The fifth and sixth rounds of the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship are hosted next week at the Slovakia Ring, on April 28.
This is the championship’s second visit to this modern racetrack, located nearby the village of Orechová Potôň, 40 km East of Bratislava, that was inaugurated in 2009.
The track layout is a mix of fast and slow parts that perfectly suits touring car racing how it was proved from last year’s WTCC races.
The BMW of Norbert Michelisz set pole position in 2012, but SEAT cars finished 1-2 in Race 1, with Gabriele Tarquini ahead of Aleksei Dudukalo, while Chevrolet responded in Race 2 with Rob Huff winner from Yvan Muller.
Slovak fans flocked to the event – the first World Championship race meeting in the Country. A sell-out crowd of more than 25,000 enjoyed the sunny day and close, incident-packed racing.

COMPENSATION WEIGHT COMES INTO FORCE

The Compensation Weight system comes into force for the first time this season at the Slovakia Ring. The system determines the running weight of the cars on the basis of lap time calculation.
The best lap times of the two fastest cars of each model in qualifying and the two best lap times of the two fastest cars of each model in both races are averaged. The calculation is based on a three event rolling average, being applied after the first two events.
The compensation weight has been determined by the lap times set in Italy and Morocco and the Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T was identified as the reference model, therefore it will receive the maximum compensation weight of 40 kg in addition to the minimu weight.
The SEAT León WTCC and Honda Civic cars will run with no compensation weight added, while the BMW 320 TC and LADA Granta cars will benefit from a 20-kg reduction of their minimum weight.

Compensation weight Slovakia Ring

+ 40 kg : Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
± 0 kg : Honda Civic S2000, SEAT León WTCC
– 20 kg : BMW 320 TC, LADA Granta

MULLER AND NASH DEFEND THEIR LEAD

The WTCC resumes in the Slovak Republic for the third race meeting of the season after a two-week break that followed the races in Marrakech.
Three different race winners and seven podium finishers in the first four races held so far mean that the championship is hard-fought.
The challenge for most of the drivers is to fill the gap that Yvan Muller has already been able to open. Thank to a double victory at Monza and two good placings in Morocco, the Frenchman has built a leading margin of 37 points ahead of Michel Nykjær (winner at Marrakech) and Gabriele Tarquini (twice on the podium, but still chasing a victory).
Tom Chilton, James Nash and Pepe Oriola are placed from fourth to six, at striking distance.
The fight is even closer in the Yokohama Trophy, with Nash leading by only six points ahead of Nykjær.
Considering how competitive the SEAT cars were last year on the Slovak circuit, it can be assumed that the drivers at the wheel of the León will be competitive, especially Oriola (who scored his first win at Marrakech) and the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport duo of Marc Basseng and Rob Huff.

THOMPSON: WE’LL BE COMPETITIVE IN SLOVAKIA

James Thompson will turn thirty-nine next Friday. Twice winner of the British Touring Car Championship and the FIA European Touring Car Cup, third-placed in the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship, the Englishman is considered one of the fastest and most experienced touring car drivers worldwide. And yet he has not driven very much in the latest years…
He joined LADA Sport in 2009, to drive the Priora in its first WTCC appearances but the programme was placed in the fridge for two years and then restarted in 2012 for only a couple of events and with a new car, the Granta.
“When we started in 2009, it was hoped we would continue and develop the car over the coming years. And so it was disappointing for everyone when the programme was stopped. But I think that time made us stronger and better prepared for these years ahead now with the Granta. The team is strong and still growing as our competitiveness increases. I was quietly confident that our starting point would be much higher than ever before, because of these things. And confident we would surprise a lot of people.”
Last year and during last winter he team spent a lot of time in testing.
“So much progress and improvement from the Priora to the Granta, it’s a total evolution. Also the engine regulations have changed now with the 1.6 turbo, so naturally the car needs a slightly different mentality than before, as we have much more power and torque. I’m very pleased with our starting point, we have been in the top ten of every practice session and made Q2 on both occasions. That was the first goal, to be consistently competitive and not just a flash in the pan. Now we must improve our performance step by step which we most certainly can!”
Bad luck was the leitmotif for Thompson and LADA in the first two events of the season. Accidents caused by other drivers sidelined the Englishman in three races out of four.
“It’s just a shame we have been denied the opportunity to exploit our full potential so far, but that will change. I’m very hopeful and excited for the rest of the season and the developments we have planned to evolve the car mean we will become faster through the year, so at every race there is reason to look forward. From what I’ve seen of Slovakia Ring, it looks like an exciting challenge, with fast flowing sections. So I’m sure we can be competitive.”

EUROSPORT TV PROGRAMMES *

Sunday, 28 April : 08.30/08.45 – WTCC Qualifying – Eurosport 1
Sunday, 28 April : 08.45/09.15 – WTCC Warm Up LIVE – Eurosport 1
Sunday, 28 April : 14.30/16.30 – WTCC Races 1 & 2 LIVE – Eurosport 1
Tuesday, 30 April : 14.00/15.00 – ETCC Races 1 & 2 – Eurosport 2
Tuesday, 30 April : 23.00 – Inside WTCC – Eurosport 1

* all times CET

ETCC: MAT’O HOMOLA VS PETR FULÍN

The WTCC event at the Slovakia Ring will also feature rounds 3 and 4 of the FIA European Touring Car Cup.
The series kicked off at Monza one month ago with an impressive field of 35 cars split in three different categories: Super 2000, Super 1600 and Single-Make Trophy.
Czech driver Peter Fulín and his Krenek Motorsport BM 320si are leading the S2000 class after their victory in Monza’s Race 2. However, Fulín will face strong competition from his own team-mate and countryman Michal Matějovský and Switzerland’s Peter Rikli, who won the first race in Italy in his Honda Civic. Other drivers to watch are local heroes Mat’o Homola, 18-year old from Bratislava who also drives a BMW 320si and finished twice on the podium on his home racetrack last year, and Filip Sládecka (23) on his ETCC maiden appearance in an Alfa Romeo 156.
Reigning S1600 champion Kevin Krammes kicked off the season in style at Monza with back-to-back victories in his Ford Fiesta. However the German leads by only three points ahead of Gilles Bruckner.
Another teen-ager, Jordi Oriola (16-year old brother of WTCC race winner Pepe) emerged as the winner of the Single-Make Trophy first race at Monza. The category is led by Nikolay Karamyskev who won the second race in Italy, but the Russian racer is chased by Mario Dablander and Aurélien Comte who are tied only one point behind.

