Honda has released images of its 2014 Civic WTCC works car, taken during its first test session at Motorland Aragón in Spain, earlier this year.
The pictures were unveiled today in Tokyo, on the occasion of Honda’s annual motorsport press conference. The design of the new look Civic WTCC reflects the latest technical regulations and shows the subtle style of the wheel arch extensions, 18” wheels, sleeker aero package and extended rear spoiler.
In Tokyo, Takanobu Ito, President & CEO of Honda Motor Co. Ltd, outlined Honda’s ambitions in the Championship this year: “We achieved four victories and captured the Manufacturers’ title in 2103 that was our first year of full-participation in WTCC. In the upcoming season we will strive to win the double title for Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ fielding a total of four cars run by three teams.”
Under the banner of the ‘Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team’, Honda will enter two works cars, driven by Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro and run by J.A.S. Motorsport. Private outfits Zengö Motorsport and Proteam Racing will also compete with one car each, driven by Hungary’s Norbert Michelisz and Morocco’s Mehdi Bennani respectively.

VALENTE: AN IMPORTANT YEAR FOR ME

In 2013 Hugo Valente, a 21-year old from the Parisian region, competed in eight of the WTCC rounds at the wheel of a Campos Racing SEAT León.
Despite his young age and a limited racing experience, on different occasions Valente showed an impressive pace and scored his first championship points in Argentina. He also went close to the Yokohama Trophy podium a couple of times.

“It was a great experience competing against top class drivers who have been racing in touring cars for many years. It was very challenging and sometimes we were able to get some positive results. I struggled with the new tyres at the beginning, I had not much testing before the season and doing only half the championship was a big challenge, as the others had much more time in the car than I had. However the team helped me to understand my weak points, we worked hard together and we saw some improvements towards the end of the championship.”

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LADA DRIVERS SPEAK OF SPORTING RULES

LADA Sport Lukoil drivers, James Thompson, Rob Huff and Mikhail Kozlovskiy commented on the changes to the sporting regulations for the 2014 WTCC.

The rolling start for Race 1 has been dropped and both races will have a standing start.
Thompson: “I was never a fan of the rolling start for a couple of reasons. The close proximity to the car in front at the start means you can seldom see the lights change. If you aren’t on the first row of the grid, you have to predict the start from the cars around you. This has the added danger of bunching the field more closely as it arrives at the first corner.”

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JORDI ORIOLA AIMS FOR ASIAN RACES

Jordi Oriola, Pepe’s younger brother, aims for taking part in selected events of the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The 18-year old Spaniard, who finished third in the Single-Make Trophy of the 2013 FIA European Touring Car Cup, will focus this year on the new SEAT Eurocup. However he also tatgets to compete in the WTCC Asian race meetings – at Suzuka, Shanghai and Macau – at the wheel of a SEAT León car run by Campos Racing.
Should this happen, Jordi Oriola would become the second youngest driver ever to race in WTCC, second only to his brother Pepe.
“I hope we can raise the necessary budget to participate in the Asian events of WTCC, as this would fulfill my dream of racing in a World Championship,” Jordi Oriola said.

ROB HUFF TO RACE DOWN UNDER

Rob Huff’s round-the-world tour in endurance races continues this week with the former WTCC champion taking part in the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hours on Australia’s spectacular Mount Panorama circuit.
After winning the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill in the USA and claiming podium results at the 24 hour races in Dubai and Dayton, Huff shares the Oakley Motorsports-Rotek Racing Audi R8 LMS with Oliver Gavin, Kevin Gleason and Richard Meins.
Huff and his team-mates set the second fastest lap in the class during yesterday’s practice.

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The FIA has published last Wednesday the Sporting Regulations for the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The file may be downloaded at http://www.fia.com or HERE.
Full season entries have also been opened today, and will close on March 14^th at midnight.
Competitors must submit their applications using the online entry form, downloadable at
http://www.entryforms.fia.com/web/registrationwtcc.nsf, accompanied by the entry fee of euro 38,000. Conditions for the entry are described in Art. 36 of the Sporting Regulations.
Race-by-race entries must be submitted to the FIA at least fourteen days prior to the relevant event; the entry fee is euro 5,200.

MICHELISZ: I WANT TO IMPROVE FURTHER

Norbert Michelisz faces his fifth full season in the FIA World Touring Car Championship and the second at the wheel of a Honda Civic car run by Zengö Motorsport.
Michelisz is one of touring car’s emerging talents. He moved to WTCC after only a couple of season in the SEAT Eurocup, scoring three race wins (in three different cars), winning the 2012 Yokohama Trophy and finishing twice sixth in the Drivers’ Championship (2012 and 2013). 

What do you think about the new technical regulations that mark a major change for WTCC?
“It will be interesting to drive a more challenging car. And from the spectators point of view, the cars are not only faster, but look much sexier and more aggressive. From my personal point of view, the key factor is to keep racing in WTCC as cost effective as in the previous years.”

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BORKOVIĆ ATTENDS PETROL PUMP

WTCC newcomer Dušan Borković recently spent one day attending a NIS Petrol station in his home town, Panchevo.
Serbia’s national oil and gas company NIS (Naftna Industrija Srbije), Borković’s main sponsor, asked the driver to act as a pump attendant during the launch of the new Euro BMB 98 petrol with local motorists.
“I’m glad that this high-performance petrol is now available in Serbia, especially because it is produced by a modern refinery located in Panchevo. As a racing car driver, I know the importance of a quality petrol for the final success,” said Borković who is facing his maiden WTCC season in a Campos Racing RML-built Cruze car.

CORONEL UNVEILS THE NEW CORVETTE

Now that Tom Coronel has shifted to the RML-built Cruze for the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship he has become a member of the Chevrolet family in the Netherlands.
Therefore he was invited to unveil the new Corvette during the launch of the American car, in which he was joined by popular Dutch singer Miss Montreal.
Just before the launch, Coronel had visited the RML factory to watch how the building of the 2014 racing car is progressing: “I was impressed! This is serious stuff! You can see everywhere that they are really professionals. I also sat together with ROAL Motorsport’s principal Roberto Ravaglia and my new team-mate Tom Chilton. We are very much looking forward to the first race!” he said.

HUFF ON THE PODIUM ONCE AGAIN

Rob Huff claimed another podium in a long distance race, as he finished second last Sunday in the LMPC class and tenth overall in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Huff shared the 8Star Motorsports Oreca FLM09 prototype, powered by a Chevrolet engine, with team principal Enzo Potolicchio, Tom Kimber-Smith and Mike Marshal.

The team managed to recover after a gearbox failure that forced them to miss Thursday’s qualifying session and a collision in Friday’s practice that required extensive repairs. Although they started from the back of the field, the trio elbowed their way up the field and climbed to fourth in the LMPC class.

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ENTRIES OPEN FOR 2014 FIA ETCC

The FIA has published today the Sporting Regulations for the 2014 FIA European Touring Car Cup.
The file may be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/regulation/file/CLEAN%202014%20FIA%20ETCC%20Sporting%20Regulations%20V5.pdf.  
Full season entries have also been opened today, and will close on March 31^st at midnight.
Competitors must submit their applications using the online entry form, downloadable at
http://www.entryforms.fia.com/web/registrationetcc.nsf, accompanied by the relevant entry fee. Conditions for the entry are described in Art. 37 of the Sporting Regulations.
Race-by-race entries must be submitted to the FIA at least fourteen days prior to the relevant event.

www.fiawtcc.com

In the 2014 season of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy will be reserved for competitors at the wheel of TC2 cars in compliance with the 2013 Technical Regulations.
With the arrival of the more powerful and faster TC1 cars, championship promoter’s Eurosport Events decided to reserve the trophy for the former generation of vehicles, in order to encourage the teams to keep on racing them until more TC1 cars are available on the market for customers.
As a further boost, and thanks to Yokohama’s support, Eurosport Events will propose a euro 40,000 start money to the competitors entered in the Trophy on a full season basis.
The Yokohama Teams’ Trophy remains open to all teams that do not benefit from direct support by a car manufacturer.
In 2013 the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy was won by James Nash of bamboo-engineering, while RML clinched the Teams’ Trophy

FIRST RUN FOR THE NEW HONDA CIVIC

The new Honda Civic WTCC that will compete in the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship successfully completed its first run yesterday.
JAS Motorsport ran the full 2014-spec car during a short shake down session at Varano de’ Melegari’s Riccardo Paletti circuit, near Parma in Italy.
Gabriele Tarquini took the wheel for a few laps and did not report any major technical issue.
The team is now ready to begin next week a proper testing programme in preparation of the new season.

THOMPSON: READY TO CLOSE THE GAP

James Thompson faces his second full season with LADA Sport Lukoil in WTCC.
After some races in 2009 with the Priora and two appearances in 2012 with the new Granta, the Briton led the Russian team during the past season; he claimed the best results ever for LADA (three sixth places at Porto and Suzuka) and was close to finish on the podium at Macau.
Thompson is one of the most experienced touring car drivers around, with a tally of two British Touring Car Championship and two European Touring Car Cup titles. In WTCC he won four races (the first one at the championship’s inaugural event at Monza in 2005) and finished third in the 2007 Drivers’ Championship.

“I’m very excited about the coming season probably more so than ever before as we have continuity as a team, and the new regulations will provide new challenges for both teams and drivers. In particular faster more exciting cars always make a driver happy!”

What do you expect from the new cars in terms of performance and handling?
“I’m sure the extra speed and braking performance, combined with the bigger tyres will have a huge impact on lap times, although it’s difficult to predict if the cars will be significantly more difficult to drive. I have a feeling that the car should be more neutral in its balance and so should be more fun to race.”

Do you reckon that the new regulations will help LADA to improve?
“For us the new regulations represent an opportunity to make a significant step forward in narrowing the gap to our competitors. We are now allowed much more freedom for suspension design, which was a real hindrance for us. But in saying that, we must produce the right solutions and this is why we tested components last year in preparation for 2014. And we know they were a large step in the right direction. On the negative side we will still struggle with the overall wheelbase compared to the rest, but we look forward to the coming years and the new Priora for the next big step forward!”

When will you start testing the full 2014-spec Granta car?
“We plan to start initial testing mid February, the cars will begin the long trip from Togliatti very soon and back to our base at Oreca in Magny-Cours.”

