand, alongside a glass show case containing the FIA WTCC Manufacturers‘ Trophy, while two giant screens show the highlights of the 2010 season.

Menu, Muller and Huff visited the Chevrolet stand in Geneva

MONROE TO BACK MONTEIRO’S SEAT LEÓN
Tenneco Inc., manufacturer of Monroe shock absorbers and Walker exhaust systems, announced that Tiago Monteiro is the official Monroe driver for the 2011 FIA WTCC.
A former Formula One racer, the 34-year old Portuguese switched to WTCC in 2007; since then he claimed four race wins and was classified fifth in last year’s championship. Monteiro faces now his fifth touring car season in a Monroe-branded SEAT León run by SUNRED.
Alex Gelbcke, Tenneco Vice President and General Manager, Aftermarket Europe, said: "Having Tiago as an ambassador will be a fantastic asset to Monroe’s presence in the WTCC. We are all looking enthusiastically forward to a great season!"
And Monteiro commented: "it is an honour for me to be chosen by Monroe to represent their brand. I will give my all to make them proud and make this relationship work!"

MICHELISZ TAKES OVER FARFUS‘ BMW
The Zengö Dension Team announced that Norbert Michelisz will take part in the 2011 WTCC with a BMW 320 TC in partnership with BMW Hungary. In an effort to gain more experience with the new technical package, the team decided not to attend the season-opener at Curitiba and to join from the second event at Zolder.
Michelisz, who created sensation on his maiden WTCC season last year by becoming the first Hungarian driver to win a world championship race, will take over Augusto Farfus‘ former BMW factory car that is being upgraded to the new TC specifications that include the 1.6-litre turbo engine. The car will be updated and prepared by Belgium-based Team RBM that will also provide technical support on track.
"I’m very happy to race a BMW 320 TC. I will need to adjust my mind and driving style for the rear-wheel drive. We have a lot work to do in order to get to know the car, but I’m confident that we will be able to make a big step forward especially in case we will be testing the car ahead the first race," Michelisz said.
Henning Putzke, Managing Director BMW Group Hungary declared: "We are happy to support the team. Norbert Michelisz is a great talent and we hope to see him more often on the podium in 2011 so that the world can recognize the success of Hungarian motorsport. Supporting him is an extention of the motorsport engagement of BMW Group Hungary."

BARTH’S SWISS SEAT PRESENTED IN GENEVA
Fredy Barth unveiled at the International Motor Show in Geneva the livery of his SEAT Swiss Racing car he will drive in the 2011 WTCC.
His SEAT León car will be run again by Spain-based outfit SUNRED Engineering; on his second year in the World Touring Car Championship and after finishing nine races in the points during his maiden season, Barth aims for more points and for podium results.
"I am really happy and proud, to once again be part of both the WTCC family and the SUNRED team. Unveiling the livery here in Geneva offered the ideal setting for a successful season. The fact that I have already settled into the championship will help me to prepare myself for the new season. I know most of the racetracks and also the secrets of racing in the WTCC, and with some luck that was missing sometimes in 2010, podium finishes will be within our grasp," said Barth and then added: "The start of the season won’t be easy with the old TDI engine, but from the third event in Marrakech we will have the new 1.6-litre turbo engine."

The unveiling of Fredy Barth’s car at the Geneva Motor Show

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The Chevrolet team continued working on the development and testing of the Cruze 1.6 turbo car. Rob Huff completed the last pre-season test, yesterday ay Sywell airfield and today at Silverstone.
So far, the new Cruze has covered over 4,500 kms of tests, equal to 2/3 of total mileage covered during one WTCC race season.
Development work is aimed at optimizing both performance and reliability, in view of meeting the very demanding criteria of the new FIA technical rules, by which only one engine change per car will be allowed in 2011 and none in 2012. Work is also focusing on other areas such as front brakes and tyres that have to stand the heavier constraints resulting from increased power and torque.
Whilst Huff was testing, Yvan Muller and its WTCC champion car were the guests of honour in a special celebration that took place at the Bira Circuit in Pattaya, Thailand and was attended by over 60 media representatives from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan.
Next week Muller, Huff and Alain Menu will attend the press days of the Geneva Motor Show and will be available for the media at the Chevrolet stand.