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Winds of change are blowing in the WTCC. Today at Marrakech Michel Nykjær and Pepe Oriola have both scored their first victory in the world championship. And, no doubt at all, they were well deserved.
On a street track that features a lethal combination of long straights, hard braking and chicanes to be negotiated holding the breath, a number of experienced drivers made disastrous mistakes. And yet Nykjær – who only rejoined the championship this year – and Oriola – the youngest of the company – managed to keep cool minds and resist the pressure from much more experienced drivers with better means.
They both in the past had been close to break their duck in WTCC. And today they have been sacred as credible claimants for the 2013 title. And there are a few, in a championship that looks balanced as ever before. Consistency may be the key in the title fight and today Yvan Muller showed he has this concept in mind. After losing the 2012 title despite winning the most races, the Frenchman is now focusing on points, and after four races he has already put together a respectable lead of 37 points.
This could have been a weekend to remember for the Castrol Honda Team, following Gabriele Tarquini’s pole position. However, the second place the Italian driver claimed in today’s race one, hardly matched the disappointment for the three crashes occurred in two days, and also for the victory vanished when Nykjær got past Tarquini.
The championship will resume at Slovakia Ring, on April 27 and 28 for rounds 5 and 6.

RACE 1 – NYKJÆR WINS A DRAMATIC RACE
Michel Nykjær and Nika Racing claimed their first WTCC victory at the end of a race full of drama in which the Dane stole the lead from Gabriele Tarquini fractions of second before the safety car was deployed.
Tarquini and his Honda had led from the start, resisting the pressure from Nykjær and James Nash. However the Italian driver opened a gap at the end of lap 5 and Nykjær did not think twice and took the inside line at the hairpin. Seconds later the safety car was deployed and froze the race following Tiago Monteiro’s crash at Turn 3.
The race resumed with only two laps to go. And those were plenty of action with James Nash, Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Alex MacDowall having a close battle for third position. Nash managed to stay in third, while Muller beat Huff on the finish line by 0.024 seconds.

RACE 2 – ORIOLA THE YOUNGEST WINNER
Pepe Oriola who will turn 19 in three months became the youngest ever winner of a WTCC race putting in a masterpiece performance and inflicting the first defeat to the Chevrolet cars since Suzuka last year.
The young Spaniard took the maximum out of his front row position on the reverse grid and led the race for the whole distance resisting a huge pressure from the RML duo of Yvan Muller and Tom Chilton. Oriola did not crack under pressure even when the race resumed after a safety car period for a last frantic lap, and did not offer Muller the lesser opportunity to try an overtaking manouevre.
James Nash finished fourth and winner of the Yokohama Trophy, while Gabriele Tarquini and Rob Huff threw away possible good results in two different incidents.

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The third and fourth rounds of the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship are hosted next week at Marrakech, on April 7.
The event mark’s the series’ fourth visit to Morocco’s street circuit named after His Highness the Heir to the Throne, Moulay el Hassan that was inaugurated in 2009.
The unique charm of this historical city, the enthusiasm of the promoter and a demanding street circuit make the WTCC Race of Morocco a very special event in the championship.
Located just outside the walls of the ancient Red City, in the middle of the modern Agdal hotel district, the 4.5km circuit comprises two parallel straight lines, disrupted by fast and tricky chicanes and connected by a long left-handed corner and a slow hairpin.
The keys to be competitive here are top speed and avoiding contacts with the concrete walls that encircle the racetrack.
Among the current WTCC drivers, only Gabriele Tarquini, Yvan Muller and Rob Huff have managed to win a race at Marrakech.

BENNANI: EVERYBODY EXPECTS THE MOROCCAN CAR

Mehdi Bennani is an idol for Moroccan race fans. Since he began racing in WTCC, back in 2009, the 29-year old driver from Fés has become one of Morocco’s most popular sportsmen.
On his fifth season in the world championship, at the wheel of a Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC, Bennani has high hopes for the season.
“Last year I achieved my best results: one third place at Budapest and the tenth position in the Drivers’ Championship. My goal is to confirm myself among the top-ten and possibly improve that placing. But I know that to achieve this I need to redouble my efforts,” Bennani said.
Following two difficult races on the soaked racetrack of Monza, Bennani looks forward to his home race meeting where he was able to emerge victorious in the Yokohama Trophy on his first appearance in the championship.
“It is very important for me to make a good impression at Marrakech. I have a lot of fans and everybody is expecting that the car with Morocco’s national colours is competitive. I have to say that what happened in Monza is not encouraging. I expected more from the evolution of the engine, but for the time being we have to work a lot to recover the gap. Marrakech is a fast track, like Monza, so you need the power to fight for top positions. Of course in Italy the weather did not help, because the rear-wheel drive is clearly handicapped on the wet. At Marrakech we will run on the dry, and I hope we may be able to fill the gap.”

LADA SPORT IN A RUSH TO REBUILD CARS

The LADA Sport Lukoil team are working against the clock to rebuild the two Granta racing cars that suffered from extensive damage in an incident occurred during last Saturday’s qualifying session at Monza.
Aleksei Dudukalo missed the braking point at the first chicane and t-boned the sister car of James Thompson. This forced the team to withdraw both cars from the Italian event.
“It was very disappointing missing the first races of the year, but safety comes first and we did not want to take any risks. The sort of repairs that were needed could only take place back at base in Magny-Cours and this is why we took that tough decision. Now our main task is to prepare ourselves for the races in Marrakech,” team principal Victor Shapovalov explained.
As they hope to fix both cars in time to be shipped to Morocco, the team have entered young Russian driver Mikhail Kozlovskiy in the place of Dudukalo.

MULLER IS THE MAN TO BEAT AT MARRAKECH

Yvan Muller and his RML Chevrolet Cruze arrive at Marrakech as the duo to beat. The three times world champion was especially impressive at Monza, opening the season with a couple of dominant victories. And on the long straights of Morocco’s street circuit, Muller will try to encore his Italian performance.
He may be threatened by the other Chevrolet drivers: Tom Chilton in RML’s sister car, the bamboo-engineering duo of Alex MacDowall and James Nash (leader of the Yokohama Trophy) and Nika Racing’s Michel Nykjær.
As for the rest of the field, the SEAT León cars are expected to be competitive, especially those of Rob Huff, Marc Basseng (both ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport) and Pepe Oriola (Tuenti Racing Team).
The LADA Granta – that was forced to miss the Italian races – remains a question mark, while the lap times at Monza said that the Honda Civic and BMW 320 TC machineries still need to improve in terms of pure performance.
However, at Marrakech braking and handling in the chicanes are as important as the top speed and drivers like Gabriele Tarquini and Tom Coronel may make the difference. As well as the 40 extra kilos that make the Chevrolet the heviest cars.