The partnership with Oreca and the arrival of Rob Huff may mark a turning point for LADA.
“I believe LADA’s partnership with Oreca is a great benefit; they are a fantastic company and I have to say we are all a family working hand in hand for a common goal. I use the word family quite a lot as I don’t think many people believe how close knit our small operation is, despite the language barriers. We have worked together on and off, even in adversity, for quite a long time and it’s been a privilege  for me to be here from the very beginning. Now we are really starting to grow up and develop as a team, hence our expansion to three drivers, and welcoming a former world champion into our team is raising our stature once more.”

What do you expect from your competitors in 2014?
“The competition will be fierce, with nobody knowing where they stand I guess till after the first few races. Although on the positive, we will share some tests together pre season, but that’s just really a guide.”

What are your personal ambitions for the upcoming season?
“Well it’s my 20^th year in touring cars, my 40^th birthday coming up and I want nothing more than to see our project move to another level. Yes, I would love to be on the podium whichever step a few times, but the reality is I still love my racing and more importantly I want to see team principal Victor Shapovalov, race engineer Marco Calovolo and the boys achieve what we set out to do: establish LADA as WTCC race winners…”

SÉBASTIEN LOEB’S VISIT TO ARGENTINA

Citroën Racing’s driver Sébastien Loeb spent a few days in Argentina.
The purpose for this visit was to test at Termas de Río Hondo circuit that will host the WTCC Race of Argentina on August 3.
Last Sunday the nine-time World Rally champion completed fifty or so laps at the wheel of the DG MotorSport Peugeot 308 that Facundo Chapur raced last year to clinch the C3 class title in the Turismo Nacional Championship.
After the test, Loeb took advantage from his stay in Argentina for visiting the Rally Dakar. On Monday he met drivers and riders at Salta during the raid’s rest day, and on Tuesday he followed the stage between Calama and Iquique on board of an helicopter.
“It was an amazing experience. I was impressed to see the competitors running at high speed on such uneven grounds. And it is also impressive thinking about their physical effort. During a rally we drive in special stages for a maximum of 40/50 kilometres, then I cannot even conceive how they can drive so fast for more than 400 kilometres…” Loeb said.

PODIUM FOR MÜNNICH MOTORSPORT

The ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team of René Münnich, Marc Basseng and Rob Huff claimed a brilliant podium result last weekend in the Dubai 24 Hours race.
Sharing a Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3, the trio completed 600 laps and finished second overall, only three laps behind the winning Porsche 997 GT3 R run by Stadler Motorsport.
“It has been a great day for us. The car ran without any problems, therefore I thank the whole team for their great job,” Münnich said.
And Basseng added: “It was our first race together for the three of us. René had a great pace and Rob was fast and efficient as usual. We have been unlucky to receive a few time penalties for something it was not our fault, but in the end the second position is a great achievement for the whole crew.”
Huff completed over ten hours behind the wheel as the team steadily climbed up towards the sharp end of the field after starting from 12^th on the grid.
“I’d like to congratulate my two team-mates, on an incredible result. This really was the perfect way to end a year’s association and sharing the car with such gentlemen was an honour. They both proved that they’re quality drivers. It’s great to achieve such a positive result as a team. It was a fantastic feeling to win for Münnich Motorsport in WTCC and this podium in Dubai proves beyond doubt that my endurance racing capabilities are equal to my touring car capabilities,” the Briton said.

RACING DIVAS WIN CLASS AT DUBAI

The Racing Divas all-female team led by Paulien Zwart, Tom Coronel’s wife, won the A3T class in the Dubai 24 Hour race for the second consecutive year.
Zwart shared a BMW 320D run by Schubert Motorsport with her fellow lady drivers Gaby Uljee, Sandra van der Sloot, Shirley van der Lof and Natasja Smit Sø.
The trio completed 496 laps and left three laps behind the second and third-classified SEAT León cars of Motorsport Services and Prefa Racing Team Australia.
The Racing Divas used this race to raise funds for charity

FIA UNVEILS 2014 ETCC CALENDAR

The 2014 FIA European Touring Car Cup will be run on five race meetings once again.
The first four rounds will be part of World Touring Car Championship weekends, while the fifth will be a stand-alone ETCC event.
The season will kick off at Le Castellet on 20 April and finish at Pergusa on 27 September.

2014 ETCC CALENDAR

20 April                Le Castellet (FRA)
11 May                Slovakia Ring (SVK)
25 May                Salzburgring (AUT)
22 June               Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
27 September     Pergusa (ITA)

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The Citroën Racing team continues its approaching march to the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The French team spent five days of testing at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit with its three drivers – Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and José-María López taking turns at the wheel of a single C-Elysée car.
López opened the test on Friday and Saturday, Loeb took over on Sunday and Monday, while Muller drove on Tuesday. The reigning WTCC champion ran into one of the very rare rainy days of the Arab Emirates.
“With only one hour of completely dry track in the evening, we could not really accomplish all we had planned. So we better focused on the car’s set up and balance,” Muller said.
On Monday evening, at the end of the test, the team invited Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, World Rally Championship competitor and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Racing, to drive the C-Elysée for a few laps.
Sébastien Loeb is now flying to Argentina for testing at Termas de Río Hondo, at the wheel a car from a local touring car series.

TARQUINI: MANUFACTURERS’ TITLE IS PRIORITY

Gabriele Tarquini is not especially happy to be called the doyen of WTCC.
In 2014 he will turn 52, facing his tenth season in the world championship and his 25^th in touring car racing. And yet, his spirit and ambitions are still those of a young driver.
He is one of the most successful WTCC drivers, with 19 race victories, 17 pole positions, one World title (2009) and three second places (2008, 2010 and 2013) in the Drivers’ Championship.
Now he looks at the 2014 season – his second with Honda Castrol Racing – with clear ideas and his natural optimism.

“It will be interesting. The new technical rules have reshuffled the cards. We all restart from scratch and nobody knows the new scale of values. There is little doubt that Citroën will benefit from an advantage coming from six months of testing that are crucial for fine tuning and reliability. However, they don’t have terms of comparison for the performance, which makes their advantage not so big. And furthermore, they are newcomers in the championship. A very professional team, used to win, but like everybody else they need a period of apprenticeship. Therefore I am confident, because in 2013 we focused on finding the right cohesion in the team between the Japanese and Italian branches. And this will result in a strong, common effort towards victory.”

The Italian is thrilled by the idea of driving the new-spec car.
“More power and speed make a driver happy! Though I don’t feel the new cars will be more difficult to drive, because more sophisticated aerodynamics and suspension, bigger brakes and more tyre on the track will compensate for the increase of power. For sure the cars have gained sex appeal and this may attract new fans, like those who said that the previous generation of cars was too close to the production models. I think that on the track we need to be more cautious in making side-to-side contacts, because the suspension are more fragile. And maybe overtaking will be more difficult because of higher speeds and shorter braking spaces.”

The Honda Castrol Racing team will soon start testing the new car.
“The original plan was to start testing earlier with an hybrid Civic. And finally it was decided to wait for the full new-spec machine, because Honda R&D and JAS Motorsport have enough skill and experience to design and develop a competitive car from a blank page. And I can’t wait to start testing, because I wish to give my contribution in telling the technicians which way to go for the technical development.”

Besides Citroën, Honda will face LADA and the RML-built cars during the season.
“By signing Huff, LADA made clear they want to invest on the championship and the new car. The new technical regulations will help them to compensate for the weak points of the production model. They already had one of the most powerful engines. Now the team has gained experience and they have two top drivers. I bet they will surprise a lot of people. As for RML, they proved they can win without the backing of a manufacturer. I would be very surprise if the new Cruze won’t be on top from the start.”

And what are Tarquini’s ambitions for the coming season?
“I am aware that we face a bunch of strong competitors, especially Citroën’s dream team that benefit from vast resources. However, I don’t feel defeated. I’m still among the fastest drivers and hope I have not… aged too much during this Christmas break. As a matter of fact I still feel very young and fit! My personal goal is to improve last year’s result… that would mean to be World Champion for the second time. But more than this, our priority is winning the Manufacturers’ Championship once again.”

ONYX AND ARLINGTON JOIN FOR WTCC

Onyx Race Engineering and Arlington Industries Group announced they have joined forces to compete in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The parties announced they have embarked upon a five year programme to design, manufacture and race in WTCC starting from the 2014 season. The car they will develop in compliance with the new technical regulations and the driver line-up are due to be announced shortly.
Mike Earle, CEO Onyx Race Engineering, commented: “This association is exciting. It is a unique opportunity to assemble such a strong automotive group with the common intention of success in the finest touring car championship in the World.”
Onyx Race Engineering boasts an outstanding record in automobile sports that dates back to the team’s early successes in F3, F2 and Formula 3000 in the Eighties that culminated in Stefano Modena’s title in the 1987 FIA F3000 Championship. Later on, Onyx moved to Formula One for a couple of seasons (1989 and 1990). More recently Mike Earle (pictured) has managed Arena Motorsport campaigns in the British Touring Car Championships and the 2012 WTCC.
Arlington Industries Group is a privately held Industrial Investment Vehicle with interests in Industrial Coatings, Aerospace, and Automotive Manufacturing.

HUFF AIMS FOR VICTORY AT DUBAI

Rob Huff, Marc Basseng and René Münnich team up once again this weekend for the Dubai 24 Hours race.
The trio shares the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 2012 FIA GT1-winning Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 in the A6-Pro class.
Huff – who joined the LADA Sport Lukoil team for the 2014 WTCC – has been eager to expand his horizons by building a career in sportscars racing, having been inspired by his recent success in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill and his upcoming prototype debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
“My sportscars campaign is really gathering momentum and will be a fantastic sideline to my full-time programme with LADA Sport in the WTCC,” said Huff. “I had a fantastic season racing with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport throughout 2013. We surpassed all expectations and I’m delighted to be reuniting with the team for the 24 Hours of Dubai. With their exceptional record of winning the FIA GT1 World Championship title, I believe we can take the victory this weekend.”
Huff, Basseng and Münnich qualified in 12^th position for the race. Better than them was Darryl O’Young who drives a Craft Racing Aston Martin Vantage and will start from seventh on the grid.
Amongst the other competitors in the Dubai 24 Hours are European Touring Car Cup racers Andreas Pfister and Patrick Wolf, who share a SEAT León Supercópa car and set the second fastest lap in the A3T class, just ahead of the Racing Divas Schubert BMW 320D of the all-female team that includes Paulien Zwart, Tom Coronel’s wife.

WTCC CARS GET BACK HOME

The long trip back for the WTCC cars came to an end a few days ago, fifty after the 2013 championship’s final race meeting at Macau.