WTCC AND USTCC PLAN TO COOPERATE
WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti and USTCC director Ali Arsham met in the United States to lay the basis for a future cooperation between the two championships.
Lotti was visiting the US to evaluate the possibilities of including for the first time an American event in WTCC’s 2012 calendar. He took the opportunity to meet Arsham and establishing the first contacts with the Nitto US Touring Car Championship.
"The US market is very important for car Manufacturers and this is why we are seriously taking into consideration the idea to hold a WTCC event here. And because one of our priorities is to establish friendly relationships with national touring car series worldwide, the logical step was to contact Ali Arsham, whose championship makes the Super 2000 cars eligible among other classes. We have started working together with the aim to organize a common event for next year," said Lotti.
Ali Arsham commented: "It would be an honour for the USTCC to contribute bringing the World Championship to the United States. Sharing the same event would be a terrific benefit for both championships and I’m looking forward to work together with Marcello Lotti. The next step will be choosing the right location and date for a common race meeting."

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SUNRED confirmed their line up in the 2011 WTCC. The Spain-based outfit will start the season with six SEAT León TDI cars under three different banners; the plan is to switch to 1.6L turbo engines as soon as possible.
2009 World Champion Gabriele Tarquini will team with Aleksei Dudukalo at Lukoil-SUNRED.
"I am very pleased that Lukoil gave me the opportunity to continue racing in WTCC and to have Dudukalo as team-mate. I’ll do my best to help him during his maiden season," said Tarquini.
The Russian racer declared: "The WTCC has been a dream for me over the last few years. In 2010 Tarquini’s advises helped me a lot in the SEAT Eurocup. I think that together we can become a strong force in the WTCC this year."
Tiago Monteiro and Michel Nykjær will join Pepe Oriola at SUNRED Engineering.
Monteiro: "I am happy that SEAT and our partners have put their trust on me and I am delighted to race one more year in a championship which is one of the best in the world. I want to profit from the experience I have acquired over the past few years and translate that into my best season."
Nykjær: "I’m looking forward to one more season with SUNRED. I learned a lot from them last year and I’m ready to do my best for claiming that victory I nearly had at Monza and Okayama. I have a full season of experience, so there is no doubt that I’ll be aiming for podium results."
The sixth car will be driven by Fredy Barth for the colours of SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED.
Team principal Joan Orús stated: "We are very happy to race six cars once again. It will be an interesting season and I am sure that all our drivers have the necessary skill to succeed. We will fight for both the WTCC Championship and the Yokohama Trophy."

Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro will lead SUNRED once again

VILLA, BENNANI AND FABIANI FORM PROTEAM’S TRIO
Proteam Racing will run three BMW cars in the 2011 WTCC for Javier Villa García, Mehdi Bennani and Fabio Fabiani.
"We will start the season with two 320 TC cars powered by the new 1.6-litre turbo engine and one 2.0-litre normally aspirated 320si for Fabiani," team principal Valmiro Presenzini explained, adding: "We are currently racing against time to finish the two new cars that will be air-freighted to Brazil."
The 23-year old Spaniard Villa is one of the most interesting additions to this year’s WTCC. He switches to touring cars after a successful career in single seaters that included victories in the GP2 championship and F1 test-driver seat at Sauber. "I feel extremely motivated while opening a new chapter of my sporting career. My goal is to build experience and fight for the Yokohama Trophy, but also to show off with the factory teams that are involved in the championship," Villa stated.
Bennani, 27 from Morocco said: "The fact that I’m joining Proteam means that I must claim good results. I am confident, because all the ingredients are there. The team is very professional, I know most of the tracks and Proteam’s BMW is among the best cars in the field."
Italian racer Fabiani completes the team after making occasional appearances in the championship during the two previous seasons.

Proteam Racing will run three BMW cars in the 2011 WTCC

EIGHT WTCC TEST SESSIONS APPROVED
Eight private test sessions for the 2011 season have been approved by the FIA Touring Car Commission.
The 30-minute private testing have been authorized to permit the teams shaking their cars down after overseas travelling or fixing the set up on those racetracks that are new to the championship or have been reincluded in the calendar after a break, like Porto.
Friday test sessions will be held at Curitiba, Zolder, Marrakech, Porto, Donington Park, Suzuka and Guangdong, while Macau’s test session as usual will take place on Thursday, with free practices and qualifying on Friday.
One additional 90-minute session on Friday morning was also approved for the season’s opener at Curitiba.
According to article 116 of the WTCC Sporting Regulations, the Commission also authorized an official test day on May 12^th at Monza.

