Eurosport Events, the promoter of the FIA World Touring Car Championship through its subsidiary KSO, today announced a two-year cooperation with the suspension leader MONROE.

MONROE, whose partnership agreement previously covered the 2007 and 2008 seasons, now extends its partnership across the 2010 and 2011 FIA WTCC seasons to become the Championship’s “Official Suspension Partner“.
The new expanded partnership includes extensive on-site branding, hospitality as well as TV coverage of the FIA WTCC on Eurosport TV channels and worldwide online visibility on Eurosport’s and FIA WTCC’s websites.

In addition, MONROE will also be the Event Presenting Partner of the Race of Belgium (Zolder, 20 June 2010) and of the Race of Czech Republic (Brno, 1 August 2010).

On top of the sponsorship package, MONROE will present a brand new prestigious award in 2010: the "MONROE PERFORMER" that will be given at each WTCC round to both factory and independent drivers who have recorded the fastest lap times.

"Monroe is a very special partner for us, as it has been very active on WTCC in the past years. We are delighted to welcome Monroe back with such a strong commitment that underlines its loyalty to and trust in the continuous development of the WTCC brand," said Jacques Raynaud, Vice-Chairman of Eurosport Group and Eurosport Events. "This cooperation will also enable Monroe to benefit from Eurosport’s powerful multimedia platform, on-air, online and through event sponsorship," he continued.

"WTCC has been an excellent marketing and communication platform for both MONROE and its customers since 2007. Following the pause we felt it appropriate to take in 2009 due to the economic environment, we are delighted to invest again in our WTCC partnership," said Alex Gelbcke, Vice President and General Manager Aftermarket Europe for Tenneco which manufacturers and markets Monroe branded suspension worldwide. "The demanding performance requirements and high quality standards of the Championship and its fans worldwide are values that are extremely well aligned with those of the Monroe brand," he added.

The 2010 FIA WTCC will be visiting twelve different countries over four continents, and will resume in Brazil on 7 March for its sixth season.

INDEPENDENTS‘ PRIZE MONEY INCREASED BY 24%
The prize money reserved for the competitors of the Yokohama Independents‘ Trophy will be substantially increased in 2010.
The total amount of the prize money rises from 384,000 to 480,000 euros, meaning that at each event 40,000 euros will be awarded to the independent drivers, compared to the 32,000 awarded until 2009. This amounts to a 24% increase.
The prize money is awarded to top six Independent drivers, classified by adding together the points obtained in the two races of each event, according to the following scale:

– to the first driver: euro 12,000
– to the second driver: euro 10,000
– to the third driver: euro 8,000
– to the fourth driver: euro 5,000
– to the fifth driver: euro 3,000
– to the sixth driver: euro 2,000

The point scoring system is the same as the WTCC: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points to the first eight drivers classified; however, unlike the WTCC, double points are awarded in the two races of the final meeting at Macau.
From 2009, one additional point is awarded to drivers setting the independents‘ pole position and fastest lap at each round. Three additional points are also awarded for each point scored in the WTCC overall classification.
Previous winners of the trophy were Wiechers-Sport’s Marc Hennerici (BMW 320i) in 2005, GR Asia’s Tom Coronel (SEAT León) in 2006, Wiechers-Sport’s Stefano D’Aste (BMW 320si) in 2007, Proteam Motorsport’s Sergio Hernández (BMW 320si) in 2008 and SUNRED’s Tom Coronel (SEAT León) in 2009.

In 2010 independent drivers will fight for a 480,000 euro prize money

COUNTDOWN: – 66 DAYS

to the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil – 6^th / 7^th March, in Curitiba

www.fiawtcc.com

Championship promoter KSO established the "WTCC Special Award" to reward the efforts made by the companies involved in developing and promoting the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The jury, formed of representatives from KSO and Eurosport, decided to exceptionally award two trophies in 2009, to the Marrakech Grand Prix and the Office National Marocain du Tourisme (ONMT) for their joint contribution towards the organisation of the first WTCC Race of Morocco and for supporting local driver Mehdi Bennani to take part in the event.
"Our aim was to give recognition to the whole country through its enterpreneurs and government institutions," explained Eurosport Events vice-president Jacques Raynaud while handing the awards to Aly Horma and Islam Zahid of Marrakech GP and to Abdelhamid Addou of OMNT.
"We have been honoured to receive such an award. This was not only testament to what we all achieved, with the return of international motorsports to our country and the massive media spotlight on Morocco, but also an indication to what the future holds, as we all believe the event has enormous potential for the future," commented Islam Zahid and Aly Horma.
While Abdelhamid Addou said: "The huge success of the first WTCC event in Marrakech shows that our partnership with the Race of Morocco and Eurosport will last for years to come. We are honoured to receive this distinction that promotes the image of a modern and dynamic country."
Other nominees for the awards were HSBC, for expanding to the WTCC Race of Mexico the support they were already giving to the WTCC Race of Brazil, and Yokohama, for their even stronger commitment to support the WTCC manufacturers and teams and to introduce eco-friendly technologies in the production of racing tyres.