The cars and parts where shipped from Hong Kong harbour on the 25^th November, the cargo ship docked in Rotterdam only a few days ago and then the containers were shipped to Antwerp.
In the latest two days all the teams have sent their trucks to Antwerp to collect their stuffs and bring everything back to their workshops.

www.fiawtcc.com

2014 appears to be a very important year for the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

On its tenth anniversary season, the WTCC experiences its major turning point since it kicked off at Monza in 2005.

A radical technical evolution, a few important changes in the sporting regulations and new entries in the line-up and the calendar make the next season one of the most interesting in the whole panorama of international motor sports.

The 2014 WTCC will kick off in four-month time at Marrakech, on April 6.

NEW RACING CARS

The major change is the reassessment of the technical specifications. Though the championship remained faithful to its philosophy of making eligible production cars modified for racing, the new rules leave much more freedom to designers and engineers.

The engine is the same 1.6-litre that was adopted three years ago. However, thanks to a larger restrictor (36mm against 33), its maximum output increased by more than 15%.

And yet the biggest changes concern chassis and body. The suspension scheme is no longer linked to the production model’s, but it is specifically designed for racing. The aerodynamic package includes wider fenders, a proper front splitter, a flat bottom and a larger adjustable rear wing; altogether this makes a bigger influence on the car’s set up.

The icing on the cake are the bigger 18” wheels, instead of the 17” used so far.

The final result means a better racing look and a drastic increase in performance on the track that is roughly estimated in 1.5 second per kilometre.

It’s a huge step forward compared to the original 2-litre normally aspirated Super 2000 cars that raced from 2002 to 2010 and delivered less than 300 bhp, against the 380 of the new generation.

The cars complying with the 2014 Technical Regulations have been classified as TC1, while the 1.6-litre machines that competed between 2011 and 2013 will form the TC2 class.

The older 2-litre normally aspirated cars will no longer be eligible.

NEW SPORTING RULES

With each weekend featuring two action-packed sprint races and limited track time, the WTCC is one of the more exciting series for spectators and TV viewers.

However, in observance of the principle that without innovation there is no progress, the FIA and championship promoter Eurosport Events have worked to refresh the Sporting Regulations with the aim of further enhancing the competition on track and the show on air.

With the maintenance of the top-ten reverse grid for the second race, the well established FIA point scoring system and the compensation weight for balancing the different cars’ performance, the major interventions were about start and qualifying.

The rolling start for Race 1 was dropped and now both races will have a standing start.

The Qualifying session was extended with the addition of a Q3 leg reserved for the top-five drivers classified in Q2; they will hit the track one-by-one and complete a single timed lap, to determine the first five positions on the grid for Race 1.

NEW COMPETITORS

The arrival of Citroën as an official Manufacturer in addition to Honda and LADA, enriches the WTCC by a brand that made history in automobile industry.

The French car maker, founded in 1905 by André Citroën, has produced some revolutionary and unforgettable models such as the Traction Avant, the 2CV and the DS.

It may look strange, but although Citroën has also built itself a solid reputation in motor sports since the Fifties of the Twentieth Century, the 2014 WTCC marks its first involvement in an international circuit racing series.

On the other hand, Citroën’s factory teams have claimed a great deal of successes in rally-raids (five World titles and four victories in the Paris-Dakar) and in the World Rally Championship (nine Drivers’ and eight Manufacturers’ titles).

The Citroën Racing team will bring Sèbastien Loeb to WTCC; the nine-time World Rally champion has spent most of the 2013 season in preparation for this task, by successfully competing in the FIA GT series, the French Carrera Cup and the Macau Porsche Cup race.

Funny enough, him and the other WTCC newcomer confirmed so far, Dušan Borković, do not boast long backgrounds in racing. While Loeb built his extraordinary career in rallies, the Serbian driver has been 2011 FIA European Hill Climbing champion before switching last year to the FIA European Touring Car Cup.

NEW RACETRACKS

The 2014 calendar includes two new racetracks: Le Castellet in France and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
A WTCC race of France was held five times in previous years, at Magny-Cours in 2005 and 2006, and at Pau from 2007 to 2009. The Circuit Paul Ricard will host the championship for the first time; however it was home to the third – and last – edition of the FIA Touring Car World Cup back in 1995. The WTCC will run on the 3.8km ‘3C’ layout.
Spa is not a new racetrack for WTCC that raced there on its first season in 2005. The circuit located in the region of the Ardennes has a long standing tradition for Touring Car competitions.
The 24 Hours of Francorchamps was reserved for this category in its golden years – from 1964 to 2000 – and was even a round of the first ever World Touring Car Championship in 1987.
Another novelty for 2014 is Suzuka. Although the Japanese track is not a new venue, having hosted WTCC events since 2011, for the first time this year the championship will run on the 5.8km International Circuit – the same used by the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix.
In all the previous visits the WTCC races were held on the 2.2km East Circuit.

2014 WTCC CALENDAR

6 April                  Marrakech (MAR)
20 April                Le Castellet (FRA)
4 May                  Hungaroring (HUN)
11 May                Slovakia Ring (SVK)
25 May                Salzburgring (AUT)
8 June                 Moscow Raceway (RUS)
22 June               Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
3 August             Termas de Río Hondo (ARG)
14 September     Sonoma (USA)
12 October          Shanghai (CHN)
26 October          Suzuka (JPN)
16 November      Macau (MAC)

www.fiawtcc.com

José Maria López will be the third driver to compete for Citroën Racing in the 2014 WTCC alongside Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb.
It was announced earlier this week when the French manufacturer unveiled the details of its sporting programmes during a crowded press conference at Citroën Racing technical centre in Versailles.
Team Principal Yves Matton said: “The challenge is very motivating, but we need to learn about everything in this discipline. We feel that we have worked well on the C-Elysée WTCC, even though we have no real basis for comparison given that the regulations are new for all of the competitors. Muller believes the car has been well designed and this has reassured us in terms of the direction we have taken.”
About the impressive trio of drivers, Matton commented: “After spending the last ten years or so at the top of WRC, we are excited about the idea of writing a new chapter in our shared history with Sébastien Loeb. As it was the case in our previous sporting programmes we have attempted to secure the best drivers for our team. Yvan Muller has been heavily involved in development of the car, and has been one the driving forces behind the progress we have made. But we also have high expectations from José Maria López, who has proven to be very comfortable during his first tests…”
López, a multiple winner of Argentine touring car titles, claimed his first WTCC victory on his maiden appearance earlier this year at Termas de Río Hondo. He has already tested the C-Elysée twice at Valencia and Monza.

FOURTH CITROËN FOR CHINESE DRIVER

Citroën Racing will field a fourth car in selected events of the 2014 WTCC, the additional C-Elysée will be entrusted to a Chinese driver.
This was also announced at Versailles, during the launch of Citroën sporting programmes by Arnaud de Lamothe, Director of Marketing, Communications and Sport: “It’s no secret that Chinese market is extremely important for us. And for this reason we have decided to run a fourth car in some events for a Chinese driver. This will be a great help in promoting the Citroën brand and its sporting activity.”
The plan is to field the fourth car in four or five events: Russia, Japan, China, Macau and possibly one in Europe to give the driver the chance to get used to WTCC racing.
The name of the driver will be unveiled later.

PECHITO LÓPEZ: THIS IS A DREAM!

“I am thirilled. This is a new important step in my racing career!” a delighted José María ‘Pechito’ López said after he was presented by Citroën Racing as the third driver in the 2014 WTCC.
“I hope I will be able to help the team in developing and setting up the car so that we do a good job on the track,” said López who managed to win a WTCC race on his maiden appearance, last Summer at Termas de Río Hondo.
“I think that winning that race was instrumental for being invited to test the Citroën at Valencia and Monza. Then other factors contributed to their decision of hiring me, like my professionalism and working method. It’s not only a matter of driving fast.”
López will team up with four-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller and nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb.
“It’s a privilege and an honour to be part of such an impressive team, alongside two monsters like Yvan and Sébastien. I come from Córdoba, a region that is crazy about rally, and to find myself as Loeb’s team-mate is just a dream.”
Pechito is the first Argentine driver to commit in WTCC for the full season. The last time one of his fellow countrymen was in the position to fight for a world title dates back to the 1981 F1 championship, when Carlos Reutemann finished second behind Nelson Piquet.
The only Argentine driver to be sacred World Champion was the legendary Juan-Manuel Fangio who won five F1 titles between 1951 and 1957.

THEY SAID… THEY SAID…

More quotes from Citroën Racing launch at Versailles.

Yves Matton: “It would be pretentious to say that we join WTCC for winning, because we are newcomers. Let’s say that we hope to be able to win races in the second half of the season. Of course winning it’s part of Citroën’s DNA and therefore we compete to win. And the sooner it will happen, the better will be.”

Yvan Muller: “It’s difficult to say if the C-Elysée may be competitive from the beginning. I got the impression that it has been properly designed and is progressing well in the tests. However, the new regulations change all parameters and on top of this the team has no experience in WTCC. We will need an apprenticeship period.”

Sébastien Loeb: “The biggest challenge for me is to be competitive. There are many good drivers in the championship and for the time being I don’t have a clue of my potential. For sure the races I did in the FIA GT and Porsche Supercup have helped me to prepare for the fight on the track. But I still have to learn.”

Yvan Muller: “The new cars are funnier to drive. However I think that drivers will need to be more careful in making contacts, because with the wider tracks it’s easier to damage the suspension. And the larger front splitter means that bumping into another car may affect the aerodynamics. But all considered I am sure that the races will be close and spectacular.”

Sébastien Loeb: “I would be very disappointed if I’m not competitive. That is definitely my goal! I have good expectations for the street circuits, because I have been able to adapt myself quickly when I raced at Pau and Macau. I am sure that having a team-mate like Yvan is an advantage for me.”