SOME FAMOUS WORDS FROM MONZA

Yvan Muller, after winning the first race: “It was tough for me. I lost my wiper after lap 2 so it was even harder than we expected, but fortunately I was at the front and so I was less handicapped than if I had been at the back.”

Gabriele Tarquini, after the second race: “My target before the weekend was to finish on the podium, but qualifying was a little bit tougher than I expected. I was quite lucky with the conditions in the races.”

Marc Basseng, after Race 1: “My car was still jacked up on the grid five or six seconds after the three minute board was shown. And this cost me the penalty. It was a shame.”

Alex MacDowall, after Race 1: “I tried to increase the pace because Tarquini was threatening me, but I went straight on at the chicane. That taught me a good lesson and I won’t try to repeat that again just because I’ve got his headlights in my mirror in the future.”

Tom Chilton, after qualifying: “I’m very pleased to be here. I have to admit that I’ve never been this far up the grid in a World Touring Car event and so I didn’t actually know I was supposed to be in a press conference!”

Stefano D’Aste: “We kicked off the programme only three weeks ago, with a limited budget, but the team have a big heart!”

Tom Coronel, after qualifying: “At Monza, you need a slipstream, otherwise you are tenths of seconds down on the others. I thought I had found that slipstream from James Nash, but he pulled into the pits when I started my lap…”

Rob Huff: “I think that we made the most of what was a very trying weekend. I can’t wait to get back out in the car in Marrakech and impress with the team some more!”

EUROSPORT TV PROGRAMMES

Saturday, 6 April: 16.30/17.35, WTCC Qualifying – LIVE on Eurosport 2
Sunday, 7 April: 11.45/12.15, WTCC Warm Up – LIVE on Eurosport 2
Sunday, 7 April: 17.00/19.00, WTCC Races 1 & 2 – LIVE on Eurosport 1
Tuesday, 9 April: 23.15, Inside WTCC on Eurosport 1

All times CET

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Back-to-back victories for Yvan Muller gave the RML team a dream start to the 2013 FIA World
Touring Car Championship season. Following Chevrolet’s decision to withdraw from the WTCC, a deal to run a pair of Cruze cars was done at the last minute and so a 1-2 in the first race and another victory and fifth place in the second must have left team members pinching themselves as they left the Monza circuit. Tom Chilton’s first race weekend with the RML team also went like clockwork! The Castrol Honda team will also be pleased with the weekend – Gabriele Tarquini gave the Civic its first podium finish by holding off a determined charge from the SEAT of Marc Basseng to finish third in Race 2. In the Yokohama Trophy, there were wins for Alex MacDowall of bamboo-engineering and Michel Nykjær of Nika Racing – both men driving Chevrolet cars.
The reigning World Champion, Rob Huff, will be pleased just to have taken away some points from Monza after a clash on the first lap of qualifying left his SEAT León with broken suspension. Starting from the back of the grid in both races as a result, Huff carved his way through the field to finish sixth in Race 1 and tenth in Race 2. Not so fortunate were the two Lukoil LADA drivers; Aleksei Dudukalo missed his braking point in the same qualifying session and crashed into his teammate James Thompson. Although Thompson was able to go on to qualify ninth, both cars were too badly damaged to race and the team withdrew them.
The championship will resume at Marrakech, Morocco, on April 7 for rounds 3 and 4.

RACE 1 – MULLER LEADS RML 1-2
Yvan Muller completed a lights-to-flag domination of the first race of the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship season to record RML’s first victory as a non-Manufacturer Chevrolet team. Tom Chilton made it a 1-2 for the team while Alex MacDowall completed an all-Chevrolet podium in the bamboo-engineering Cruze and so took maximum Yokohama Trophy points. Behind the three, Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monterio gave the new Castrol Honda WTCC team plenty to cheer about by bringing their two Civic cars home in fourth and fifth places respectively.
Heavy rain at Monza meant the race started behind the safety car, with Muller, Chilton and MacDowall running in a Chevrolet 1-2-3 throughout the race at the head of the field. An incident on Lap 4 that saw Stefano D’Aste’s BMW collide with the barriers briefly saw the re-appearance of the safety car, while contact between the Chevrolet of James Nash and the SEAT of Tom Boardman on the penultimate lap saw the León parked up with broken suspension and so the last lap was completed under yellow flags in that sector.
One of the drives of the race came from Robert Huff. A similar incident in Qualifying to that which befell Boardman meant the reigning World Champion had to start from the back of the grid, but he steadily carved his way through the field to end up in sixth place behind the two Honda cars and so salvaged some points from the race.

RACE 2 – MULLER ENCORES FROM NYKJÆR
Yvan Muller gave the RML team the perfect start to the 2013 WTCC season when he took his second victory of the afternoon. A thrilling ten-lap race saw the lead change hands three times, with pole-sitter Darryl O’Young being overtaken by Gabriele Tarquini on the opening lap and Muller then passing the Italian driver’s Honda on Lap 4. The battle for the remaining podium places was no less exciting, with the Chevrolet of Michel Nykjær finishing second – and so claiming maximum Yokohama Trophy points – and third place only decided on the final lap; Tarquini holding off a determined charge from the SEAT of Marc Basseng and the pair crossing the finish line virtually together.
The standing start then saw Basseng almost stall the car leaving the line, allowing Targuini to nip through into second place behind O’Young as the field headed down to the first chicane. Driving around the outside of the BMW at Turn 3, Tarquini took the lead, with O’Young then being passed by Basseng, Nykjær and Muller in quick succession. Tarquini’s lead lasted until Lap 4, when Muller first passed Basseng for second place and then the Chevrolet driver snatched the lead from the Castrol Honda team Civic before Muller held on to take his second win of the day.
Behind Muller, Nykjær, Tarquini and Basseng, Muller’s teammate Tom Chilton finished fifth,
ahead of Pepe Oriola, James Nash, Tiago Monteiro and Stefano D’Aste. Rob Huff once again carved his way through the field after starting from the back of the grid to score a point by finishing in tenth place.

ROUNDS 1 & 2 – MONZA
ETCC RACE REPORT

SINGLE-MAKE TROPHY DRIVERS DOMINATE IN THE WET
The first races of the 2013 FIA European Touring Car Cup suggested that a thrilling season lies
ahead. Both races were won by SEAT León Supercópa cars; the first by 16-year-old Jordi Oriola and the second by Nikolay Karamyshev. The Super 2000 class also saw the honours shared, with the Honda of Peter Rikli taking maximum points in Race 1 and Petr Fulín’s BMW heading the S2000 leaderboard in Race 2. Germany’s Kevin Krammes began the defence of his S1600 title by winning the category in both races, but the results mean that all three classes will be closely fought this year.