Abdelhamid Addou of OMNT receives the special award from Jacques Raynaud
Islam Zahid (far left) and Aly Horma of Marrakech Grand Prix attend

MOUNTAIN BIKE INCIDENT FOR VAN LAGEN
LADA Sport driver Jaap van Lagen broke his collarbone during a work out on his mountain bike last Saturday. Van Lagen jumped over a tree and was settling for another jump when his rear wheel got stuck. The Dutchman was thrown in the air and landed on a tree trunk. "I immediately knew something was wrong," he said.
Jaap van Lagen cycled three kilometres with an injured left shoulder to the nearest village before being taken to hospital, where x-rays revealed a multiple fracture to his left collarbone. The LADA driver underwent surgery that same afternoon, his collarbone being fixed with a large metal plate.
"The operation was successful," Jaap said from his hospital bed. "After six weeks the bone will be fully repaired, but well before that I will be able to practice. And by the start of the WTCC season I will be in great shape again."

www.fiawtcc.com

NO MORE BALANCE OF PERFORMANCE CHANGES
Yesterday in Monaco, the FIA World Motor Sport Council approved the concept that there will be no balance of performance changes to any of the FIA WTCC cars after the start of the 2010 season.
The same system of compensation weight that came into force in 2009 will be used again in 2010.
The championship will be held on twelve race meetings over four continents. The only changes to the calendar, compared to the provisional one approved in June, concern the Moroccan and the Italian events that were brought forward by two weeks and one week respectively. The WTCC Race of Morocco will be held at Marrakech on May 2^nd, while the WTCC Race of Italy returns to Monza on May 23^rd, after having visited Imola in 2009.

2010 FIA WTCC CALENDAR

7 March – Curitiba, Brazil
11 April – Puebla-Amozoc, Mexico
2 May – Marrakech, Morocco
23 May – Monza, Italy
20 June – Zolder, Belgium
4 July – Portimão, Portugal
18 July – Brands Hatch, United Kingdom
1 August – Brno, Czech Republic
5 September – Oschersleben, Germany
19 September – Valencia, Spain
31 October – Okayama, Japan
21 November – Macau

GABRIELE TARQUINI CROWNED AT THE FIA GALA
Last night Gabriele Tarquini and SEAT have been officially named 2009 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 GT’s and the World Rally Championship’s.
After SEAT’s Yvan Muller and BMW’s Augusto Farfus – second and third in the championship respectively – had received the runner up trophies, the curtain rose unveiling Gabriele Tarquini and SEAT Sport director Jaime Puig standing on the stage, with the SEAT León TDI winning car between them. Tarquini was awarded with the World Champion’s trophy, while Puig collected a second consecutive Manufacturers‘ Championship trophy.

Jaime Puig and Gabriele Tarquini on the stage at the FIA gala in Monaco

TARQUINI RECEIVES AUTOSPRINT AWARD
These are days of celebration for Gabriele Tarquini and SEAT, newly crowned FIA World Touring Car champions.
Before going to Monaco to attend the FIA gala, Gabriele Tarquini received the prestigious Golden Helmet award from the Italian motorsport magazine Autosprint.
Tarquini received the award from the hands of Ferrari F1 team manager Stefano Domenicali, during a gala dinner in Bologna in which all the champions of the 2009 automobile sport season were also celebrated.
The Golden Helmet for the FIA WTCC winning manufacturer was collected by SEAT Italy’s new director Cyrill René Hugi.

COUNTDOWN: – 85 DAYS

to the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil – 6^th / 7^th March, in Curitiba

www.fiawtcc.com

The FIA World Touring Car Championship is facing a winter break that will last little more than three months.
In only 93 days from now, the series that ended on November 22nd in Macau, will resume in Brazil for its sixth season.
The Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba will host the opening event. The first two of the 24 races that will award the 2010 World titles will be held on March 7^th, but the season will begin two days earlier, with the usual 30-minute test session on Friday afternoon.
This will mark the fifth visit paid by WTCC to the 3.7km racetrack that has become a traditional stop since 2006.
Actually the season will start much earlier for the teams and the championship’s organisation, as cars and parts will be shipped to Brazil in the early days of February.

Curitiba will host the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Championship’s opening

PRIAULX AND McGUINNESS SWAP HELMETS
Triple world touring car champion, Andy Priaulx, and Isle of Man TT superstar, John McGuinness, can usually be found in Macau watching each others‘ races. Therefore this year they decided it was time for their mutual admiration to go one step further and before leaving China swapped racing helmets.
Guernsey’s Priaulx and Morecambe Bay’s McGuinness have both won on the notorious street track, and have become firm friends over the years. This year it was the 12^th time Honda rider McGuinness had raced there, while for BMW Team UK’s Priaulx it was his sixth touring car appearance, but prior to that he had raced there in Formula 3.
After the swap Priaulx said: "I have the utmost respect for the bikers round this track. I know how dangerous it is in a car, so can only imagine what it is like on a 1000cc bike. John and myself have become friends over the years and so it just seemed natural that we should swap our helmets – I think this is more sensible than our racing machines!  I am delighted to now own one of his helmets and this will have pride of place in my Guernsey home."

Helmet swapping between John McGuinnes and Andy Priaulx at Macau

D’ASTE WINS GT CLASS AT MONZA
Stefano D’Aste made up for the disappointment of missing the WTCC final round in Macau by winning the GT category in the Monza International Rally last Sunday.
D’Aste, who was sidelined at Macau after James Thompson crashed into his stationary car during the qualifying session, took part in the rally having his sister Linda as co-driver. The pair dominated their opponents at the wheel of a Lotus Exige 260 Cup and obtained an outstanding tenth position overall.
D’Aste was especially competitive in the wet and clocked an impressive fifth fastest time in the last stage of the event, amid WRC cars.