LADA SPORT DRIVERS VISIT TOGLIATTI

Yesterday LADA Sport Lukoil drivers James Thompson and Mikhail Kozlovskiy visited Togliatti, LADA’s hometown.
Together with Team Principal Victor Shapovalov, Thompson and Kozlovskiy met AVTOVAZ Group Acting President Oleg Lobanov, Vice-President Sales and Marketing Artyom Fedosov and LADA Chief Designer Steve Mattin.
The party visited LADA R&D centre and LADA Sport production facilities, where they had a first look at the building the new LADA Granta Sport racing cars for the 2014 WTCC. Later they took part in a press conference with local media that was also attended by LADA Head of Marketing Alexander Bredikhin.
Thompson commented: “This was my first visit to LADA R&D and I was very much impressed by the technical facilities. It is great that we are able to use them for testing and improving the racing cars. It is fantastic for the team to have support from the manufacturer. It helps a lot, because we face fierce competition next year in the Manufacturers’ Championship. And our guys are working really hard to build a very competitive new car!”
And Kozlovskiy echoed: “The scale of LADA R&D department makes us confident that our cars will be competitive, because so much engineering power and talent is involved in this process! When the racing pedigree is supported by a great technical potential, this directly enhances the level of the racing team. I am proud that we have such a great engineering and design facility here in Russia. We saw the process of building the new WTCC car and I can’t wait to drive it!”
The team’s third driver, Rob Huff was not able to join his team-mates for the visit.

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

The city of Togliatti (Tolyatti in Russian), where LADA factory is based, lies along the Volga river in the federal province of Samara Oblast, in South-West Russia.
Its foundation dates back to 1737, as a fortress called Stavropol. The old city was covered by water after the building of the Kubyshev dam in 1950s and a new city was built in 1964.
This was named in memory of Palmiro Togliatti, Secretary of the Italian Communist Party, who had been instrumental in establishing the LADA automobile manufacturing plant in collaboration with FIAT.

MIKHAIL KOZLOVSKIY TRAINS RUSSIAN KIDS

LADA Sport Lukoil driver Mikhail Kozlovskiy shares his driving experience with young wannabe racing champions.
Kozlovskiy and his friend – and former team-mate – Eugeny Krasnov have organized a karting school for kids in Saint Petersburg, their home town, where the only Russian driver in WTCC gives a racing course every weekend. Karting is very popular in Russia, and many Russian racing drivers began their racing career in this discipline.
Mikhail Kozlovskiy has a great deal of experience in karting in which he competed since he was a ten-year old boy; he spent six years at the wheel of karts before switching to formula racing and then to touring cars. 
“I am very pleased to share my racing knowledge and experience with young children. We need to grow the racing drivers of the future and develop their skills from early childhood if they want to be successful in racing. Russian motorsport has made a big step forward in the last few years. A lot of circuits have been built and more and more Russian drivers are taking part in international series. It is a fast developing process and I am happy to be part of it, gaining experience in the World Touring Car Championship and sharing it with Russian kids,” said Kozlovskiy.

THE WTCC WELCOMES TIA MULLER!

Many congratulations to Yvan Muller and Justine Monnier for the birth of Tia!

The little girl was born on Wednesday and she promises to be as beautiful as her mother and even faster than his dad; in fact she was delivered a few days in advance.

The whole WTCC family wishes all the best to Tia, her parents and her sister Nina.

www.fiawtcc.com

The FIA World Motor Sport Council approved the calendar for the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Just like in the latest years, the series will be run on twelve events and twenty-four races.
For the first time the championship will kick off at Marrakech, while the closing meeting will be held at Macau for the tenth consecutive year.
The only new venue is Circuit Paul Ricard at Le Castellet, that will host the second event of the season. The last time the WTCC raced in France was at Pau in 2009. The championship will also return to Spa-Francorchamps, nine years after its only visit there in 2005.
Other changes compared to the previous seasons are the postponement of Sonoma by one week and the reversal of dates between Shanghai and Suzuka.

2014 WTCC –Calendar

6 April                  Marrakech (MAR) *
20 April                Le Castellet (FRA) *
4 May                  Hungaroring (HUN)
11 May                Slovakia Ring (SVK)
25 May                Salzburgring (AUT)
8 June                 Moscow Raceway (RUS) *
22 June               Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) **
3 August             Termas de Río Hondo (ARG) *
14 September     Sonoma (USA) *
12 October          Shanghai (CHN) *
26 October          Suzuka (JPN)
16 November      Macau (MAC) *

* subject to the ASN’s confirmation
** subject to the agreement with the promoter

YVAN MULLER CROWNED AT THE FIA GALA

Last night Yvan Muller was officially named 2013 FIA World Touring Car Drivers’ Champion during the traditional FIA prize giving gala in that took place at the Cité du Cinéma in Paris.
Muller collected his fourth Drivers’ trophy, while Gabriele Tarquini and James Nash received the awards for the second and third classified.
“Winning this title was a great satisfaction, because we were not even sure to be on the grid. It was already a victory to actually take part in the first event at Monza. I don’t know if it was more difficult than my previous titles; for sure it was difficult, but in a different way. It was difficult to find the sponsors and because we had a lower budget. But we were champions again, without the backing of a Manufacturer,” Muller commented.

HONDA RECEIVED MANUFACTURERS’ TROPHY

Also at the FIA gala in Paris, Honda received the WTCC Manufacturers’ Championship trophy. This was the first World Title for the Japanese Manufacturer since its Formula One triumphs between 1988 and 1991, when it was McLaren’s engine supplier.
Daisuke Horiuchi, Large Project Leader for WTCC development at Honda R & D, collected the trophy on the stage where the Honda Civic racing car was exhibited.
“This World Championship honour for Honda represents a great reward for everyone who worked so hard on this programme, whether at the tracks or at home in Japan, Italy and Hungary. Thanks to the continuous dedication and expertise of the people at JAS Motorsport, Zengö Motorsport, Mugen and Honda R&D, not to mention the talent of Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro and Norbert Michelisz, we achieved four victories and sixteen other podium results; something that gives you a real sense of pride for a first year in WTCC,” said Horiuchi.

LOEB GOES BACK TO SCHOOL…

Even a nine-time world champion may find himself in the position of going back to school.
This is the case for Sébastien Loeb who faces his maiden season in WTCC after a glorious career in rally that resulted in nine WRC titles.
Discover how Loeb became a student in the class of a very special teacher: the four-time WTCC champion and his new team-mate at Citröen Racing, Yvan Muller.
Watch the clip at www.fiawtcc.com!

HONDA’S 2014 WTCC CIVIC TAKES SHAPE

Honda has released the first visual of its 2014 World Touring Car Championship challenger reflecting the all new technical regulations for the FIA WTCC which will come into force for next year.
The Honda Civic WTCC render shows the subtle style of the wheel arch extensions, larger diameter wheels, sleeker aero package and extended rear spoiler. Add all this to increased engine power and the 2014 Honda WTCC racer is clearly ambitious to retain Honda’s Manufacturers World Championship crown and enable the drivers to challenge for the World Champion title.
Two works cars will be run by JAS Motorsport for Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro with two further cars to be entered by private outfits Zengö Motorsport and Proteam Racing for Hungary’s Norbert Michelisz and Moroccan Mehdi Bennani respectively.

RML TO BUILD NEW-SPEC CHEVROLET CRUZE

Multiple WTCC Champions RML officially confirmed they will design and build Chevrolet Cruze cars in compliance with the new 2014 FIA WTCC regulations.
RML’s expert team of engineers have been working hard on the new design of the Cruze since late summer, enabling work to commence in-house ready for the new season.
It has not yet been confirmed how many cars will be built, however customer teams will run the cars independently, with RML supplying an agreed level of support. Talks are ongoing with several interested parties for the purchase of the new car.
RML Chief Executive, Ray Mallock commented: “I am delighted that this project can now be officially announced and that RML will be supplying a number of customer cars to the 2014 WTCC grid. Strategically this opportunity is of great significance to RML as we reaffirm our commitment to the WTCC in the long-term and the introduction of the exciting new regulations.”
Mallock added: “The car is a completely new clean sheet design – it has to be to take advantage of the new regulations. The car represents a very significant step forward in performance over the existing Cruze, with significant aero gain, weight reduction and 20% more power increase. Of course with Citroën entering the championship next year along with Honda and Lada, we are in no doubt of the challenges that lay ahead to ensure that RML’s customers remain at the forefront of the series. The new car looks stunning and its performance will be way ahead of the current generation of cars.”

MALLOCK SAYS ALL ABOUT NEW PLANS

Following RML’s announcement that they will build a new Chevrolet Cruze in compliance with the new WTCC technical regulations, the company’s Chief Executive Ray Mallock agreed to answer a few questions.

Why RML decided to build a car for the new WTCC regulations?
“We firmly believe in the value of the WTCC as a platform for sponsors, drivers and manufacturers. WTCC should be the pinnacle of production car based competition and we want to be part of the series, supporting the transition to the exciting new regulations.”

How many cars have you planned to build and when will they be ready?
“We will build a minimum of four cars although this number could increase to six. The plan is to have first two cars ready around the 12^th March. In case we build more than six, we will not be able to supply the additional cars before Marrakech.”

Will customer teams own the engines outright or will they be a lease deal?
“As is the case with our current customer teams in WTCC (Nika Racing, bamboo-engineering, Tuenti Racing) we will continue to lease our in house engine at all times.”

Is there any involvement from GM in this project?
“Our friends at GM have worked closely with us on the homologation of the car. Beyond that, no, although we continue to have a close and strong relationship with GM.”

Will RML be running any cars in 2014?
“No, we have agreed with our customer teams that RML will not run in direct competition with them.”

Will RML be supporting any teams?
“If we are asked to provide additional support, we are happy to do so. This support will be available to any of the teams.”

Will RML return to WTCC as a race team?
“WTCC is very close to our heart and RML has a lot to offer to a manufacturer wanting to compete at the highest level in WTCC.”

If RML returns in 2015 representing a manufacturer, what happens to the customer cars?
“We are a high performance automotive engineering company, experienced in running multiple programmes. Our customer programmes are a vital part of our business model.  We have been supporting our customers to race and championship wins ever since we began in Touring cars in the early 1990s and that high level of commitment will continue.”