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As the start of the season approaches, LADA is getting in tune for its WTCC comeback.
During an event that took place at Togliatti, where the AVTOVAZ factory and headquarters are based, the LADA Sport unveiled the new livery of the Granta car for the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship and launched the production of the Granta Sport road car.
Commenting on the WTCC programme, Artyom Fedosov, AVTOVAZ Vice-President for Sales and Marketing said: “Motorsport is very important for AVTOVAZ. We are pleased to be part of WTCC together with some of the world’s best renowned automotive brands. Racing is an efficient marketing tool and we hope the participation in the World Championship will help us promote the LADA brand.”
As for the Granta Sport road version of the WTCC racing car, it will be produced in 1000 units in 2013. It is powered by a 120bhp 1.6-litre engine and equipped with specially designed suspension and a racing look, with 16” alloy wheels.
Igor Komarov, AVTOVAZ President explained: “This car is for people who love sport and prefer active, dynamic driving style. The engineers did a pretty good job, and I am sure the customers will enjoy driving the LADA Granta Sport.”

IT’S TESTING TIME FOR THE WTCC TEAMS

As the start of the 2013 is only two weeks away, with the championship kicking off at Monza on 24 March, a number of WTCC teams are… stretching their legs in shakedown and testing sessions.
More testing will happen next week at Monza, on 14 and 15 March. At least half a dozen of WTCC teams will take part, including Liqui Moly Team Engstler, Honda Racing Team JAS, Proteam Racing, ROAL Motorsport and Stefano D’Aste’s new PB Racing.

RML AT SNETTERTON AND BRANDS HATCH

A few days after confirming the programme with two Chevrolet Cruze cars for Yvan Muller and Tom Chilton, the RML team made their first test sessions, Tuesday at Snetterton and yesterday at Brands Hatch.
It was the first time the car has run since the final race of 2012 in Macau, but despite only two hours at the wheel Muller was feeling positive: “So that was winter testing – it went quick! That’s the first time I’ve sat in the car since Macau, but the news is I can still drive! The Cruze handles well and it’s great to be back behind the wheel. Despite limited running, we have a strong basis to work from and I hope we will keep some of that advantage.”
For team-mate Chilton the testing programme was very much focused on adapting to his new surroundings with initial work at Snetterton targeting familiarisation.
He said: “It’s everything I thought it would be – a very well put together car. The balance is very neutral, which makes it forgiving. At the moment I am trying to work out how I can play with the car to understand the handling and set up. Small changes on the Cruze can make big differences, which is a sign of a great chassis. The car has had so much development over the years and it feels good. I’m really enjoying being out on track and I feel like I am moulding into the team well so far.”

WIECHERS-SPORT AND ENGSTLER AT SLOVAKIA RING

German teams joined in a two-day test session at the Slovakia Ring.
Fredy Barth had his first test in the Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TC, completing more than 450 kilometres.
“I’m happy with this first test. I was able to complete a fair amount of laps over the two days and we tried different setup options. I felt very comfortable at the wheel of the BMW 320 TC and with the team. I’m very much looking forward to the season’s start at Monza,” said the Swiss driver.
Charles Ng and team principal Franz Engstler drove the Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s car. The team focused on experimenting different set up solutions. Engstler was also testing new Pagid brake pads that have been specifically designed for Monza’s superfast racetrack.
As for Ng, he completed many laps and improved more than one second compared to his own qualifying lap time set in 2012.

ROAL MOTORSPORT AT ADRIA RACEWAY

Darryl O’Young made his first test with ROAL Motorsport at Adria International Raceway, completing more than 500 kilometres over two days at the wheel of the BMW 320 TC car.
Team principal Roberto Ravaglia commented: “I was very pleased with Darryl’s approach to this first test. He proved to be a professional driver and it did not take much to him to get used to the car, which it was not granted as he had never been in a rear-wheel driven saloon car before. We have planned another test at Monza next week and I believe that, afterwards, Darryl will be in the position to fight for the Yokohama Trophy title from the beginning of the season.”
O’Young said: “I felt very comfortable in the car right from the first laps and my confidence grew throughout the two-day test. I had a full day of dry running and some laps in the rain, so we accomplished a lot. I worked well with Roberto and the boys at ROAL, and I’m already looking ahead to our test days next week. I feel ready for the first race meeting as I never had the chance to test before the start of the season in the past, so I’m already ahead compared to the last few years.”

BAMBOO-ENGINEERING AT ROCKINGHAM

The bamboo-engineering team went to Rockingham Speedway where Alex MacDowall and James Nash had the opportunity to shake down their Chevrolet Cruze cars in the new livery.
The weather was rainy and the track wet, which prevented the two drivers from completing as many laps as they had planned. This was MacDowall’s first test since last year’s unfortunate second race at Macau that ended with his Chevrolet hitting the barrier at the Mandarin bend after a contact with Yvan Muller.
As for Nash, this was the first time he drove the WTCC Chevrolet. Damp conditions meant he couldn’t get a proper feel of handling but he was already very impressed with how the car feels.

PROTEAM RACING AT MAGIONE

Proteam Racing completed two days of testing at Magione with Mehdi Bennani at the wheel of the Italian team’s BMW 320 TC car.
Team Principal Valmiro Presenzini commented: “We have been lucky with the weather. We had two wonderful days that enabled us to complete an intensive programme. Mehdi ran for 400 kilometres without any technical issues. We tested new dampers and this resulted in setting our record lap time here at Magione.”
Bennani echoed: “I had not driven since Macau and it was nice to get back behind the wheel of a racing car. We have worked a lot on the set-up and I am pleased with the job done. I have the feeling that we are on the right way to improve the car’s performance.”

NIKA RACING JOIN WITH ONE CHEVROLET CRUZE

Earlier this week Swedish outfit NIKA Racing announced they will take part in the 2013 WTCC with one Chevrolet Cruze car; the name of the driver will be unveiled soon. The team spent the last few years running Chevrolet Sweden’s multiple title-winning programme in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and in 2012 had joined the WTCC season-opener at Monza with Rickard Rydell who posted the fastest lap of Race 1 and fought for a podium result.
Nicklas Karlsson, Team Principal, said: “This is a significant day in the history of NIKA Racing. We’ve been working towards a WTCC campaign for a number of years – mostly behind the scenes – and today’s announcement makes the dream come true. Following two highly successful seasons with Chevrolet in the STCC, we now feel ready to make this leap. We are fully aware that this is going to be an exceptionally tough challenge and we head into this season with humble mind, but our target is definitely to establish ourselves at this level in the longer term.”