COUNTDOWN: – 93 DAYS

to the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil – 6^th / 7^th March, in Curitiba

www.fiawtcc.com

The 2009 FIA World Touring Car champions were honoured last Sunday in Macau, during the traditional party at Fisherman’s Wharf. One after the other all the major players of the season were called on to the stage to collect their awards.
The prize giving ceremony began with the Advan Yokohama trophies. For the second time after 2006 Tom Coronel collected the Independents‘ Trophy for driver, while SUNRED Engineering’s principal Joán Orus received the Teams‘ Trophy.
The ceremony continued with the Manufacturers‘ Championship: Ray Mallock for Chevrolet, Mario Theissen for BMW and Jaime Puig for SEAT were awarded with the third, second and first prize respectively.
The evening culminated with the Drivers‘ Championship awards that went to Augusto Farfus (third), Yvan Muller (second) and to the new champion Gabriele Tarquini.

Jaime Puig and his wonder boys with Eurosport Events‘ vice president Jacques Raynaud

REVIEW OF THE 2009 FIA WTCC SEASON

TARQUINI: EXPERIENCE AND CONSISTENCY
Recovering from two major crashes on Thursday and Friday, Gabriele Tarquini claimed the 2009 FIA WTCC crown at Macau and in the process set a couple of new records becoming the oldest FIA World Champion ever and scoring the highest number of points for a WTCC season. 
"Experience is a crucial factor to survive touring car tough racing. So the age is not so important. And I still feel young enough to be competitive," the new champion said.
Consistency was also a factor. Tarquini claimed only three victories against Augusto Farfus‘ six and Yvan Muller’s four, but scored points in 22 races out of 24.
"WTCC is such a competitive championship that you have to focus on scoring points. In the past I paid scoreless races dearly. So I changed my approach, focusing on qualifying (he took five pole positions this year) and then looking to convert the pole in a win or a podium position in Race 1. Finally I tried to score points in the second race. It worked, but to beat Yvan and Augusto I had to collect 127 points, which is a record. 13 more than Yvan’s last year’s score!"

FARFUS AND MULLER TOOK THE MOST WINS
Yvan Muller and Augusto Farfus completed the championship podium in second and third position respectively, but they claimed the majority of race victories.
The 2008 champion lost the title to his team-mate Tarquini by only four points before moving to Chevrolet for next year. Muller claimed four race wins and collected ten points more than in his winning season, however the incidents in which he was involved at Brands Hatch and Oschersleben cost him valuable points.
Farfus established a new WTCC record with six victories in one season (Priaulx and Menu claimed five in 2006 and 2007 respectively). Although he proved to have fully grown up as a top driver, the Brazilian youngster lacked consistency and scored nil or one point in nine races, mainly because of early accidents. In spite of this he fell out of contention only after the first race in Macau and finished third with a gap of 14 points.

SEAT BEAT BMW BY 3 POINTS OUT OF 314
SEAT did it again. Like last year the Spanish Manufacturer won both the WTCC titles with its León TDI cars. Gabriele Tarquini dethroned his team mate Yvan Muller and SEAT beat BMW in the Manufacturers‘ Championship fight.
However, if in 2008 SEAT secured both championships at the penultimate event, this year had to wait until the second race in Macau. And the 3-point winning margin (out of the 314 scored) says clearly how close the battle in the Manufacturers‘ Championship was.
BMW won ten of the 24 races, while SEAT won eight, but Jaime Puig’s wonder quintet (Tarquini, Muller, Gené, Rydell and Monteiro) was extremely consistent at scoring points.
"Winning two championships for the second year was the reward for a fantastic year and I want to thank the whole team for their efforts and their solidarity. The races in Macau have shown that we are a team in which everybody works for everybody," Puig said.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen echoed: "Congratulations to SEAT and Tarquini on winning both championships. As expected the finale was dramatic, and this was somewhat symbolic of how the season had been for us. The first part of the year was especially difficult for us before we were able to close the gap."

CHEVROLET READY TO FIGHT FOR 2010 CROWN
Seven victories and three pole positions were the respectable booty won by the Chevrolet Cruze on its maiden racing season that ended on a high note with Robert Huff’s win in Macau’s Race 1.
Chevrolet Europe’s Motorsport Director Eric Nève commented: "We are very happy with what the Cruze has shown. Moreover it has proven to be the best car on street circuits and grew steadily on all kind of tracks. 2010 is starting now. We are delighted to have Yvan Muller joining our team and preparing a busy work plan for the winter. We really want to be fighting for the title next year!"

LADA PROGRESSED CONSTANTLY OVER THE YEAR
The maiden season of LADA as a registered manufacturer ended in the worst possible way at Macau, with Kirill Ladygin’s and James Thompson’s cars demolished in two massive crashes on Thursday and Friday. However the Russian team showed consistent progress during the year, especially after the new Priora car hit the track and Thompson joined them.
Team principal Viktor Shapovalov stated: "This season was full of ups and downs. But our goal at the beginning of the year was to improve and start scoring points by the end of the year. We are completely on schedule as James took two fantastic sixth places at Imola and Jaap was very close to fifth in Oschersleben. Also in Okayama we were heading for fifth and eighth. We know that we still have a long way to go, but we will keep on working hard and I am sure that next year will be very interesting for us."