BENNANI UNVEILS HIS HONDA’S LIVERY

Mehdi Bennani unveiled the Morocco’s national colours livery that will be sported on his new Honda Civic during the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The launch happened Tuesday, during a press conference at Casablanca that was attended by Morocco’s most important media.
Among the guests were William De  Braekeleer, Motorsport Manager Honda Motor Europe, Mehdi Tak Tak, General Director of Groupe Univers Motors, Honda importer for Morocco, and Valmiro Presenzini, Principal of Proteam Racing.
“I am very happy with this opportunity of racing a Honda; this makes me really optimistic about our future performance during the next season. My aim is to fight against the top WTCC drivers and I am also especially proud to defend the colours of Morocco colours in such an important international series,” said Bennani.

www.fiawtcc.com

Yvan Muller and Yannick Agnel are two of France’s sports glories. The former is a four-time World Touring Car champion, the latter a double Olympic Swimming champion.
Muller and Agnel met last week at the Circuit de Versailles-Satory, close to Vélizy where Citroën Racing is based.
Agnel, 21-years old from Nîmes, won the 200 Metres Freestyle and 4×100 Metres Freestyle Relay at the London Olympics in 2012 and at the 2013 Swimming World Championships in Barcelona. At Satory he enjoyed a high speed driving lesson from Muller.
“It is interesting to see that high level sportsmen have in common the capacity of analyzing and solving the problems. In Agnel’s case, he will only need two or three advices to learn,” Muller commented.
The question is: when Agnel will teach Muller a swimming lesson?
Watch the clip at www.fiawtcc.com!

SEASON REVIEW – WTCC FIELD UP BY 10.6%

In 2013 the WTCC field grew up by +10.6% compared to 2012; the average participation over the twelve events of the year was of 25.5 cars, with a record peak of 34 entered in the season’s finale at Macau.

Yvan Muller became the first driver capable of clinching the World Touring Car Championship crown four times.

The Frenchman had previously won three titles in 2008, 2010 and 2011, matching the record established by Andy Priaulx (2005, 2006 and 2007) who remains the only man to be crowned champion in three consecutive seasons.

45 drivers of 18 nationalities took part in at least one event during the 2013 season, at the wheel of models built by six manufacturers: BMW, Chevrolet, Honda, LADA, SEAT and Volvo. 
Ten out of 45 joined WTCC for the first time, increasing to 196 the total number of drivers who have made at least one appearance in the championship (since 2005).

Latvia’s Konstantins Calko was the first competitor ever from the Baltic States.

SPECIAL AWARDS FOR WTCC BICENTENARIES

Two drivers and two teams received special awards for taking part in their 200^th WTCC race.
Rob Huff was the first driver to reach this historical mark, in the second race at Shanghai, followed by Tom Coronel in the first race at Macau; their tallies are now 202 and 201 respectively.
Unfortunately Gabriele Tarquini failed to emulate them due to the engine failure that prevented him from taking the start in Macau’s Race 1; as a consequence the Italian is lying currently at level 199.
The teams awarded were RML and Proteam Racing.
They are actually the only outfits to have taken the start in all the 204 races held so far since the WTCC was launched in 2005.

BENNANI JOINS THE 100 RACE CLUB

Mehdi Bennani was the latest driver inducted in the WTCC 100 Race Club, reserved for those who have taken the start in one hundred World Championship races.
The men from Morocco reached the 100 mark in the second race at Suzuka and was officially inducted in the Club during the WTCC prize giving ceremony at Macau.
Bennani has become the sixteenth member of the WTCC 100 Race Club and the youngest of those who are still competing in the championship.

RACE VICTORIES – ELEVEN DIFFERENT WINNERS

Eleven different drivers shared race victories during the season. Only twice in the past did the WTCC provide a higher number of winners: twelve in 2005 and fourteen in 2008.
Yvan Muller took the lion’s share with seven wins, which increased his tally to an impressive 37. And even more impressive, he has claimed 24 out of the 37 in the three latest seasons…
With two victories apiece, former world champions Rob Huff and Gabriele Tarquini reached 25 and 19 successes respectively; this meant that Huff moved to a solo second position leaving Alain Menu behind, while Tarquini climbed to fourth ahead of Andy Priaulx. The Italian also remains the only driver who won at least one race in each of the series’ nine seasons.
However, the most significant fact was that five drivers joined the WTCC winners’ club, something that had never happened before.
James Nash, Tom Chilton, Michel Nykjær, Pepe Oriola and José María López collected nine race wins altogether, and two of them have even marked new milestones for WTCC: at Marrakech, Oriola became the youngest ever winner of an FIA World Championship race at the age of 18 years and nine months, while winning his home race in Argentina, López became the first driver victorious on his maiden appearance in the FIA touring cars.

QUALIFYING – MULLER WINS FROM THE POLE

Yvan Muller’s domination during the 2013 season was especially evident in qualifying. With eight pole positions out of twelve sessions, the quadruple World Champion established a new record for the series. The previous one was five pole positions set by Alain Menu in 2007 and matched by Gabriele Tarquini in 2009.

Starting from pole proved crucial in the chase for the crown, as Muller converted six of them into race victories. Only once, in Shanghai, he settled for second place when Tom Chilton passed him on the last lap. As for the pole position he claimed at the Salzburgring, it was only good for statistics, as Muller (like a lot of other drivers) was demoted by a penalty.

However, pole position was not the only factor that counted in Muller’s march towards another title. He scored 51 points in qualifying, that equate to 11.8% of his total tally of 431 points in the Drivers’ Championship. A big deal compared to Tarquini’s 21 points (8.7%) and James Nash’s 7 points (3.1%). The four remaining pole positions went to Tarquini (2), Norbert Michelisz and Chilton (one each).

Muller and Tarquini also top the WTCC all time statistics with 22 and 17 poles respectively.

GRID – REVERSED POLE PROVED CRUCIAL

In 2013 the rule that reverses the first ten drivers classified in the qualifying session on the grid for the second race proved as crucial as ever.

Five times out of twelve the driver who started from pole position on the reverse grid was able to win the race.

James Nash at Salzburgring and Porto, José María López at Termas de Río Hondo and Tiago Monteiro at Shanghai fully exploited their opportunities, while Tom Coronel did it at Slovakia Ring but could not convert into a victory his second reversed pole at Macau.

However, the driver who took the most starts from pole in the second race was Mehdi Bennani. The man from Morocco lined up in the top spot three times, at Moscow, Sonoma and Suzuka, but he only managed to achieve some leading laps (Russia and Japan) and two second places (USA and Japan).
Other drivers who started from pole on the reverse grid were Darryl O’Young (Monza), Fernando Monje (Marrakech) and Alex MacDowall (Budapest).

LAPS – MULLER LEADER OF THE PACK

The twenty-four races of the 2013 WTCC totaled to 311 laps, including 27 (8.7%) behind the safety car, which equated to a race distance of 1370.69 kilometres.

Once again the streets circuits proved the trickiest. The safety car was deployed at Porto during both races for a total of nine laps, while the second race in Macau was suspended twice by the red flag. The only other race disrupted by the red flag was the first at the Moscow Raceway.

Yvan Muller led for 85 laps, 27.3% of the total. Behind him Gabriele Tarquini was ahead of the field for 31 laps, Tom Coronel and Michel Nykjær for 28.

Looking at the all time statistics, Muller reinforced his leadership further, with 454 laps led; Alain Menu is still second with 297 despite he did not take part in this year’s championship, Rob Huff is third with 270.

During the 2013 season three drivers joined the lap-leading club: Pepe Oriola, Tom Chilton and José María López, all of them on their way to claim their first race victory.

POINTS – FIVE NEW SCORERS JOIN THE LIST

Scoring 431 points during the season, Yvan Muller nearly matched his own record of 433 that was established in 2011.

The French driver collected a grand total of 1968 points over his eight WTCC seasons; in the all-time table he his followed at distance by Rob Huff (1581) and Gabriele Tarquini (1363).

The only other driver who has topped the 1000-point mark is Alain Menu (1091).

Since the WTCC was launched in 2005, 69 drivers have scored points in the Drivers’ Championship.

Five of them made their entry into the scorers’ list during the 2013 season: Marc Basseng, José María López, Hugo Valente, Henry Ho and Célio Alves Dias.

www.fiawtcc.com

The 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship is bound for a new record in broadcasting figures, according to the interim evaluation report released by REPUCOM.
Figure show that the global coverage of the 2013 WTCC totaled to 515 hours of dedicated broadcasts, a 9.3% increase compared to the same period last year.
The increased number of hours, also reflected in a higher media impact (advertising equivalent value), which was also increased by 3.6% compared to the 2012 season.
241 million people tuned in for watching the first six events of the season, and this is comparable with last year, when 254 million people watched WTCC on the TV all over the world. The interim report shows that the first half of the season was televised over 188 countries on 88 different channels worldwide, 59 free-to-air and 28 on cable or satellite, or pan-regional channels.
Ulrich Lacher, Global Director Enterprise Services – REPUCOM said: “WTCC media figures are very encouraging and point out a sustained development as the series continues to grow. New television markets are being opened up and new audiences are being reached. With Citroën joining the championship next year and the Russian market now established with the Moscow Raceway as an important venue, we expect 2014 to show even greater results.”
Antonios Argyropoulos, Head of Media Rights Distribution – Eurosport Events said: “We are delighted with the figures released by REPUCOM, as they prove that WTCC’s popularity is steadily growing. We are really encouraged by this evidence and the trust that our broadcast partners around the world are placing in the championship.”

THOMPSON HAPPY WITH LADA’S RESULTS

The LADA Sport Lukoil team successfully completed their first full WTCC season proving that performance of the Granta car were steadily improving.
After scoring points in seven races – that placed him 14^th in the Drivers’ Championship – during the final event at Macau James Thompson came close to achieve LADA’s first podium result in the World Championship.
After he classified ninth in Friday’s qualifying and fourth in Sunday’s morning warm-up, Thompson was stopped in the first race by a trivial technical problem. In the second race he started from second on the top-ten reverse grid and chased the leader Tom Coronel until the two final laps, when he dropped to fourth behind Rob Huff and James Nash; eventually Thompson was punted into the wall by Pepe Oriola.
“It was a big disappointment for everyone in our team. After the restart I lost a bit of pace in the first sector but I was confident that we would be able to make it up in the second sector, where we had been very quick all weekend. I reckoned that we could even fight Tom Coronel for first place. But then, after Oriola went into me, it was impossible to carry on: a real pity!” the Briton commented.
However he is positive on how the season went: “On the whole, it’s been really good for us. Our goal was originally to be somewhere in the middle of the grid, but by the first half of the season we were already fighting in the top-ten. Then, in the Asian rounds we were in very good shape: sixth in Japan, eight in China and fighting for a podium in Macau. I’m very proud of the whole team and I’ve got no doubt that we’re going to have another even more competitive car for 2014. Before then, we’ve got a lot of work to do and there are many tests ahead of us. I’m really looking forward to next year.”

NASH WINS THE YOKOHAMA TROPHY

On his second WTCC season, James Nash clinched the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy, beating his bamboo-engineering team-mate Alex MacDowall.