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In a surprise last-minute move, reigning World Champion Rob Huff has joined the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport for the
2013 WTCC season.
The Briton will defend his title at the wheel of one of the German squad’s three SEAT León WTCC cars, joining 2012 GT1 World Champion Marc Basseng and team principal René Münnich. Huff replaces Markus Winkelhock who was originally announced as part of the line-up.
“Rob’s arrival is a big boost for our ambitions. We want to be at the front of the field right from the beginning, aiming for podium results and race wins. Our goal is a top-three placing in the Drivers’ Championship,” Münnich said.
For Huff, this means going back to his racing roots, as he clinched the British SEAT Cup title in 2003 before becoming a race winner in the British Touring Car Championship at the wheel of a SEAT Toledo.
“It will be quite special to compete in the WTCC with the León and a team that carries the highest amount of professionalism. I’m delighted to join René and Marc, this is an exciting newly-formed project, but the team have a huge reputation having previously won the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012. I’m very thankful for the opportunity that I have been given and look forward to building on this relationship,” said Huff who had his first test with the team Wednesday and Thursday at Slovakia Ring.

MORE TESTING FOR LADA SPORT AT MAGNY-COURS

LADA Sport Lukoil underwent their second track test of the year, at Magny-Cours again, from Monday to Thursday. The team were focusing on race set-up and checking the car’s technical systems.
On Monday morning, the melting snow on the tarmac limited the activity of James Thompson and Aleksei Dudukalo to a few laps only.
The team had more luck on remaining three days, when dry conditions offered the opportunity of having an intensive testing schedule.
Thompson commented: “We tried some fundamental things that were a step in the right direction. One of the Granta’s strong points is the small size that results in a good drag. Potentially, if we are able maximize this, we can achieve excellent top speed. The car is also very nimble in the changes of directions and slow corners. So far the overall impression is positive, but we have some more interesting technical solutions to try.”
Dudukalo said: “It was my first time in the car and also my first visit to Magny-Cours. I really liked the Granta. Is a pretty fast car and reactive to the adjustments. I managed to adjust it to my driving style, and felt the changes. So it makes me confident. That was also my first time with my new racing engineer Arnaud Elizagaray and I enjoyed working with him and the team.”
Team principal Victor Shapovalov concluded: “I can say that we have learnt a lot about the car’s performance. Now we are focusing on the set-up.”

ROB HUFF TESTED HIS SEAT AT SLOVAKIA RING

2012 WTCC champion Rob Huff had his first test in the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport SEAT León car he will drive in the 2013 season. The team was forced to change their plan to test in Monza, due to the snow that covered the Italian track, and headed for the Slovakia Ring.
Huff and his team-mates Marc Basseng and René Münnich completed more than 500 kilometres between Wednesday and Thursday, focusing on set up, qualifying simulations and starts.
Huff said: “I’m very pleased to be joining the team. They are world champions themselves and so we have a very strong team and a great car for the yea. I’m very excited. It’s going to be a big challenge, but it’s nice for me.”
And Basseng added: “The level of competition in WTCC is actually very high and we are a new team. We definitely have to learn, but we have a good driver line up, with Rob Huff as the World Champion. He has a lot of experience and can help the team to improve quickly. So we hope that we can be on the front of the grid from the beginning.”

FIRST TIME FOR MICHELISZ IN THE HONDA CIVIC

2012 Yokohama Trophy winner Norbert Michelisz tested his new Honda Civic car for the first time on Thursday at the Circuito San Martino del Lago, nearby Cremona, in Italy.
Michelisz and the Zengö Motorsport team joined the Honda Racing Team JAS in the test session and the Hungarian youngster sat behind the wheel of the 2012 Civic WTCC, driven by Tiago Monteiro in last year’s final three race meetings.
“The plan was to go testing as soon as our own car was ready, but because I needed to get used to the Civic it was decided to start with JAS car from last year. The first impression was really good. I was prepared to struggle in switching from BMW to Honda, but to find the feeling with the Civic was easier than expected. This test boosted my confidence looking forward to the first races of
the season,” Michelisz explained and then added: “It is amazing working with JAS Motorsport and Honda engineers. They are so professional, and have a tight schedule. I have been visiting the JAS workshop just before the test, and saw the way they work. This is a great opportunity for Zengö Motorsport to learn from them, just like for me is learning from experienced drivers like Gabriele and Tiago. We share all the information and this is going to be a big, big help!”

STEFANO D’ASTE TO RACE FOR HIS OWN TEAM

Stefano D’Aste will continue racing in the World Touring Car Championship, driving a BMW 320 TC run by his own team, PB Motorsport.
The Italian racer, who claimed his first WTCC victories last year at Salzburgring and Suzuka, is one of the championship’s veterans. He has been competing in the series since the first season in 2005, and clinched the Yokohama Trophy title in 2007.
“I am happy with the decision to race with my own team. We have obviously a lot to learn, which is why we prefer to run only one car this year. In these days I am putting the team together: hiring the staff, buying the equipments. We are incredibly motivated for this new challenge and this will help us to be ready in time for the first event that is only three weeks away,” D’Aste explained.
PB Racing will be officially launched on March 9 at the Franciacorta circuit.

PEPE ORIOLA AIMS FOR TOP SIX IN 2013

Young Spaniard Pepe Oriola will drive again a SEAT León WTCC car run by the Tuenti Racing Team in the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The 18-year old from Barcelona faces his third season in the WTCC. Last year he made a significant leap forward in terms of performance, claiming a second place in Portugal and becoming the youngest ever driver on the podium in an FIA World Championship. He was classified eighth in the Drivers’ Championship and second in the Yokohama Trophy.
“It has been a difficult winter, as we had to put in a strong effort to find companies willing to sponsor the programme. 2013 will be tough, however I hope that the experience I have gained last year will help me to improve further. I am still the youngest of the pack, but I am respected by my competitors who have to reckon with me on the track! My goal is to finish among the top-six in the championship,” Oriola said.