SECOND INDEPENDENTS‘ TITLE FOR CORONEL
Tom Coronel clinched the Independents‘ Trophy for the second time. The Dutchman and his SUNRED petrol-powered SEAT León achieved five race victories, two short of Félix Porteiro’s BMW, but scored points in 23 races out of 24.
Even more important were the points he collected thanks to the trophy’s new regulations that award three points for each point scored in the Drivers‘ Championship. Coronel collected 45 points in this way, against Porteiro’s 30. And this made the difference as the final gap between them was 13 points.
Franz Engstler (2 victories) classified third from Stefano D’Aste (5 victories) who missed the last two races in Macau after his car was damaged during the qualifying. Tom Boardman (winner at Brands Hatch) and Kristian Poulsen completed the top-six.
A few other drivers proved to be competitive, although taking part in selected races. Morocco’s youngster Mehdi Bennani won his maiden race on his home race track at Marrakech, and so did experienced Frenchman Eric Cayrolle at Pau.
A total of 30 drivers scored points, establishing a new record for the Independents‘ Trophy.

SUNRED ENGINEERING WON TEAMS‘ TROPHY
Spain-based SUNRED Engineering clearly emerged as the winner of the Teams‘ Trophy. The outfit directed by Joán Orus benefitted mainly from Tom Coronel’s results, but their second driver Tom Boardman also gave a crucial contribution collecting one race victory at Brands Hatch and several podium results.
More points came from the one-off guest drivers who alternated at the wheel of the third SEAT León, like Eric Cayrolle who surprisingly won in Pau or the different winners of the SEAT Eurocup rounds.
2008 champions Proteam Motorsport finished as runners up despite fielding for most of the season only one competitive car for Félix Porteiro, while Liqui Moly Team Engstler completed the podium.

www.fiawtcc.com

Gabriele Tarquini set a couple of new records: he has become the oldest FIA World Champion ever and scored the highest number of points (127) ever for a WTCC season.
The 47-year old Italian eclipsed Juan-Manuel Fangio’s record that lasted since 1957, when the Argentine ace claimed his fifth F1 title. Tarquini is the first Italian to win an FIA world championship since Teo Fabi in the 1991 World Sportscars Championship.
The two races in Macau were frantic as usual and contained plenty of drama. Chevrolet and BMW shared victories, with Robert Huff in the first race and Augusto Farfus in the second respectively. This was Farfus‘ sixth win in the season, which also marked a new record for WTCC. But in the end SEAT took all for the second consecutive year, including the Manufacturers’Championship with a slim three-point margin ahead of BMW.
Tom Coronel completed SEAT’s triumph by winning the Independents‘ Trophy for the second time.
The championship now faces a three-month winter break, before the new season will start in Curitiba, Brazil, on March 7^th, 2010.

FLASH NEWS

BROKEN COLLARBONE FOR ENGSTLER
Franz Engstler and Félix Porteiro were both taken to the hospital after the three-car crash at the Firshermen’s bend that prematurely ended the second race.
The young Spaniard was discharged soon after all the clinical checks were all clear, while x-rays revealed a fracture in Engstler’s left collarbone. However Engstler was discharged from the hospital as well.

CHEVROLET SIGNS YVAN MULLER FOR 2010
Yvan Muller will move to Chevrolet for the 2010 WTCC season. The 2008 world champion joins Robert Huff and Alain Menu in the three-car line up and underlines Chevrolet’s commitment to the WTCC. Speaking of the move Yvan said, "I am delighted to join Chevrolet. After four successful years with SEAT, I was looking for a new challenge and Chevrolet was my first choice. Having witnessed their growth in the WTCC and knowing RML since my years in the BTCC, I am extremely confident in the potential of the Cruze."
Wayne Brannon, manager of Chevrolet Europe commented: "To be able to secure the services of a world champion such as Yvan Muller is a valuable plus to our WTCC programme. I am convinced that he will contribute a lot to the development of the Cruze."

WTCC Marriott Guia Race of Macau – Circuito da Guia, Macau – 20 / 22 November 2009

www.fiawtcc.com – www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo

Robert Huff took pole position in a dramatic final qualifying session of the season. Andy Priaulx took second and Augusto Farfus third. Both SEAT title contenders, Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini, had huge crashes in Q2 and will line up seventh and eighth respectively if their cars can be repaired.

Q1 – As expected in such a crucial qualifying, the teams hit the track in groups to benefit from slipstreaming.
D’Aste was the first to make a mistake and did so after the Solitude Esses. He hit the wall and his car stayed on the track for the remainder of the session. Meanwhile, Yvan had a spell at the top while Huff was also on the pace. Farfus was sitting tenth before he and Priaulx had a hot lap and the Brazilian took himself to eighth and the Briton to sixth. A final surge by team SEAT saw all five cars in Q2, however Rydell’s car suffered engine problems at the end of session and stopped on the track. The session ended in drama as James Thompson smashed into the back of D’Aste’s stationary car. He was taken to hospital for check-ups.
Zanardi and Larini narrowly missed out on Q2 appearances. Tom Coronel was the fastest Independent taking 13^th on the grid followed by rival Porteiro 14^th and local man Couto 16^th.

Q2 – Within five minutes, two of the championship fighters had crashed. Tarquini and Muller were in close contact when they encountered the oil left from Thompson’s earlier collision and it sent them spinning. The cars were both too damaged to continue and Muller was also taken to hospital for check-ups. Menu was behind the SEAT duo and also obtained damage. Although the team tried to make the Cruze track-worthy in time he could not clock a lap time. As the night was falling, Huff completed a lap of 2:32.141 that ousted Priaulx and Farfus to second and third, while Gené took fourth ahead of Monteiro and Müller.