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Two BMW teams – ROAL Motorsport and Liqui Moly Team Engstler – spent a few days in Italy, testing at Vallelunga circuit from Monday to Wednesday.
Augusto Farfus took also part in the test, at the wheel of a BMW Motorsport BMW 320 TC car; the Brazilian driver carried on with the technical development of the new 1.6-litre turbo engine built for the WTCC teams and completed 143 laps (nearly 590 km) with no technical problems.

RAVAGLIA: WE ARE QUITE HAPPY WITH THE NEW CAR
Roberto Ravaglia’s ROAL Motorsport tested at Vallelunga on Tuesday and Wednesday with a BMW 320 TC driven by Tom Coronel.
After solving a few electrical issues that prevent them from hitting the track on Tuesday morning, the Italian outfit.
"We are quite happy with this test that was the first one with the new car and the new driver. Therefore our priority was to establish a good understanding between Tom and the team. So far the car is going well. Compared to the 320si with the 2-litre aspirated engine, the 320 TC is a little bit more complicated to run, especially in terms of the engine itself and engine management. Though I must say that BMW Motorsport is providing a great technical support for the engine development, so we can focus on the right set up for the first races in Curitiba," team principal Roberto Ravaglia said and then added.
"I think that Coronel was the best choice we could make. I know him since his maiden touring car race, back in 1991 or 1992, when we shared a BMW M3 in Pergusa. I like him, because he is a professional and very fast driver, but at the same time he is also capable of adapting himself to the team, rather than asking the team to adapt to his wishes."

The ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC of Tom Coronel during the Italian test

CORONEL: I WILL BE FIGHTING FOR PODIUM RESULTS
At Vallelunga Tom Coronel had his first proper test with ROAL Motorsport and the new BMW 320 TC car.
"I was impressed by the team. They are very professional and focusing on my car only. And furthermore, as a former driver, Roberto Ravaglia understands motor racing. And I really can feel this. The test went well and the engine ran fine, so we were able to concentrate on the car’s set up. Because you need to change it a lot," the Dutchman said, and then added.
"It’s a drastic change in the driving style, especially because in the last six years I raced front-wheel drive cars. When the turbo kicks in you suddenly have a lot more power and find yourself drifting out of the corners. This is not good for the tyres, so we have to find a set up that is conservative with them. You have to work on lower revs and listen carefully to the engine; on the other hand you can brake into the corners and be more aggressive with the throttle. This test made me very optimist for the season. I am confident that with the combination we have I will be fighting for podium results."

THREE DRIVERS FOR LIQUI MOLY TEAM ENGSTLER
The Liqui Moly Team Engstler ran two cars in Vallelunga, from Monday to Wednesday for three drivers: team principal Franz Engstler, Kristian Poulsen and Hong Kong racer Marchy Lee.
"We had a few technical problems on the first day with the power steering. But after we sorted them out everything was working fine. The car is a lot of fun to drive; with the turbo engine you also have a lot of power. I think is going to be good," Poulsen commented.
Engstler echoed: "I like the car. It is nice to drive. However it will take some times to get used to it, because it is important to change the driving style compared to the BMW 320si we were racing until last year. That one required a very smooth driving while the 320 TC needs a more aggressive style."