NEW LOOK AND FEATURES FOR WTCC WEBSITE

In view of the new season, the www.fiawtcc.com website underwent a significant revamp.
As a result, the WTCC official site features a more colourful and dynamic look, and offers its visitors a number of new and interesting features.
ONBOARD LAPS – Videos of laps shot from onboard cameras are available in the pages dedicated to the championship racetracks.
DYNAMIC STANDINGS – Arrows have been added to the point tables, showing when a driver is climbing up or dropping down in the positions.
100 RACE CLUB – A dedicated section presents the members of the club, those drivers who have taken part in at least 100 WTCC races.
SOCIAL NETWORKS – A dedicated section welcomes followers in the WTCC community and gives them the possibility to create their own avatar.
Additional features will be implemented during the season.

– 22 Days

Italy
Autodromo di Monza
23-24 March 2013

www.fiawtcc.com

ROAL Motorsport and Tom Coronel kicked off their racing season with two days of testing at Vallelunga, Italy.
The Dutchman was at the wheel of a BMW 320 TC fitted with a new exhaust system developed by BMW Motorsport. After a sunny Thursday, the weather changed to overcast and windy on Friday with light rain in the early morning, but the track was dry for most of the time and the team was able to complete the programme.
“We were mainly focusing on the engine set up and mapping. It is the first track test for the engine in 2013 specifications that features new exhaust and manifold. It has been a good test, though it is still too early to draw a conclusion on the benefits we may have from this technical development,” explained team principal Roberto Ravaglia.
And Coronel added: “It’s always a good feeling to be back at the wheel of a racing car after the winter break. The car is still pretty much the same, except for this new exhaust system. The main problem for us is to get down to the minimum weight, because in previous years we were never able to reach it. Now the FIA has reduced our weight from 1160 to 1150, but we need to find a solution for having a benefit from this. This is the third year for me in the team. I know them, my engineer and the car. I am satisfied and this is the first time I have the feeling that I am ready to attack. I’m not sure it’s gonna happen, but in Netherlands we have a say: the third time is going to be right one…”

WIECHERS-SPORT CONFIRM WTCC COMMITMENT

Germany-based Wiechers-Sport announced they will take part in the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship with one BMW 320 TC car.
The team claimed two outright wins in 2012 with Stefano D’Aste, the first for them in WTCC, at the Salzburgring and Suzuka; however, they will unveil the driver’s name as well as the livery of the car only during the second week in March.
“We are very much looking forward to the new WTCC season. Our team is part of the world championship since the first year and won the Independents’ Trophy twice, in 2005 with Marc Hennerici and in 2007 with D’Aste. Over the winter we have been able to develop the car in a few areas, with support from BMW Motorsport. We have planned to go out for a track test just before the season’s kick off at Monza,” team manager Dominik Greiner said.

SEVEN OFFICIAL TEST SESSIONS IN 2013

Seven official 30-minute test sessions have been scheduled for 2013.
At each of the non-European events, a test session will be held on Friday (Thursday at Macau) in order to give teams the possibility to shake down their cars.
An additional test session will be held on Friday at the Moscow Raceway that will host the World Championship for the first time.

2013 TEST SESSION LIST
5 April, Marrakech
7 June, Moscow
26 July, Curitiba
6 September, Sonoma
20 September, Suzuka
1 November, Shanghai
14 November, Macau

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The LADA Sport Lukoil team hit the track for the first time in view of the 2013 WTCC season. On Monday and Tuesday, James Thompson completed his first pre-season tests in the LADA Granta at Magny-Cours, France.
The British driver tested the new engine and race set up solutions, completing 70 laps of the French circuit.
“I am very satisfied with the speed and performance of the car and the steps forward that have been taken since our long test in August. I think we have worked very hard with our LADA Granta to maximize its strengths and minimize any weak points. In particular we focused on the chassis balance and speed on the long straights, and moved a step forward compared to the car we had one year ago. It is quite important, as the championship visits many high speed circuits. This updated variant of the car gives hopes for better overall performance, especially in the race. Now we should focus on further improvements and I am eager to test new evolutions of the Granta,” Thompson said.
Team Principal Victor Shapovalov echoed: “It was important to estimate the performance of the car after all the improvements we made. The car was seriously developed in terms of aerodynamics, speed, drivability. James’ feedback is crucial for us to understand in which areas we need some more improvement.”
The LADA Sport Lukoil team will test again at Magny-Cours from 25 to 28 February, when Thompson will be joined by his new team-mate and Aleksei Dudukalo.

ROAL MOTORSPORT WITH CORONEL AND O’YOUNG

ROAL Motorsport announced their line-up for the 2013 WTCC, with Darryl O’Young who will join Tom Coronel at the wheel of the team’s BMW 320 TC cars.
Team principal Roberto Ravaglia said: “We are very confident while looking forward to the new season. Tom is part of our family and we are pleased to welcome Darryl in the team. They are both experienced drivers; Tom has the potential to fight for top three in the Drivers’ Championship and Darryl for the Yokokama Trophy title.”
Coronel faces his third season with ROAL Motorsport, after finishing fourth in the 2011 Drivers’ Championship and fifth last year: “At the end of last year, Roberto Ravaglia made it clear that the team had every reason to continue our existing partnership. During the winter, they have tried everything to make the BMW lighter and better. We are now quite close to the minimum weight, which certainly will give us an advantage. With ROAL Motorsport, we are aiming at top three results in the races and in the championship. Of course, the opposition has been working hard, too, but I am very confident that we can be among the front runners.”
After driving SEAT and Chevrolet cars in WTCC, O’Young makes the switch to rear-wheel drive: “I am excited to join ROAL Motorsport! I have admired Roberto and his team for many years in the WTCC, and to have an opportunity to work with them this season is perfect. I have built a rear-wheel drive experience in GT racing, so I feel the BMW will suit me well. I’m looking forward to begin testing with the team, and I will work hard to deliver the best results. This will be my fourth WTCC season and by now I have the experience to fight for the Yokohama Trophy title.”
The team will hit the track for the first time on February 21 and 22, testing at Vallelunga, Italy.

ALEX MACDOWALL RE-SIGNS WITH BAMBOO

Alex MacDowall has re-signed with bamboo-engineering for a second consecutive season in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The partnership between the 22-year old Englishman and the Silverstone-based outfit will continue, following last year’s successful campaign in the WTCC that was worth the 11^th position in the Drivers’ Championship and the fifth, with two race victories, in the Yokohama Trophy.
MacDowall will team with his fellow countryman James Nash at the wheel of the bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T cars.
“It’s fantastic to stay with the team and in a Chevrolet. We had a great first season together and I think we did a really good job. My confidence started to build during the second half of the season, and with all of that experience I’m certain we’ll be able to fight for the Yokohama Trophy this year,” said MacDowall.
Richard Coleman, Chief Executive bamboo-engineering commented: “We are delighted to keep Alex again this year and to build on his strong experience from 2012. Alex had an especially strong second half to the season and this, twinned with the signing of James Nash, not only gives us a great driver line up but a real chance to challenge for a title.”