At the wheel of his Chevrolet Cruze car, the young Englishman established himself among the championship’s top drivers from the beginning of the season. Fast and consistent, Nash was capable of winning two overall races (Salzburgring and Porto) and finished on the podium on three other occasions.

Eventually this helped him to claim a brilliant third place in the WTCC Drivers’ Championship, the best result ever for a non-factory driver.
“We came with a plan to secure the Yokohama Trophy title and if we could, a top three overall too. To have achieved both is simply fantastic! I drove a controlled opening race. I knew what I had to do which was to stay ahead of Chilton and with that in-hand there was no need to try anything ahead. I simply had to concentrate on bringing the car home in the points. The second race though, was pretty dramatic. I got ahead of Thompson off the grid and tucked in behind leader Coronel going down to the first real corner but then I could see all hell breaking loose in my mirrors as quite a few cars smashed into each other and blocked the track. I think had the race not been stopped I would have been good for a podium at least but the two rolling starts that followed rather mucked things up for me,” a delighted Nash commented.

TANIGUCHI CLAIMS FIRST ASIA TROPHY

Yukinori Taniguchi celebrated his comeback to the WTCC by claiming the first edition of the championship’s Asia Trophy.

The Japanese driver, who had been a regular in the world championship in 2010 and 2011, was given the possibility to replace Fredy Barth at Wiechers-Sport, for his home race meeting at Suzuka.

He had no plans to join for other races, but a couple of second places in the Asia Trophy at Suzuka whetted his appetite and convinced him that it was worth a try. So he sealed a last minute deal with Campos Racing for driving a SEAT León at Shanghai, where he won both the trophy’s races.

The title was nearly in the pocket, however he needed to race in Macau to be sure. Another last-minute move brought him at the wheel of the Nika Racing Chevrolet Cruze and Taniguchi settled the matter with a victory in the first race, despite strong pressure from Campos Racing’s Michael Soong. The second race in Macau went to Henry Ho in a Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si.

Taniguchi also established an odd record, becoming the first driver in WTCC history to race for three different teams and in three different cars during the same season.

SOME FAMOUS WORD FROM MACAU

Pepe Oriola: “After the second interruption, I saw we had the podium within reach and didn’t hesitate to fight for it. It was a great race, I had so much fun.”

Tom Chilton: “Race two was just another disaster – again contact put me out of the race. I am just really upset that I was caught up in other people’s mistakes.”

Ron Harvelt, RML: “It has been a pleasure for everyone at RML to work with Yvan over the past four years and with a bit of emotion we wish him good luck for the future.”
Tiago Monteiro: “When it is so close like that on this very, very tough circuit there is just no room for the smallest error.”

Rob Huff: “I started seventh and finished first, but passed thirteen people in total. Figure that out!”

Marc Basseng: “That’s a great team result and our most successful event ever in the WTCC!”

Alex MacDowall: “To come back with the car in one piece was something after the carnage in race two!”

Tom Coronel: “Being on the podium after the final race of the season is always good.”

Stefano D’Aste: “I was chasing Basseng and Oriola, but their cars were faster on the straight. I was quicker in the second sector, but it’s impossible to pass there…”

Mikhail Kozlovskiy: “I didn’t expect so many accidents to happen under the safety car! Many drivers were pushing really hard in the last race of the season and weren’t especially thinking about saving their cars…”

Tom Boardman: “Coronel was in front of me but I was a lot quicker than him through Mandarin and was able to overtake him pretty easily, and that was it really.”

BORKOVIĆ UPGRADES FROM ETCC TO WTCC

Dušan Borković is the first independent driver to announce his participation in the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The 29-year old Serbian will drive a SEAT León run by NIS Petrol Racing Team with the support of Campos Racing. After claiming the Category 1 title in the 2012 FIA European Hill Climbing Championship at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, during the current season Borković took part in the FIA European Touring Car Cup. He began the season at the wheel of a SEAT León, with which he won at the Salzburgring, before switching to a Chevrolet Cruze for the two final race meetings.
Eventually he was classified third in the Super 2000 Drivers‘ Cup.
“This was not an easy decision and I’m glad to have taken it together with my team. The fact that I will be driving alongside some of the greatest race car drivers, including a true legend like Sébastien Loeb, and will be able to compete in a world championship is a great achievement for me. I will take 2014 as an apprenticeship year to learn the tracks in view of 2015. I will do my best to achieve the best possible results, however whatever it comes will make me happy,” Borković said.

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It seems like Yvan Muller and Rob Huff are united by a strange – and benevolent – fate. They have been team-mates for long time at Chevrolet, they handed each-other the WTCC title (from Muller to Huff and back).
Today in Macau they were facing the last races with their respective teams – RML and ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport – before moving to Citroën Racing and LADA Sport respectively. And they both managed to leave with a victory.
Mulller won the first race in a very dominant way, something that has become his own trademark, while Huff responded in Race 2 with a number of thrilling overtaking manoeuvres and claimed his sixth victory in the WTCC Guia Race.
The fight for the second position in the Drivers’ Championship was not decided on the track. Gabriele Tarquini – who had a 25-point margin – was sidelined by an engine failure that came out during the warm up, which left Tom Chilton with the opportunity to fill the gap. However, the Englishman crashed during the first race and this not only cost him the second place but also promoted a delighted James Nash to third in the overall classification.
Nash also clinched the Yokohama Trophy title ahead of his bamboo-engineering team-mate Alex MacDowall. And they celebrated by winning one race apiece today.
The new Asia Trophy went to Yukinori Taniguchi who built this success step by step, sealing last minute deals for Shanghai and Macau and becoming the first driver in WTCC history to race for three different teams and in three different cars.
As it usually happens in Macau, drivers and teams paid a dear toll in terms of damage. If the first race was rather smooth, the second one turned into a carnage with two massive pile ups that eliminated 17 cars out of 33! Luckily this happened on the last race of the season…

RACE 1 – MULLER CRUISES TO VICTORY
Yvan Muller took another of his famous lights to flag victories. The 2013 World Champion took the lead from pole position and bid farewell to the rest of the field.
Behind him Tiago Monteiro defended his second place keeping at bay Rob Huff, despite the Briton’s car was faster on the straight. Norbert Michelisz finished fourth ahead of the bamboo-engineering duo of Alex MacDowall – who won the Yokohama Trophy race – and James Nash who clinched the Yokohama Trophy title.
On the last lap Marc Basseng won the fight with Pepe Oriola for seventh; Yukinori Taniguchi finished on top of the Asia Trophy beating Michael Soong.

RACE 2 – HUFF WINS AFTER CARNAGE
Rob Huff claimed an amazing victory in a race that saw the field decimated by two massive pile-ups.
Tom Coronel was able to benefit from pole position and lead for most of the race, but the double red-flag and the two restarts behind the safety car gave an advantage to the SEAT and Chevrolet cars that were faster than the BMW on the straight. Eventually Huff jumped into the lead with only two laps left, while Pepe Oriola also managed to strip Coronel of second position.
For most of the race James Thompson and LADA cherished the dream of claiming the Russian manufacturers’ first podium, as the Briton was second behind Coronel. However Thompson lost two positions to Huff and Nash after the second restart and eventually was punted off by Oriola.
James Nash finished fourth ahead of his team-mate Alex MacDowall, and the pair gave bamboo-engineering a 1-2 finish in the Yokohama Trophy.
Among those who survived the carnage, Henry Ho finished in tenth position, claiming his first WTCC point and winning the Asia Trophy race.

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Yvan Muller on pole position is nothing new, as today the new WTCC champion scored his eighth pole of the season out of twelve qualifying sessions.
However, this was his first pole position at Macau. The RML driver was superb throughout the whole day, steering clear of any possible problems or mistakes. First in Practice 1, second in Practice 2, first again in Q1 and Q2.
Besides the position, what impressed most was his pace that relegated his closest competitor, Tiago Monteiro, one second behind. However the combined results of the three Honda drivers (with Gabriele Tarquini third and Norbert Michelisz fifth) put the Japanese cars in a good position for the races.
Rob Huff tried everything to claim a fifth consecutive pole position in Macau, but eventually last year’s champion was forced to settle in fourth.
Alex MacDowall qualified sixth, and first of the Yokohama Trophy, while Tom Coronel ranked tenth and won pole position on the reverse grid for the second race.

Qualifying 1
In the early stages Muller was the first one to post a significant quick lap of 2:30.989; then Monteiro improved to 2:30.969 in the period between the first and the second red flag. Eventually Muller set the fastest lap of 2:30.142 just before the third interruption.
In the five minutes left after the last red flag, a number of drivers managed to improve: Huff to second (2:30.700), Michelisz to third (2:30.945), Tarquini to seventh and Boardman who qualified in 12^th and reached Q2 for the first time.
Tom Chilton joined the session thanks to a miracle performed by the RML crew that put the car in conditions to run after the spectacular crash in Practice 2. And this enabled Chilton to make to Q2 on his last attempt.
Surprisingly Pepe Oriola, who had been one of the fastest in the morning’s practice sessions, was kicked out of the top twelve right at the end of the session. 
The session was disrupted three times by the red flag: the first time after Hugo Valente crashed at Paiol bend, then when Michael Soon (Valente’s team-mate at Campos Racing) dived into the tyre wall at the Fisherman’s bend and finally, with five minutes left on the clock, when Fredy Barth hit the wall at the Solitude Esses.
The following drivers went through to Q2: Muller, Huff, Michelisz, Monteiro, MacDowall, Thompson, Tarquini, Nash, Coronel, Chilton, Basseng and Boardman.

Qualifying 2
On the first timed lap Muller made clear that he was the man to beat for the pole, clocking the time of 2:29.770. Monteiro posted a provisional second fastest lap of 2:30.112 while Tarquini hit the wall and aborted what promised to be the second fastest lap.
On his second attempt Muller improved to 2:28.993, smashing the WTCC lap record by five tenths and leaving Monteiro one second behind.
Tarquini and Huff were able to climb to third and fourth, ahead of Michelisz and MacDowall who emerged as the best of the Yokohama Trophy.