Qualifying results remain suspended pending the Data Logging System checks and fuel analysis.
Check and analysis results will be available tomorrow in the late morning.

UPDATES ON INJURED DRIVERS‘ CONDITIONS
James Thompson, Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller were all sent to the Macau hospital for clinical checks after their crashes during today’s qualifying session.
All examinations and scans were clear and the three drivers were discharged.
They will be checked again by the FIA doctor tomorrow at 17.00 in the circuit’s medical centre to be cleared for racing on Sunday.

www.fiawtcc.com

BMW Team Germany’s duo of Augusto Farfus and Jörg Müller set the pace in today’s test at Macau.
In the first half of the session all drivers were very cautious in getting to know the grip on the track. Tom Coronel was the first to top the time sheet with a lap of 2:35.871, which was then improved by Gabriele Tarquini (2:34.585), Yvan Muller (2:34.281), Müller (2:34.216) and Rickard Rydell (2:33.765).
Halfway through the session Farfus and Müller clocked the two fastest laps for good: 2:32.747 for the Brazilian and 2:33.333 for the German. Afterwards, only Robert Huff’s Chevrolet managed to close the gap as the Briton completed a lap of 2:33.729 and climbed to third.
Championship leaders Tarquini (2:34.069) and Muller (2:34.049) were placed in seventh and fifth positions respectively, while Coronel improved to 2:34.178 and emerged as the fastest of the Independents. James Thompson’s best try was 2:34.773 that placed his LADA Priora in 13^th.
A few drivers had some moments. Lei Kit Meng went straight at the Lisbõa bend and later spun at Dona Maria but managed to avoid the walls. Which was not the case for Stefano D’Aste and Jaap van Lagen who stopped at Matsuya and Fishermen’s respectively.
The WTCC competitors will hit the track again tomorrow for two 30-minute practice sessions (at 8.45 and 12.15 local time) and the extended 45-minute qualifying (Q1 from 15.50 to 16.20 ; Q2 from 16.25 to 16.40).

Farfus and Coronel were the fastest drivers (overall and independent) in Macau test

WTCC TEAM WIN MACAU CHALLENGE
The FIA WTCC team won the MGP challenge that took place yesterday at Macau’s Fisherman’s Wharf as promotional act of the racing weekend.
Tom Coronel (captain), Tom Boardman, Augusto Farfus, Robert Huff, Tiago Monteiro and Jaap van Lagen made up the six-person crew that defeated three other teams of Formula 3 drivers, bike riders and representatives of the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf.
The challenge consisted in a course with four obstacles: Heritage (completing a puzzle of famous Macau landmarks), Driving Test (handling a remote-control toy car around a scale map of the Guia circuit), Best Foot Forward (jumping in the squares of a ladder laid out on the ground), Dim Sum (bringing to the finish line two piles of Dim Sum baskets without dropping it).
The FIA WTCC completed the challenge with the fastest time from F3 and Bikers, but not without casualties. While crossing the line, Coronel threw the Dim Sum baskets in the air and was hit by one of them, receiving a couple of scratches on his lip and forehead.

The FIA WTCC celebrate their victory in the MGP Challenge

A NEW LIVERY FOR TOM CORONEL’S CAR
Tom Coronel’s SUNRED Engineering-run SEAT León will sport a brand new livery in Macau, as the Dutch driver got backing from Hong Kong-based company Noble Group.
This is the third different livery for Coronel during the current season, after the orange-and-white of SEAT Netherlands and the dark blue of McGregor’s.
"I actually have to thank McGregor’s and Noble Group, because without them I would have been forced to miss Japan and Macau, losing my chances to win the Independents‘ title," Coronel said.

COUNTDOWN: – 3 DAYS

to the 2009 FIA WTCC Marriott Guia Race of Macau – 20^th / 22^nd November, in Macau

www.fiawtcc.com

TITLE CONTENDERS ON EQUAL WEIGHT
Gabriele Tarquini, Yvan Muller and Augusto Farfus are the only three men in contention to clinch the Drivers‘ World Championship. Altogether they have won 12 out of the 22 races held so far and in Macau they will face each other for the final fight on equal weight.
In fact, according to the calculation that took into account the lap times set in the three previous events (Oschersleben, Imola and Okayama), the SEAT León TDI and the BMW 320si cars will receive the maximum 40kg compensation weight.
The Chevrolet Cruze’s ballast is reduced from +30 to +10kg, while Alessandro Zanardi’s BMW 320si (equipped with a sequential gearbox), the LADA Priora and the petrol-powered SEAT León will have 20kg deducted from the minimum weight.

Compensation weights Macau
+ 40 kg BMW 320si, SEAT León TDI
+ 10 kg Chevrolet Cruze LT
– 20 kg BMW 320si Zanardi, LADA Priora, SEAT León TFSI

Muller, Tarquini and Farfus will fight for the title on equal weight in Macau

BOTH WORLD TITLES STILL AT STAKE
Both, the Drivers‘ and Manufacturers‘ world titles are still at stake in the final meeting at Macau.
SEAT leads BMW by three points only in the Manufacturers‘ Championship, a very slim margin that promises two breathtaking races.
In the Drivers‘ Championship the gap is even smaller between SEAT Sport team-mates Gabriele Tarquini (the current leader) and Yvan Muller (the reigning champion). BMW team Germany’s Augusto Farfus can still have a shot at the crown, as he lies third, 13 points behind Tarquini.

WHAT IF.