PORTUGUESE TEST FOR ALL-LINKL.COM

A few days after testing for the first time the SEAT León WTCC at Navarra, the German outfit ALL-LINKL.COM Münnich Motorsport moved to Portimão’s Autódromo di Algarve for two more days.
After the rain in Navarra, sunny weather blessed the test on Sunday and on most of the Monday.
“We were able to complete a lot of laps in the dry. I had enough time to adapt my driving to the SEAT. We worked with different set up solutions to evaluate the best combination for the car and my style. SEAT Sport had sent Jordi Gené to help us with his enormous experience in the WTCC car. We managed to simulate qualification runs and races and the results were quite satisfactory,” said Marc Basseng.
René Münnich added: “The Track is a real challenge for the drivers, with its combination of ultra quick corners, hard braking and slow speed corners. We worked in different direction with the set up in order to have range of possibilities for all kind of conditions. I´m still learning, but I’m quite happy with the results I achieved so far.”
Now the team are heading back to their workshop in Germany, where they will get more familiar with the preparation of the car before the next test.

HONDA TEAM COMPLETE TEST IN SPAIN

The Honda Racing Team JAS completed a three-day testing at the Aragón Motorland circuit in Spain where they ran two cars from Monday to Wednesday.
The Honda Civic WTCC in 2013 specifications made his first appearance in the hands of Gabriele Tarquini who completed 204 laps without any problems. The Italian driver tested qualifying and race set up, working on suspension geometry and differential settings.
His team-mate Tiago Monteiro ran in the 2012 car in the same specs used in the previous test at Valencia and completed 222 laps focusing on engine mapping and testing a new steering box.
Team principal Alessandro Mariani commented: “It has been an important step that gave us significant feedbacks about the new car’s potential. We were pretty happy about the work done and the data we collected on the new car, but also on the engine. We are very satisfied with all the progress. Both cars managed to go through the whole testing programme without any technical problem, completing more than 2200 kilometres in total.”
Tarquini echoed: “This racetrack is very demanding and excellent for testing, though we have not any comparison with touring car performance here. However, I have the feeling that together with the engineers and the whole team we have done a good job.”
Monteiro added: “I managed to complete many laps with the 2012 car that had been updated with many new parts. Our focus was the engine set up, but I had also the opportunity to develop the car set up, checking different options that will prove useful for the coming season.”

ONLINE MEDIA ACCREDITATION FOR WTCC

Media accreditation for the events of the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship is now open. Representatives of the international printed press, websites and agencies who wish to apply race-by-race are requested to register on the FIA online accreditation system at https://acr.fia.com/ECR/.
First-time applicants must register before any application for accreditation can be submitted. After approval by the FIA, the applicant will receive an email which will give access to the online accreditation system. Only then can an accreditation application be submitted. After approval the online accreditation system can be accessed via the FIA website using your chosen ID and password.
The online accreditation system will apply for accreditation requests for any event for the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship within the deadlines listed here below:

Monza – 13 March
Marrakech – 27 March
Slovakia Ring – 17 April
Hungaroring – 24 April
Salzburgring – 8 May
Moscow – 29 May
Porto – 19 June
Curitiba – 17 July
Sonoma – 28 August
Suzuka – 11 September
Shanghai – 23 October
Macau – 18 October

 www.fiawtcc.com

Newcomer team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport kicked off their first WTCC campaign with a two-day test at Circuito de Navarra, located in Los Arcos, Spain.
The German outfit tested on Wednesday and Thursday under a pouring rain with the first of the three SEAT León cars they will run in the 2013 World Championship.
Team principal René Münnich sat in the Spanish car for the second time, after he took part last year in the WTCC event at Suzuka. “It was interesting, as the intensity of the rain changed during the day and this gave us the opportunity to try different set up solutions for the wet. However, it was tough to handle the power and grip.”
2012 FIA GT1 champion Marc Basseng had his first taste of a WTCC car. “I was very cautious in the first laps, because I wanted to get used on how to work with the throttle. But as far as the test went on, I felt more and more comfortable. The car is edgy, but reacts very well to set up changes. I can’t wait to see how it behaves in the dry.”
The team is now heading to Portimão, Portugal, for another two days of testing at the Autódromo do Algarve.

SPEED EUROSERIES TO SUPPORT WTCC

The SPEED EuroSeries will be one of the WTCC support races in three events during the 2013 season: at Monza, Slovakia Ring and Salzburgring.
The agreement signed between the promoter companies – Eurosport Events (WTCC) and World Sportscar Organisation SPEED EuroSeries) – marks the start of a long term relationship with future broadcast opportunities discussed.
An official international series since the start of 2012, the SPEED EuroSeries is based on the FIA’s CN sports prototype race formula and benefits from important support from Honda Motor Europe which manufacturers the racing engines.
Jean-Louis Dauger, Eurosport Events Director of Operations: “We are delighted to welcome the SPEED EuroSeries in three WTCC events. It is a professional championship, very well organised and delivering exciting competition on the track. It suits very well our aim to offer motorsport fans a variegated and competitive range of different categories at our race meetings.”
Oli McCrudden, SPEED EuroSeries Organiser: “The potential in the CN sports prototype formula is immense; over 400 chassis have been built by manufacturers over the last decade and the quality of the engineering is superb. The chassis are excellent race machines which test drivers and develop talent at limited cost. By racing at the WTCC events in 2013 we are taking SPEED to a higher level and, in establishing the important relationship with a major international motorsport broadcaster such as Eurosport, we are taking another step towards creating an achievable global race formula.”
The SPEED EuroSeries will run in a 2-hour race at Monza and in two 90-minute races at both Slovakia Ring and Salzburgring.