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Rob Huff has the best winning record in Macau for WTCC, and in today’s test session he proved once again that he is always the man to beat on the Guia circuit.
In the late stages of the session, the 2012 World Champion drove his ALL-INKL.COM SEAT León car to clock the fastest time of 2:32.169, a mark that he improved further to 2:32.147 on the following lap.
The dying moments of the session provided plenty of improvements. Norbert Michelisz’s Honda Civic set the second fastest lap of 2:32.218, beating Yvan Muller’s Chevrolet Cruze (2:32.372) and the other Honda of Tiago Monteiro (2:32.693).
Pepe Oriola ranked in fifth (2:32.780) with Stefano D’Aste in sixth (2:33.314) and best of the BMW drivers and the Yokohama Trophy competitors, despite an early collision with Campos Racing’s newcomer Konstantins Calko at Moorish bend.
Chilton, Coronel, Thompson and Bennani rounded out the top ten. Michael Soong topped the Asia Trophy competitors in 22^nd position overall, followed by Henry Ho in 23^rd.
A few drivers had moments: Mak Ka Lok spun at the ‘R’ bend, Franz Engstler brushed the wall and was forced to pit for repairs, Yukinori Taniguchi crashed heavily into the wall at the Reservoir bend, which caused the session being red-flagged.
Friday will see the WTCC field take to the track for two thirty-minute Free Practice sessions, before the two-stage Qualifying begins at 15.35 local time (8.35 CET).

HUFF: I WANT TO LEAVE WITH A VICTORY

Rob Huff was extremely happy when he came back to the Münnich Motorsport garage at the end of the test session.
“It’s the first time I’m back on top since I won the race in Budapest earlier this year. It was a good couple of laps and the car felt good. It’s just a test today, but obviously this makes us confident. I’m very pleased for the team, as I can see that now they are smiling…”
This is Huff’s last race meeting with the German team before moving to LADA Sport for next year.
“Of course I want to leave them on a high note. It has been a wonderful year for me. These guys make an absolutely fantastic and loving team. I was welcomed with open arms and was impressed throughout the season by the way they cared of me and my car. I really would like to thank them with a victory here.”

TWO NEW DRIVERS JOIN CAMPOS RACING

Spanish outfit Campos Racing signed two new drivers to complete the three-car line-up for the WTCC final race meeting this weekend at Macau.
Konstantins Calko and Michael Soong have joined the team’s regular Hugo Valente; they both are newcomers to the WTCC.
Calko, 19-year old from Latvia is the first Baltic driver to appear in WTCC. After claiming a number of victories in karting, including two national titles and a third position in the 2010 European Championship, the young Latvian proved successful in car racing as well.
After being sacred Baltic Touring Car champion in 2011, he won last year the title of the Radical Masters Euroseries.
Soong, from Hong Kong, will replace Fernando Monje; although he also faces his WTCC debut, the 33-year old driver has built himself a solid touring car experience winning races in the Hong Kong and the China championships.
In the current season he took part in the China Touring Car championship at the wheel of a Kia K2 and ranked twelfth in the Super Production class.

DRIVERS IMPRESSED BY NEW CONTROL TOWER

Wednesday of the race week in Macau is usually dedicated to gather competitors of the main races – WTCC, F3 and Motorcycling GP – and offer photo opportunities to the press.
This year drivers and riders posed for pictures under the new Race Control Tower of the Guia Circuit, that was built in the latest months and replaced the previous building that dated back to 1993.
Between the end of the current year and the beginning of 2014, the whole Grand Prix building that includes garages, offices and the media centre will be demolished and a new one will be erected in time for next year’s event.
All the drivers were much impressed by the new Race Control facilities.

DRIVERS MEET MACAU SCHOOL CHILDREN

After the pictures in the pit lane, all drivers and riders boarded on buses to reach the glamorous Venetian Macau-Hotel Resort where they visited a collection of stunning classic automobiles and motorcycles celebrating the heritage of the Macau Grand Prix.
There they took part in an autograph session for the benefit of a group of children from the local School of Nations of Macau and the Macau Portuguese School.

WORLDWIDE TV COVERAGE FROM MACAU

The FIA WTCC Guia Race of Macau will benefit from a large worldwide TV coverage once again, including live broadcasts in Europe, the Asia Pacific region, Africa and the Americas.
European WTCC fans will have to set their alarm clock for an early wake up to follow the season’s finale on Eurosport – Europe’s largest sports channel – that will cover live the qualifying session on Friday, 15^th November at 8:30am (CET) and the two races on Sunday, 17^th November at 4:00am and 5:00am (CET) respectively.
In Macau and Mainland China eight free to air television broadcasters will air both races live at 11:00am and 12:00 (noon) local time respectively: TDM, Macau Cable TV, TVB, Guangdong TV, CSPN Network (that includes Shandong Sports TV, Xinjiang Sports TV and Jiangxi TV, Channel 6). On top of this, CCTV 5, Chinas’ state broadcaster, will show highlights of the event within its ‘Auto times’ magazine on Wednesday of the week after the event.
Pan-regional broadcasters such as Eurosport Asia and FOX/Star Sports will also show the races in the Asia Pacific region in addition to the 88 broadcasters reaching 188 countries around the world.
For those in the Americas, Speed 2 Channel in North America and Fox in Latin America will be broadcasting both races on a delayed basis, while Mexican broadcaster Viva Sports, through their network in Latin America, will broadcast both races live.

FOR HAVEN’S SAKE

Eurosport commentator and touring car expert Martin Haven’s column.

Macau preview – Celebration Day

The Macau Grand Prix reaches a huge milestone this year, celebrating its 60^th Anniversary. For any event, that would be reason for celebration but for any motor-race – let alone a street race, for both cars AND motorcycles, held in a tiny city, leased by a foreign power, then returned to China – it’s truly astonishing!
To put 1954 – the year in which the race was first held – into perspective, the Korean War had just finished, Dwight D Eisenhower was President of the USA and Bill Haley and the Comets released Rock Around The Clock.
The event, of course, is also the venue for the season finale of the FIA WTCC and the carnival atmosphere, combined with the passion of the fans and organisers for the event, ensures that Macau is a firm favourite with teams and drivers.
The track itself is quite some challenge. Broken into essentially two halves, it combines a tight, twisty mountain circuit that’s a pitching, diving roller-coaster with the harbourside section, which is wide, open and all-but flat-out.
The entire 6km length of the track is lined with unforgiving walls, waiting to trap the unwary. Imagine Monaco, combined with the fastest parts of Monza and you have an idea of the challenge the drivers face. Simply surviving two races in Macau is quite some achievement.
The Championship has been decided here nearly every season before this and Macau will still see the Yokohama Trophy Champion crowned, as well as the final Championship positions decided.
In both title races, James Nash is a front-runner. He looks most likely to add the Yokohama Trophy to his BTCC Independent’s title and is still in the running to be championship runner-up. He’ll have to overhaul Gabriele Tarquini and Tom Chilton, however and both men are likely to be highly competitive around the streets of Macau.
The final race weekend for the current WTCC format is sure to be a cracker – the street circuit always produces fireworks, with plenty of close racing, incident and accident. It’s must-see racing and the perfect way to celebrate the end of another great WTCC season.

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Chevrolet and Honda cars alternated in dominating the races at Shanghai International Circuit today.
An avalanche of Cruze cars filled the first five spots in Race 1, despite a shower had shuffled the cards a few minutes before the start. The two RML drivers made their gamble going for slick tyres, and won. Pepe Oriola, who had opted for the wets, tried everything to resist while Yvan Muller and Tom Chilton were coming back, but eventually was forced to give up.
In Race 2, Tiago Monteiro took a convincing lights to flag victory keeping his team-mate Gabriele Tarquini at bay, while Norbert Michelisz defended the third position to give Honda the second 1-2-3 finish of the season after Slovakia Ring.
In the Drivers’ Championship, now focus is on the fight for the second place, that sees Tarquini having a 22-point gap ahead of Chilton, while James Nash lies a further seven points adrift.
And Nash scored two victories in the Yokohama Trophy, that nearly granted him the title. His leading margin ahead of his bamboo-engineering team-mate Alex MacDowall is now of 41 points, with 43 still at stake.
At the same time the RML team clinched the Yokohama Teams’ Trophy, further increasing their already large margin.
Among the drivers who were shining in China, Tom Boardman deserves to be mentioned. Not only he scored his first points of the season in the Drivers’ Championship, but also finished twice on the Yokohama Trophy podium and – icing on the cake – overtook Michelisz and Monteiro for ninth at the end of Race 1.
The one-off appearance of Thed Björk and the Polestar Racing Volvo ended in a very disappointing way. Although the driver and the car had showed a very promising pace, a grid penalty after qualifying and an electrical problem at the start of Race 1 spoiled what could have been an exciting weekend for the Swedish team.
The championship will resume in two weeks for the final rounds 23 and 24 at Macau on November 17.

ROB HUFF JOINS LADA SPORT FOR 2014
2012 World Touring Car champion Rob Huff will join LADA Sport Lukoil for the next two seasons. Huff himself unveiled the deal during the TV live broadcasting, at the end of the Shanghai’s first race.
The man from Cambridge will be at the wheel of the team’s third Granta car alongside his fellow countryman James Thompson and Russia’s Mikhail Kozlowskiy who have been both confirmed for 2014.
In a move that demonstrates its commitment to WTCC, the Russian manufacturer forged a technical collaboration with ORECA in 2013 and they will jointly develop a revised version of the Granta racing car in compliance with the championship’s new technical regulations for 2014.
Huff stated: “I’m delighted with this new association with LADA Sport Lukoil and it’s a massive thrill to be back with a manufacturer team. It will be an honour to work with such an ambitious and hard-working group of people. I’m also really excited about racing as a team-mate to James Thompson, because I have a huge amount of respect for him. I’m determined to emulate the sort of success I had with Chevrolet, taking LADA Sport to the top in WTCC. The team is still fairly new to the championship and I hope to be able to use my knowledge and experience to make an active contribution towards building a championship-winning outfit.”
Team Principal Victor Shapovalov echoed: “We are very happy to have such a talented and experienced driver as part of our team. We have made significant progress since the start of the season and proved that the LADA Granta car is capable of fighting for the top five positions. Rob Huff’s driving skill can contribute much to the team’s success. The increased driver line-up for 2014 and 2015 will help us to strengthen our position. In view of a forthcoming season with new manufacturers joining, we set very ambitious goals. I am sure that the pair of Huff and Thompson will be one of the strongest in the Championship.”