Marchy Lee listens to Franz Engstler’s advise before taking the wheel

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The FIA World Touring Car Championship and the Copa Caixa Stock Car, Brazil’s most popular racing car series, will kick off the 2011 season together on March 20^th.
The race meeting will take place at the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba that has hosted the WTCC Race of Brazil from 2006 to 2010.
The plan to move the event to Interlagos was dropped because of logistic issues connected to fact that the circuit is undergoing renovation works. The change back to Curitiba is now subjected to the approval of the FIA.
WTCC is pleased to announce the signing of a three-year agreement with Vicar Promoções Desportivas, promoter of the Copa Caixa Stock Car, that will also be promoter of the WTCC Race of Brazil in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In 2011 WTCC and Stock Car will feature in a joint event that is set to become one of the highlights of the international and Brazilian motorsport season, presenting fans and media alike with the excitement of the very best of touring car racing in the same weekend.
WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti commented on the agreement: "After five years as a stand-alone event, WTCC is now facing an important development through this partnership with Vicar. The opportunity of sharing the event with the Copa Caixa Stock Car and the outstanding joint promotion set up by Vicar will greatly enhance the world championship’s popularity in Brazil. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Municipality of Curitiba that enthusiastically keeps on supporting the WTCC event in Brazil."
A note from Vicar said: "It’s very important for our company to become promoter of an event which is part of a World Championship. We believe that being part of the same race meeting will be a benefit for both series, the WTCC and the Copa Caixa Stock Car, as the Brazilian motorsport enthusiasts will be treated to the great show of two top-level categories racing in the same weekend."

Curitiba will host the WTCC season’s opener for the fifth consecutive year

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TV audience for the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Championship improved by ten percent compared to the previous season. The figures were unveiled by Eurosport Events, the championship promoter, following the annual broadcast report published by independent German Institute IFM.
Despite the championship was run on eleven events, one less than in 2009, audience figures of the WTCC HD programmes during the 2010 season recorded a gain of 40 million viewers compared to the previous year.
During 900 hours of coverage, the cumulative global reach totalled to 470 million viewers worldwide, against the record figure of 430 millions achieved in 2009.
Especially good performances were delivered by free-to-air channels in Germany (RTL) and Japan (TXN network, which includes TV Tokyo and TV Osaka).
Overall, 51% of broadcast duration has been delivered in Asia, whereas Europe still represents 65% of cumulative audience.
The TV distribution of WTCC is increasing year after year, with 86 channels under contract in 2010. Eurosport, the "host broadcaster" of WTCC and its live coverage throughout Europe and Asia Pacific, reached 38.9 million different viewers. Eurosport’s viewership now represents less than 9 per cent of WTCC’s worldwide cumulated audience. An evidence that WTCC TV coverage is steadily expanding all around the world.
Ulrich Lacher, managing director of IFM, commented: "Despite the FIFA World Cup was dominating sports global coverage for about two months, the WTCC continued to grow just like in the previous years. This was due to the growing popularity as a result of the good TV distribution of the series, which has made its way onto a number of major national networks in key motorsport markets like Japan, USA, China and Germany."
WTCC can now look at another record breaking season in 2011, with the conservative aim of exceeding the symbolic mark of half-billion viewers.

2010 was another record season for WTCC TV audience

TARQUINI AND DUDUKALO TESTED AT LLEIDA
Only a few days afther they tested in Barcelona last week, SUNRED Engineering moved to Lleida, located in the middle of Catalunya region, for another test session.
Gabriele Tarquini and Russian youngster Aleksey Dudukalo shared testing duties for two days with very low temperatures.
"We had to work hard on the set up to compensate the cold. The team focused to help Aleksey in getting to know the car and Gabriele’s support was crucial as he showed him all the secrets to drive the SEAT León Tdi at a fast and effective pace," team engineer Conrado Avila explained.
Dudukalo completed the two-day testing without any mechanical or driving problem.  
"We were very pleased with the job Aleksei and Gabriele have done at Lleida and now we can focus on preparing cars and parts for the shipping to Brazil," Avila concluded.

Gabriele Tarquini and Aleksei Dudukalo tested this week in Lleida, Spain

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Three WTCC Volvo teams spent two days testing at Barcelona’s Catalunya Circuit.
Chevrolet used two Cruze 1.6 Turbo cars driven by Rob Huff and Yvan Muller; SUNRED ran two SEAT León TDi cars with Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro, Pepe Oriola and Paul Ip from Hong King alternating at the wheel; Polestar tested with two Volvo C30 cars fitted with the 2.0L normally aspirated engines for Robert Dahlgren and James Thompson.
The weather was bright, but cold over the two days.