• Gabriele Tarquini wins the title:
  – at 47 he would become the oldest ever FIA World Champion, one year older than Juan-Manuel Fangio when he won his fifth Formula One title in 1957 and two years older than Derek Bell when he won the 1986 World Sportscars Championship;
  – he would be the first Italian to become World Champion in circuit racing, 18 years after Teo Fabi in the 1991 World Sportscars Championship;
  – he would become the eighth Italian automobile World Champion after Nino Farina and Alberto Ascari (F1), Mauro Baldi and Teo Fabi (Sportscars), Roberto Ravaglia (Touring Cars), Sandro Munari and Miki Biasion (Rally).

• Yvan Muller wins the title:
  – he would be the third Frenchman to win back to back FIA World Championships after Alain Prost (F1 – 1985 and 1986) and Sébastien Loeb (WRC – from 2004 to 2009).

• Augusto Farfus wins the title:
  – he would be the first Brazilian World Champion in motor sport, 18 years after Ayrton Senna in the 1991 Formula One Championship;
  – he would be the fifth Brazilian automobile World Champion after Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna (F1) and Raul Boesel (Sportscars).

LIQUI MOLY ADD THREE LOCALS IN MACAU
Liqui Moly Team Engstler will run three additional BMW 320SI cars for local drivers at Macau. Alongside regulars Franz Engstler – who is fighting for a podium position in the Independents‘ Trophy – and Kristian Poulsen, the German outfit will field Henry Ho, Liu Lic Ka and Joseph Rosa Merszei.
Ho, 27 years old and three times winner of the Macau Touring Car Championship, already joined the team in the previous event at Okayama, scoring one point in the Independents‘ Throphy by finishing eighth in Race 1.
Both Liu Lic Ka (38 years old) and Joe Merszei (35) are facing their maiden WTCC appearance. The former is also a regular in the Macau Touring Cars, while the latter has mostly driven singleseaters in the Malaysian Formula Campus and the Asian F2000, Formula V6, Formula Renault and Formula 3 series.

Henry Ho is one of the three Macanese drivers to race for Liqui Moly Team Engstler

TAKAYUKI AOKI RETURNS TO WIECHERS-SPORT
Japanes driver Takayuki Aoki will make his return to WTCC and the Wiechers-Sport team for the event in Macau.
Aoki made his first WTCC appearance last year, when he raced in the three final race meetings at the wheel of a Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si. His best results were two fourth places in the Independents‘ Race 1 at Monza and Okayama.
This year he joins the team’s regular Stefano D’Aste and will face among the others his fellow countryman Nobuteru Taniguchi who drives a BMW car run by Proteam Motorsport.

Takayuki Aoki will rejoin WTCC and the Wiechers-Sport team in Macau

LEI KIT MENG JOINS THE WTCC FIELD
Macanese driver Lei Kit Meng was the last addition to the strong 29-car field that will take part in the final meeting at Macau.
The 42-year-old Lei will race a BMW 320si run jointly by China Dragon Racing and RPM Racing Team Macau. This is the same car that took part in last year’s WTCC events at Okayama and Macau in the hands of Melvin Choo from Singapore.
Lei’s racing career includes seasons in the Asian, Chinese and Macau Touring Car series as well as a number of participations in the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix.

COUNTDOWN: – 9 DAYS

to the 2009 FIA WTCC Marriott Guia Race of Macau – 20^th / 22^nd November, in Macau

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The clock is ticking for the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship. In less than two weeks the competitors will hit the track for the last two races of the season.
For the fifth consecutive year the final and deciding act will be staged on Macau’s infamous 6.1-km Guia street circuit. On Sunday 22^nd November two 9 lap races will consecrate the 2009 World Champion.
Three men are still in contention for the Drivers‘ crown: Gabriele Tarquini, Yvan Muller and Augusto Farfus. SEAT Sport’s Tarquini leads the classification with a two-point margin ahead of his team-mate Muller, the reigning champion. As for Farfus of BMW Team Germany, he lies third, 13 points behind Tarquini.
The Manufacturers‘ Championship is also at stake with SEAT – the 2008 winner – leading BMW by three points only.
In the previous five appearances of Super 2000 cars at Macau, including the 2004 Guia Race, BMW has won six races out of ten against Chevrolet’s three victories (including Huff’s and Menu’s in 2008) and Alfa Romeo’s one. SEAT still has to break its duck on the Guia circuit.
Jörg Müller, the only man to have won both the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix and the Guia Race, claimed three of BMW’s six victories.

For the fifth consecutive year the title fight will be decided in the streets of Macau

COUTO WITH SUNRED AT MACAU
Macau motorsport hero André Couto will join the SUNRED Engineering team for the WTCC final on his home racetrack. He will be at the wheel of the team’s third SEAT León car, alongside regulars Tom Coronel and Tom Boardman.
Couto, who won the 2000 F3 Macau Grand Prix and took pole position in the 2003 Macau Guia race with an N.technology Alfa Romeo 147, has become a regular competitor in the WTCC final at Macau. He took part in the 2005 and 2007 events with N.technology Alfa Romeo 156 cars; in 2006 he drove for SEAT Sport and last year again for N.technology at the wheel of a Honda Accord.
His best result so far has been a seventh position in 2006 Race 2 with a SEAT León.
Couto tested the SUNRED car in Okayama at the beginning of this week.