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Following a five-week break after the previous race meeting at Suzuka, the 21^st and 22^nd rounds of the FIA WTCC will take place at Shanghai, China next week. This is the third consecutive visit of the World Championship to Mainland China and Shanghai.
After the series raced at the short Tianma racetrack in 2011, since last year it’s the modern Shanghai International Circuit that hosts the WTCC Race of China.
The circuit was inaugurated in 2004 and has been home to the Formula One Grand Prix of China since.
The WTCC will use a shorter layout compared to Formula One. This 4.6km circuit features a shortcut that links Turn 4 to the exit of Turn 8, cutting out 850 metres of the Grand Prix track. The two WTCC races will be held on the distance of 13 laps.
Just like in previous years, the WTCC will share the event with the China Touring Car Championship.

A FIELD OF THIRTY-ONE CARS AT SHANGHAI

The addition of Thed Björk’s Volvo C30 and the participation of six competitors of the Asia Trophy, has boosted the WTCC field to a season-record of thirty-one cars.
With the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships that have already found their winners, focus switches on the fights for the trophies.
In the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy, bamboo-engineering’s James Nash defends his current leadership from his team-mate Alex MacDowall who has to recover a gap of 32 points while 66 are still at stake.
RML is just one step away from clinching the Yokohama Team’s Trophy; its current leading margin of 78 points, when 108 are still to be awarded, does not leave much hope for a recovery to bamboo-engineering.
In the Asia Trophy, Yukinori Taniguchi who is leading  after the first event at Suzuka, will race in China with a Campos Racing SEAT car against a group of five drivers from Macau.
Song Veng Racing Team’s Jerónimo Badaraco is the best placed of the five Macanese drivers, followed by Ng Kin Veng of China Racing and Ho Wai Kun of Liqui Moly Team Engstler.

TANIGUCHI TO DEFEND ASIA TROPHY LEAD

In a last-minute move, Yukinori Taniguchi has signed with Campos Racing to drive the Spanish team’s third SEAT León car at Shanghai.
The Japanese driver had made his first appearance of the season in the previous race meeting at Suzuka, replacing Fredy Barth in the Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si.
Taniguchi finished both races in second place of the Asia Trophy and emerged as the first leader with 16 points, one and three more that his fellow countrymen Masaki Kano and Takuya Izawa respectively.

HONDA CONFIRMS DRIVERS FOR 2014

Honda has confirmed that current drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro will be retained for the 2014 FIA WTCC campaign.
Hideo Sato, General Manager of Honda’s Motor Sports Division commented: “Always with a new car and a new programme there is many areas to work on and always we are against the clock. Thanks to the driving skill, experience and technical knowledge of Gabriele and Tiago and their hard work with the team, we have made great progress very quickly this year. They have both been fighting to get the Honda Civic WTCC into the results and to have won races and many podium positions is a great result. For 2014, I expect the regulations changes will create an exciting and dynamic racing season. I am confident that our two experienced drivers, who have intimate knowledge of the Civic, will be key to our success. I am very pleased to have them in the Honda Racing family for 2014 which will be another competitive season for sure.”
Tarquini, who is currently second in the Drivers’ Championship, said: “I am proud of the long relationship I have had with Honda, from the British Touring Car Championship times until today. We have such a good team spirit and everybody is working for one thing and that is to win the races. We have developed this car into a winner and soon we will start with the 2014 car so to see Honda renew its confidence in me is a great reward.”
And Monteiro echoed: “It is a great honour for me to have been involved in this project since the beginning and actively participate in the development of the Honda Civic WTCC which has become a highly competitive and winning car. Working with the whole Honda Team is a privilege at all levels. For 2014 I want to continue the good work we have been developing with the team and Gabriele and achieve many more podiums. I’m already looking forward to the start of the new season.”

NEW HONDA CIVIC FOR MICHELISZ IN 2014

Following Honda’s announcement about the confirmation of drivers for 2014, Zengö Motorsport announced that it will run again  one Civic car for Norbert Michelisz next year.
The Hungary-based team will be entrusted with one of the cars built by JAS Motorsport according to the new technical specifications.
2014 will mark the fifth season for Zengö Motorsport and Michelisz in WTCC. Together they have won three races and the 2012 Yokohama Trophy. Michelisz, who is currently sixth in the Drivers’ Championship is one of the only two drivers – together with Tarquini – who won WTCC races for three different car manufacturers: SEAT (Macau 2010), BMW (Hungary 2012) and Honda (Japan 2013).
“I’m very happy with having the possibility to continue with Zengö Motorsport and Honda. With the experience we built up since 2010 and the help from JAS Motorsport and Honda I am confident we’ll have the potential to fight for top positions in 2014,” Michelisz said.

CHARLES NG: TOP-TEN IS MY GOAL

Charles Ng was born in Hong Kong and, together with Darryl O’Young, he is one of the two Chinese drivers who take part in the whole WTCC season. Therefore, the WTCC event at Shanghai may be considered the home race meeting for the 29-year old driver of the Liqui Moly Team Engstler.
This is your second full season in the WTCC. Are you happy with your results so far?
“Yes, I am happy with my performance so far as I have met my short term goals: entering Q2 at Moscow and finishing in on the Yokohama Trophy podium in Japan. My teammate Franz Engstler is a very experienced driver and a WTCC race winner, I am glad that we always have some close but friendly competitions. I won some and he won some!”

Since you joined the championship in the two final events of 2011, you have been racing with Liqui Moly Team Engstler. How do you find yourself with them?
“There have been definitely ups and downs, and honestly I think we as a BMW team are fighting in the hardest times in the recent two years, since I joined the championship. However, the team and I never give up and we always try to keep our head up and work harder for better results. And I thank a lot Liqui Moly for taking me under their wing.”

Before WTCC you have been mostly active in drifting. How much did you have to adapt your driving style for the switch?
“I was in the Formula Drift USA Pro Championship, but prior to that I won the Asian Touring Car Series in 2010 before I took a break from racing. It was definitely not easy making the transition from drifting to racing or the other way around. I know there are a lot of pro drivers who were successful in one field that could not make a smooth transition to another. I have always been an entertainer style of driver and that is what drifting is all about: a show. In WTCC, I’d have to keep my cool and perform as consistently as possible. So racing is a mental challenge, I like it and I feel honoured and privileged to be racing against some of the best touring car drivers in the world!”

In the previous event, at Suzuka, you have claimed your best result ever in WTCC, finishing seventh in the second race after a
close fight with 2012 World Champion Rob Huff. It was the perfect timing as this came just before your home race. What are your expectations for Shanghai?
“It sure had been a long coming, I finally claimed a podium finish for the Yokohama Trophy and the feeling was ecstatic! Not to mention beating Huff at the last corner! My expectations for Shanghai would be to finish once again in the top ten like I did for the past two years, and hopefully another Yokohama Trophy podium. There’s something about Shanghai that I have always done well in the past, let’s hope the great results will carry on for this year!”

Motor sports in general and touring cars are becoming more and more popular in China. What is your feeling about the popularity of the WTCC and CTCC joint event?
“There are many benefits to a joint event, and one of them is that the fans can truly experience the close fighting and atmosphere of a world class series. And as far as I know a lot of the CTCC drivers are also big fans of WTCC. I am already very much looking forward to meeting and performing in front of the Chinese fans at the Shanghai International Circuit!”

EUROSPORT TV PROGRAMMES *

Saturday, 2 November – 07.30 / 08.15 : Qualifying, LIVE on Eurosport 1
Sunday, 3 November – 08.25 / 10.15 : Races 1 & 2, LIVE on Eurosport 1
Tuesday, 5 November – 23.15 : Inside WTCC, on Eurosport 1

* all times CET

MORE TEST FOR LADA SPORT IN FRANCE

The LADA Sport Lukoil team spent three days testing at Magny-Cours with James Thompson; the English driver tried new technical features for the Granta WTCC car in view of the new technical regulations that will come into force next year.
During the tests the team was especially focusing on new solutions for the suspension.
Team principal Victor Shapovalov explained: “We are free to design the suspension to fit our needs, and that is the good point. The evolution of the LADA Granta will have completely different suspension and kinematics. We are trying different solutions to significantly improve drivability and at the same time we are building the new WTCC cars at LADA Sport production facilities in Togliatti. We have planned to run the first test mid-February in 2014.”
Race engineer Marco Calovolo added: “The current rules have been limiting our engineering possibilities; it was not possible to change some components in order to compensate the small size of our car. The new regulations provide us with more room for engineering intervention. The 2014 LADA Granta will be wider and we will be able to adjust something in the suspension. The crucial point is to find the best balance. The engine will be more powerful, brakes will be bigger, there will be more downforce, the car will be lighter, and the fundamental thing is to have an easy adjustable car.”

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MICHELISZ AND CORONEL SHARE VICTORIES
YVAN MULLER CLINCHES A FOURTH WORLD TITLE

WTCC driver treated Japanese fans to a couple of very close races on Suzuka’s East Circuit.
The World Championship’s trademark based on paint-swapping and bumper-knocking was thoroughly honoured by all the drivers who did not recede from fighting hard for any possible positions.
In the first race Norbert Michelisz managed to get away from the scuffle and claimed a dominant lights-from-flag victory. The first of the season for him and a special one for Honda on its home racetrack.
Behind Michelisz, Alex MacDowall rejected the assaults of Yvan Muller who was determined to celebrate in style his fourth Drivers’ Championship title.
The second race was enlivened by an-all BMW duel between Mehdi Bennani and Tom Coronel. Eventually the more experienced Dutchman got the better with a brilliant overtaking manoeuvre, while Tiago Monteiro gave Honda another podium result.
The championship will resume after a five-week break for rounds 21 and 22 that will take place at Shanghai, China on November 3.

FOURTH WTCC TITLE FOR YVAN MULLER
By finishing third in Suzuka’s Race 1, Yvan Muller was sacred FIA World Touring Car champion for an unprecedented fourth time. This was also the fifth consecutive Drivers’ Championship won by the Chevrolet cars run by the RML Group.
“This has a special taste because one month before the beginning of the season I did not have a drive. Then we managed to put a programme together without the backing of a manufacturer. Budget was low and we had to take care of everything. The whole team did a lot of sacrifices. But now we have the pay back for this. And I must thank RML and Lukoil for giving me the opportunity to clinch another world title,” said Muller, who will join Citroën and Sébastien Loeb in 2014. Four WTCC titles for Muller, nine for Loeb in WRC make 13.
“Maybe it’s a lucky number for Citroën and WTCC. The championship will be interesting, because if you add Tarquini and Huff you have a total of 15 FIA world title on the grid. We just need to call Andy Priaulx back…”
Muller had already won the WTCC title in 2008 for SEAT Sport, 2010 and 2011 for Chevrolet.

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