SUCCESSFUL LAST TEST FOR CHEVROLET
Chevrolet completed their last test before shipping the cars to Brazil. Muller and Huff were indefatigable covering as more kilometres as possible with the Cruze fitted with the new 1.6-litre turbo engine.
"I feel quite good in the car although I have done only four days of testing so far, which is not enough when you have to cope with a new car and new regulations. With the turbo engine the Chevrolet is now very similar to the SEAT turbo diesel in terms of driveability and set up," said Muller.
Development engineer Darren Revens explained: "We are very happy with how this test has gone. With the new regulations, reliability is the key, because the engine must last for a minimum of nine events. Therefore we have focused on making it reliable. Here in Barcelona we managed to cover a fair distance without any major drama. So far so good!"

Rob Huff’s Chevrolet Cruze during the test at Barcelona

DAHLGREN AND THOMPSON WORK TOGETHER AT VOLVO
Polestar Racing officially started Volvo’s approach to the WTCC testing at Barcelona. The Swedish team conducted a comparative test between the C30 that Dahlgren will drive in the WTCC opening in Brazil and the sister car that will be used by Thompson in Scandinavia.
"We are all excited and keen to develop the car during our first season in the World Championship. We still have a lot work to do, especially on the new turbo engine. We are looking forward to start using it as soon as it will be possible, though we still don’t know when this will happen," Dahlgren commented.
Track engineer Per Blomberg explained: "The first issue for us is to adapt to the WTCC tracks that are much faster than those we are used to in Sweden. This is why we have asked Thompson to join this test and help us in setting up the car."

Dahlgren shares impressions with Thompson and engineer Per Blomberg

DIFFERENT GENERATIONS TOGETHER AT SUNRED
With the plan to run again six cars in 2011, SUNRED Engineering used the test in Barcelona for checking the performance with Tarquini and Monteiro and also to give young rookie Oriola the opportunity to get used to the SEAT León TDi.
"We will start the season with the turbo diesel cars, but we are working to develop a 1.6-litre turbo engine and we will start using it as soon as possible. At least on some of our six cars," said team principal Joan Orús adding. "We will run six cars again. It will be interesting, with two young drivers like Oriola and Aleksei Dudukalo, two former rookies like Fredy Barth and Michel Nykjær and – hopefully – two experienced guys like Tarquini and Monteiro."

Tarquini and Oriola shared driving duties in the SEAT León TDi

ORIOLA IS READY TO LEARN FROM THE BEST
16-year old Spaniard Pepe Oriola, the youngest driver ever to join WTCC, is excited after his first proper test in a WTCC car.
"I’m really happy. This is a great opportunity for me after only two seasons of car racing. Obviously all the drivers in the championship have more experience than I do, but I’m not especially worried. And I’m confident that I can learn a lot during my first season in the World Championship working together team-mates like Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro," said Oriola.

Tarquini and Oriola shared driving duties in the SEAT León TDi

ENGSTLER AND POULSEN JOIN FORCES
Franz Engstler and Kristian Poulsen will be team-mates again in the 2011 FIA WTCC, just like in 2009. They will both race at the wheel of BMW 320 TC cars fitted with the new 1.6-litre turbo engine and run by the Liqui Moly Team Engstler in cooperation with Poulsen Motorsport.
"We are happy to re-establish the cooperation with Kristian and his team. We are confident that this will give us good chances to successfully fight for the independent title once again," Team manager Kurt Treml said.
Engstler and Poulsen have already started the season together, taking part last Saturday in the Dubai 24 Hour race at the wheel of the new Liqui Moly BMW Z4, with little luck though as they were delayed by a technical problem while in fourth position. In 2010 they classified second (Engstler) and third (Poulsen) in the WTCC Independents‘ Trophy.

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The prize money reserved for the competitors of the Yokohama Trophy will be increased further in 2011, up to a grand total of 624,000 euros thanks to the support of Yokohama and Monroe.
Just like in 2010, Yokohama will award 40,000 euros at each of the twelve events, meaning 480,000 euros over the season. This prize money will be split among the top six drivers classified by adding together the points obtained in the two races of each event, according to the following scale:

• 12,000 euros to the first driver
• 10,000 euros to the second driver
• 8,000 euros to the third driver
• 5,000 euros to the fourth driver
• 3,000 euros to the fifth driver
• 2,000 euros to the sixth driver

An additional 84,000 euros will be at stake again for the Monroe Performer that allocates 3,500 euros to the driver setting the fastest lap in the Trophy at each race.
New from this year is the 60,000-euro prize money reserved for the drivers at the wheel of cars complying with the 2010 Appendix J (2.0-litre normally aspirated and turbo diesel). This prize money will be awarded to the top three drivers classified by adding together the points obtained in the two races of each event, according to the following scale:

• 2,500 euros to the first driver
• 1,500 euros to the second driver
• 1,000 euros to the third driver

Prize money will be cumulative.