Couto’s best WTCC result was 7^th in 2006 Race 2 at the wheel of a SEAT León

CORONEL VS PORTEIRO FOR INDEPENDENTS‘ TITLE
The fight for the Independents‘ Trophy title seems restricted to Tom Coronel of SUNRED Engineering and Félix Porteiro of Proteam Motorsport. By winning pole position and the first race in Okayama and being classified third in the second race, Coronel stretched his lead by one point only, as the young Spaniard collected two second places in Japan.
The Dutchman’s advantage before the final meeting in Macau totals to 30 points, but with double points and possible bonuses for scoring in the overall classification to be awarded, anything is still possible.
Stefano D’Aste (Wiechers-Sport) and Franz Engstler (Liqui Moly Team) are out of contention and will focus on the battle for the third position, as they are split by five points only.

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MULLER’S SEAT FASTEST IN TEST
Yvan Muller topped the timesheet in testing at Okayama. The reigning champion’s lap of 1:38.518 was 0.016 seconds faster than that of Augusto Farfus and 0.028 better than Tiago Monteiro’s offering. Small margins covered the entire field in a close session as the top 13 cars were within one second.
Andy Priaulx from Team BMW UK opened proceedings and improved his time on each of his first three flying laps. Despite holding the provisional fastest lap for the first ten minutes of the session, he was eventually placed seventh overall (1:38.835).
All five SEAT Sport cars were within the top seven following a surge in the final three minutes. Rickard Rydell (1:38.694) and Gabriele Tarquini (1:38.807) shot up the rankings to become fourth and fifth fastest while Gené set the sixth best time (1:38.817).
The top eight was rounded off by a 1:38.883 from Alain Menu of Chevrolet. James Thompson looked to be immediately on the pace in his LADA Priora after posting a time 0.980 slower than Yvan Muller’s to place him 13^th.
Félix Porteiro was the leading Independent competitor (14^th overall) followed by Stefano D’Aste (16^th) and Japanese driver Nobuteru Taniguchi (18^th).

Yvan Muller set the fastest lap today in Okayama test session

MIMASAKA CITY WELCOMED WTCC
Official proceedings to the WTCC Race of Japan got underway yesterday when the Mayor of Mimasaka City and a delegation of the Okayama Prefecture, received the drivers and other WTCC representatives during a welcome dinner at the Junogou Grand Hotel.
After the speeches delivered by the Mayor, KSO general manager Marcello Lotti and Akinori Tokieda of Yokohama, the drivers were invited on the stage for a family picture.
Later the guests were helped to a Japanese buffet, while they were entertained by local artists who performed classical Japanese dances, a short drama about samurais and swords and a Japanese drums show.
Eventually some of the WTCC guests enthusiastically had a try at fencing with the samurai swords and playing drums.

Priaulx, Farfus, Tarquini and Muller met the samurais in Mimasaka

ALEX ZANARDI WINS THE VENICE MARATHON
Last Sunday Alessandro Zanardi put in another extraordinay performance, winning the "diversely able" category at the Venice Marathon.
This was the first victory the BMW driver claimed since he started competing with handbikes.
"It was a great day for the ‚cyclist‘ who is in me! I am extremely proud of this victory. First of all because, together with the friends of the Venice Marathon, we made good things for charities. And also because I set a new record for this race, covering the 42.196 km in 1h13:56. I actually reached the halfway point in less than 34 minutes, at the average speed of 39 kmh, which was quite an outstanding pace," Zanardi said.

Alessandro Zanardi claimed his first marathon win in Venice

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Three Japanese drivers will join the WTCC in their home event at Okayama International Circuit: Seiji Ara, Nobuteru Taniguchi and Masaki Kano.
While Kano is back with the Liqui Moly Team Engstler after taking part in two rounds of the 2008 WTCC at Okayama and Macau, Ara and Taniguchi are facing their maiden appearances in the championship.
Ara, 35 years old from Chiba, will drive Wiechers-Sport’s second BMW 320si alongside Stefano D’Aste. A very experienced long-distance racer, Ara is one of the only two Japanese drivers ever ta have won the Le Mans 24 hours (in 2004 at the wheel of a Team Goh Audi R8). He is a race winner for Nissan in the competitive Japanese SuperGT series.
Taniguchi, 38 years old from Hiroshima, will join Félix Porteiro at Proteam Motorsport for both the last race meetings, Japan and Macau. Like Ara, he is a SuperGT top racer (though in the GT300 class) and also boasts a couple of national titles in the Super Taikyu series.

Ara, Taniguchi and Kano (second, third and fifth from the left) at the press launch of the WTCC Race of Japan in Tokyo, together with Kageyama and Tsuchiya who will race in the Asian Le Mans series.

ENGSTLER’S PLANS FOR ASIAN TEAM
The Liqui Moly Team Engstler have already confirmed their participation in the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
"We are always looking at the future and take care of it in all our decisions," team manager Kurt Treml said. "We are pleased that Liqui Moly confirmed their support for 2010. Franz Engstler and I have been working together for nearly ten years and we always worked to build the team up step by step, with the aim to become one of the best touring car teams in Europe."
The German outfit have also aimed at expanding to Asia in the latest years. After some successful seasons in the Asian Touring Car Series, this year the team will run additional cars for Asian drivers in Okayama and Macau. 
"Our next goal is to run a second team in the WTCC featuring young Asian drivers. The Asian market is now ready for such a project and I hope that, with our experience and support from BMW and Liqui Moly, we can be successful," Treml unveiled.

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PETROL SEAT CARS TO ADD 20 KILOS
The fastest cars will stay on the maximum compensation weight for the last but one event of the season in Japan. Like in Oschersleben and Imola before, the BMW 320si and the SEAT León TDI will carry 40 kg of ballast at Okayama. According to the calculation that took into account the lap times set in the three previous events (Brands Hatch, Oschersleben and Imola) these two models share the "honour" of being the reference car.
The Chevrolet Cruze remains on +30kg, while Alessandro Zanardi’s BMW 320si (equipped with a sequential gearbox) and the LADA Priora will have again 20kg deducted from the minimum weight. On the contrary, because of the excellent performances recently posted by Coronel, Boardman, Bennani and Colak, the petrol-powered SEAT León cars have lost the right to deduct 20 kilos and will be forced to run on the minimum weight.

Compensation weights Okayama
+ 40 kg BMW 320si, SEAT León TDI
+ 30 kg Chevrolet Cruze LT
± 0 kg SEAT León TFSI
– 20 kg BMW 320si Zanardi, LADA Priora

PORTUGUESE TEST FOR MENU AND THE CRUZE
While the WTCC cars are traveling to Asia by sea for the final two events of the 2009 season, the Chevrolet team continued their test and development programme of the Cruze. Following the tests in Zolder with Nicola Larini and Magny-Cours with Robert Huff earlier this summer, the Cruze ran this week at Portimão’s Autodromo do Algarve for a three-day session, with Alain Menu at the wheel.
The work in Portimão was focused on testing different set-up and suspension solutions. The test went well with no hiccups at all, except for some rain showers that reduced activity on Tuesday. This test was also very useful for the team to build a first set of data about the demanding new circuit, which will host WTCC’s Portuguese event next year.

Alain Menu’s Chevrolet Cruze during the test in Portimão

TEAM ENGSTLER TEST ASIAN DRIVERS
The Liqui Moly Team Engstler completed a test in Hockenheim with three Asian drivers. Alongside their regular WTCC entries – team principal Franz Engstler and Kristian Poulsen – the German team will field two additional cars in Japan and three in Macau.
Masaki Kano from Japan and Henry Ho from Macau will race at Okayama, while Ho will be joined by his fellow countrymen Lic Ka Liu and Jo Rosa Merszei in Macau.
Kano, Ho and Lic had the opportunity to test the BMW car in Hockenheim, taking advantage of Engstler’s advice. Kano, who had raced for the team in last year’s WTCC events at Okayama and Macau, knew the racetrack already and clocked good lap times. Ho and Lic started testing at the wheel of BMW 320i E46 cars, before switching to the new E90 models.
The Asian programme means a huge effort for the team that shipped five cars to Japan and will fly a crew of 25 people.

Franz Engstler with Lic Ka Liu (left) and Henry Ho (right)

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For the first time ever the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and the Asian Le Mans will feature together in the same race meeting: the WTCC Race of Japan that will take place at the Okayama International Circuit from Friday, October 30^th to Sunday, November 1^st.
This combination of the short and breathtaking WTCC races and Asian Le Mans‘ long distance runs with the excitement of pit-stops is set to offer a unique show to the Japanese fans.
The WTCC-Asia Le Mans meeting in Okayama has all the ingredients to be rated as one of the highlights of the international motor sport season.
The event was launched today during a press conference at the French Embassy in Tokyo.

WTCC’S PENULTIMATE EVENT
The WTCC – one of the three FIA World Championships alongside Formula One and WRC – returns to Okayama for the second consecutive year, for its penultimate event of the season, before the Grand Finale at Macau, on November 22^nd.
During its fifth season, the WTCC has continued its steady growth in terms of global popularity and exposure.
During the current season the WTCC is broadcast on more than 75 TV networks across 160 countries, including live extensive broadcasts on Eurosport, the n°1 pan-European TV channel.
This unique coverage includes high-quality and innovative Live TV production, as the series has become this year the first FIA World Championship produced in native High Definition.
And these efforts are paying off as is highlighted by the recent intermediary study released by German independent Institute IFM. The study showed that after 7 out of the 12 events, a global audience of 313 million viewers watched the WTCC races, against a total audience of 350 million for the entire 2008 season.
Now the series is about land in Japan for rounds 21 and 22 after visiting ten countries in three continents – America, Africa and Europe – with a strong field of 27 cars that includes some of the Japanese fans‘ favourits like Alex Zanardi, Tom Coronel, Rickard Rydell, João Paulo Lima de Oliveira and local heroes Seiji Ara, Nobuteru Taniguchi and Masaki Kano.
The meeting in Okayama will mark the championship’s second visit to the land of the Rising Sun after an extremely successful maiden appearance in 2008 that resulted in two exciting races that – in spite of very wet weather – were attended by a crowd of 28,000.

"We are very honoured and proud to come back to Japan. Last year’s first visit to Okayama represented an important landmark for WTCC, as we finally managed to reach one of the main goals we had set since 2005: bringing the FIA touring cars to the land where many of the major car manufacturers are based," campionship promoter Marcello Lotti explained.
And he added: "The 2008 race meeting was blessed by a success that even exceeded our expectations in terms of attendance at the track and media coverage. This year we aim to go even further. With the addition of the Asian Le Mans and – hopefully – milder weather, we are confident that the 2009 WTCC Race of Japan may definitely plant the seed of touring car fever in Japan!"

The WTCC Race of Japan was launched today in a press conference at Tokyo

2009 FIA WTCC Race of Japan – 31^st October / 1^st November, in Okayama

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