O’Young and Bennani are due to compete in the Yokohama Trophy again

SPANISH TEST FOR HUFF AND MENU
Chevrolet spent two days testing at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit, under dry and sunny conditions.
Rob Huff and Alain Menu drove their brand new Cruze 1.6-litre turbo race cars for the first time after a shake down in the UK last Friday.
No reliability issues were reported and both drivers were able to complete the entire programme on schedule, covering around 500 km each.
Huff said: "It was very important for me to get some decent mileage under my belt, understand better how the new engine works and how to drive it. The balance of the car is different so we looked into different chassis set-up options, as you would normally do during winter testing. I am glad the car reacts well to changes and am now looking forward to some more testing days in Barcelona next week."
And Menu echoed: "We concentrated our work on what we call the driveability, or better said how to get the engine power and torque on the track keeping the front tyres within their limits. We ended up reviewing quite a few options. We now need to go through all the data and see how we can progress things for the up coming tests."

The new Chevrolet Cruze tested for two days in Valencia

WTCC TEAMS INTENSIFY TESTING PROGRAMME
With a little bit more than two months to the start of the season in Brazil, WTCC teams are intensifying their testing programmes.
Chevrolet, Polestar Racing and SUNRED Engineering will spend two days at Barcelona’s Catalunya Circuit next week, on January 20^th and 21^st.
Chevrolet will test with two Cruze cars powered by the new 1.6-litre turbo engine, driven by Rob Huff and the reigning world champion Yvan Muller. SUNRED will also bring two SEAT León Tdi cars and Polestar two Volvo C30 cars still powered by the 2.0-litre normally aspirated engine
BMW teams ROAL Motorsport, Liqui Moly Team Engstler and Proteam Motorsport are due to test at Vallelunga, Italy, in the first decade of February.

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Italy-based ROAL Motorsport will come back to the FIA WTCC, fielding one BMW 320 TC car powered by the new 1.6-litre turbo engine for Dutch driver Tom Coronel.
The team directed by Roberto Ravaglia took part in the world championship between 2005 and 2009, claiming seven race wins for BMW, while Coronel achieved one victory and five other podium results, always at the wheel of SEAT cars. In 2010 he obtained his best result ever in the Drivers‘ Championship, finishing in eighth position.
"The technical package developed by BMW Motorsport has certainly a potential and I believe it will allow customer teams to aim for high level results. Furthermore, a fast and well experienced driver such as Tom Coronel will contribute to enhance the team’s performance," team principal Roberto Ravaglia commented.
Tom Coronel – 41 years old who had raced BMW cars in the European and Dutch Touring Car championships between 2001 and 2004 – echoed: "I have the feeling that I won the Italian lottery and hit the jackpot! It is so great to work with the ROAL Motorsport team and especially with Roberto Ravaglia. I even raced with him in the early nineties. This is a race winning team!"

The livery of Tom Coronel’s BMW 320 TC run by ROAL Motorsport

ENTRIES OPEN FOR 2011 FIA WTCC
Full season entries to the 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship opened on January 1^st, and will close on February 28^th.
Competitors must submit their applications using the entry form (Appendix 3) available from the FIA, accompanied by the entry fee of euro 36,500.
Race-by-race entries must be submitted to the FIA at least fourteen days prior to the relevant event; the entry fee is euro 5,000.

Pepe Oriola, born in Barcelona on 9 July 1994, will become the youngest driver to ever race in WTCC. The Spaniard has signed a deal with SUNRED Engineering to drive a SEAT León next season and is set to make his WTCC debut in Brazil on March 20^th, 2011 at the age of 16 years, 8 months and 11 days.
"This is a dream come true. It will be tough to be the youngest in the field, but I’ll do my best to make an impact. Obviously it will be difficult to fight for the title, but I will have the opportunity to learn from the best," Oriola said.
Despite his young age, Oriola has already achieved impressive results, starting from his very first car race in the 2009 SEAT León Supercópa when he finished on the podium at the age of 15. Last year he was classified fourth in the SEAT León Eurocup with a double victory in Valencia.
"We are confident that Pepe is mature enough to deliver a great maiden season. He has the potential to provide more than a surprise," declared SUNRED principal Joan Orús.

16-year old Spaniard Pepe Oriola will compete in the 2011 WTCC with SUNRED

ANDY PRIAULX TESTED THE WRC MINI
Triple WTCC champion Andy Priaulx tested the new MINI that will take part in the 2011 World Rally Championship.
"I had a bit of fun. It was great as Kris Meeke was there so he was able to show me the ropes, and then was brave enough to sit beside me while I drove the car," said Priaulx. "Is a lovely little car, and I am sure the programme will be successful. This was an amazing opportunity and I can’t thank David Richards enough for giving me such a great chance."
The MINI WRC is built by Prodrive and powered by the same 1.6 litre four-cylinder turbo engine of the BMW 320 TC for the 2011 World Touring Car Championship that Priaulx tested in Valencia last week.

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Last night Yvan Muller and Chevrolet were been officially named 2010 FIA World Touring Car champions during the traditional FIA prize giving gala in Monaco.
In the sumptuous setting of the Sporting d’Eté’s Salle des Etoiles, the FIA honoured all its champions. In a progression from Karting to Formula One, the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s prize giving took place between the FIA GT1’s and the World Rally Championship’s.
After SR-Sport’s Gabriele Tarquini and Muller’s team-mate Rob Huff – second and third in the championship respectively – had received the runner up trophies, the curtain rose unveiling Muller and Chevrolet Motorsport director Eric Nève standing on the stage, with the Chevrolet Cruze winning car between them.
Yvan Muller was awarded the Drivers‘ World Champion’s trophy for the second time, after the title he won in 2008 for SEAT, while Nève collected Chevrolet’s first Manufacturers‘ Championship trophy.

Yvan Muller with fellow Frenchman and WRC champion Sébastien Loeb

GUANGDONG TO HOST WTCC RACE OF CHINA
The first ever FIA WTCC event in Mainland China will take place at the Guangdong International Circuit, on November 6, 2011.
GIC is located between the cities of Zhaoqing and Sanshui, some 40 km North East of Guangzhou, China’s third largest city and capital of the Guangdong province.
The circuit was inaugurated in 2009, with modern facilities and a 2.8 km racetrack. Last week it hosted the final meeting of the China Touring Car Championship that in 2011 will share the stage with the FIA World Championship during the WTCC Race of China event.
Marcello Lotti, promoter of the WTCC said: "When we launched the WTCC, reaching the Asian market was one of our priorities. The first step was to include in our calendar a traditional and very popular event like the Macau Grand Prix, then we added Japan and now we are pleased to crown this approach with the further addition of an event in Mainland China. On top of this we are extremely happy to share the event with the China Touring Car Championship. Not only will this enhance the local promotion, but it will also reinforce ours and the Chinese promoter’s will to work in a close cooperation in establishing common strategies for the future."

The Guangdong International Circuit will host the WTCC Race of China in 2011

TOURING CAR PROMOTERS MEET IN MONACO
Promoters representing 16 different touring car championships worldwide attended a round table in Monaco on December 8^th / 9^th and laid the foundations for a Touring Car Promoter Association that would help to establish common strategies for the future.
On the second day the promoters met car manufacturers‘ representatives for an exhaustive exchange of views on touring car racing.
The round table was organized by Marcello Lotti, promoter of the FIA World Touring Car Championship and European Touring Car Cup: "The aim was to gather information about the current situation in the different series worldwide and identify some common goals and strategies. I am very pleased with the outcome, as all participants expressed the will to work together for globalizing the concept of touring car racing."
The promoters who joined Lotti at the round table, in person or by proxy, represented touring car championships from Asia, Bahrain, Baltic States, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Thailand.
"Some others were not able to join due to previous commitments or because weather conditions affected their flight schedule. However they have showed strong interest and approved the principles of forming an Association. We have been asked to provide a report of the meeting from promoters of touring car series in Argentina, Belgium, China, Emirates, Japan, Turkey and the United States. This was a starting point and now we are looking forward to fix further meetings. " Lotti concluded.

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