CORREIA TEACHES AT YOKOHAMA TYRE LAUNCH

WTCC Safety Car driver Bruno Correia attended last week a Yokohama test drive event at the Ascari Race resort in Ronda, Spain.
A highly qualified instructor, Bruno was providing a helping hand and loads of driving expertise to a large group of international journalists who had been invited to participate in a global test drive event organised by the WTCC tyre supplier to launch its new flagship tyre ADVAN Sport V105.
Correia and his fellow instructors of the Empista Team distributed advises that helped the media representatives, coming from virtually all continents, to put the ADVAN Sport V105 through the toughest of tests on the spectacular Ascari race circuit.

www.fiawtcc.com

The prize money of 480,000 euros reserved for the competitors of the Yokohama Trophy has been confirmed for the next season once again.
However, following a meeting between team representatives and the championship promoter, the prize money will be awarded on a race-by-race basis, rather than event-by-event like in the previous years.
Yokohama – that faces its eighth year as WTCC’s sole tyre supplier – will award 20,000 euros at each of the twenty-four races,
meaning 480,000 euros over the season.
This prize money will be split among the top six drivers classified, according to the following scale:

• to the first driver: 6,000 euros
• to the second driver: 5,000 euros
• to the third driver: 4,000 euros
• to the fourth driver: 2,500 euros
• to the fifth driver: 1,500 euros
• to the sixth driver: 1,000 euros

The point system remains unchanged, with 10 points awarded to the winner and 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 to the drivers classified between the second and eighth positions. Double points will be awarded in the two final races at Macau.
One additional point is awarded to the category’s best driver in the qualifying and for setting the category’s fastest lap in the races.

MEHDI BENNANI RECEIVES AWARD IN RABAT

Arguably Morocco’s best racing driver, Mehdi Bennani was awarded with a special trophy offered by the Governor of the Rabat Region, represented by Mr Bennader, in recognition of his brilliant results achieved in the WTCC.
Bennani, who was classified tenth in the 2012 Drivers’ Championship, claiming two podium results at Budapest in a Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC car, has also been appointed ambassador of the campaign for road safety promoted by Morocco’s National Committee for Prevention of Traffic Accidents (CNPAC).
The campaign, named “Between life and death… 5 km/h” aims for educating road users to reduce speed by 5 km/h, adapting it to the traffic conditions. The figure of 5 km/h is just an excuse to make people aware of the benefits resulting by moderating their speed.
Mehdi Bennani delivers this message through a series of spots aired on Morocco’s national and regional TV channels and radio stations.

ETCC LAUNCHES THE FIA LADIES’ EUROPEAN TROPHY

From 2013, the FIA European Touring Car Cup will also include the new FIA Ladies’ European Trophy that will be awarded at the end of the year.
The trophy, supported by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, aims for creating a valid platform for women who are already racing in national series, offering them the opportunity to compete at an international level for an FIA title and some special awards, such as a test in a WTCC car.
All female drivers will be eligible to compete, irrespective of the category they race (Super 2000, Super 1600, Single Make Trophy). The trophy will be awarded to the lady who has scored the highest number of points in her own category.
On top of this, ETCC promoter Eurosport Events will offer to the competitors of the Ladies’ Trophy a start money of euro 1,000 and a dedicated prize money. Further details will be unveiled soon.

www.fiawtcc.com

LADA Sport and Lukoil have confirmed they are finalizing a deal to join forces in an all-Russian partnership for competing in the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Evgeny Malinovskiy, head of Lukoil Racing said: “We are in the final stages of the negotiations and close to sign the agreement with LADA Sport. We hope that our support and experience in WTCC will help LADA Sport and that we will be one of the best teams.”
After an encouraging participation with one LADA Granta car driven by James Thompson in two WTCC events – Hungary and Portugal – during the 2012 season, next year the Avtovaz Group will be represented by two cars, run under the banner of LADA Sport Lukoil, with Russian driver Aleksei Dudukalo joining Thompson in the team’s line up.
LADA Sport principal Victor Shapovalov commented: “We are very pleased and proud with Lukoil’s decision to support our WTCC programme. The whole team are very motivated and work flat out to develop competitive cars for our drivers. We are very excited looking forward to the start of the season. Testing said that the Granta is a fast car, with a powerful engine. We believe that Aleksei and James will be in the position to fight for top positions in every race.”

DUDUKALO: I CAN’T WAIT TO START TESTING

Aleksei Dudukalo will join James Thompson at LADA Sport Lukoil to drive one of the team’s LADA Granta cars in the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The 36-year old driver from Moscow will face his third season in WTCC after two years at the wheel of Lukoil Racing Team’s SEAT León cars. His best result was a second place behind his team-mate Gabriele Tarquini at the Slovakia Ring last year.
Dudukalo is not new to LADA Sport, having clinched the 2012 Russian Ice Racing title in a Lukoil-backed LADA Kalina.
“I am glad to continue racing in the WTCC, especially because now I have the opportunity to do it for a factory team and in a Russian car. I hope that James and I will make life difficult for our competitors. I can’t wait to start testing the LADA Granta on the track!” Dudukalo said.
LADA Sport principal Victor Shapovalov commented: “We are pleased to welcome Aleksei, and we are confident he has the potential to achieve very good results in his third season in the World Championship.”

www.fiawtcc.com

Last night Rob Huff and Chevrolet were officially named 2012 FIA World Touring Car champions during the traditional FIA prize giving gala in that took place for the first time at Istanbul.
In the sumptuous setting of the Ciragan Palace, the FIA honoured all its champions in a progression from Karting to Formula One.
The part of the ceremony dedicated to the presentation of the WTCC trophies culminated in an all-Chevrolet podium with the Cruze 1.6T racing car on the background. Alain Menu and Yvan Muller – second and third in the championship respectively – received the runner up trophies, lining on either side of Rob Huff. Then Chevrolet Europe’s Communications Director Vijay Iyer joined them to receive the Manufacturers’ trophy.
Rob Huff was awarded the Drivers’ World Championship trophy for the first time, after he finished twice in third and once in second, while Iyer collected Chevrolet’s third consecutive Manufacturers’ Championship trophy.

JAMES NASH TO DRIVE FOR BAMBOO

James Nash will join Silverstone-based bamboo-engineering to drive one of the team’s Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T car during the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Both Nash and bamboo have been working hard since the close of the 2012 season in Macau to make the deal work.
“I’m delighted to have signed with Bamboo. The Chevrolet is such a strong platform and will give me a chance to show my true potential. Richard Coleman runs a tight ship and we both share the ambition to challenge for the Drivers’ Championship in 2013,” commented Nash, who faces his second season in WTCC after racing a Team Aon Ford Focus in 2012.
“Racing in the WTCC this year has been immense; it’s a fantastic championship and allows me to compete with the best in the world and race on a global stage. I’ve definitely been bitten by the WTCC bug; the racers, the tracks, the countries are all top notch, but now I need to make my mark on the global stage,” said the 26-year old Englishman.
Richard Coleman, Team Principal, bamboo-engineering said: “We’re delighted to have signed James, I’ve been talking to him for many years now and to have finally put pen to paper is great for all of us. We’ve been knocking on the door for a few years now, but with Nash onboard, and his newly gained WTCC experience, he’ll be a challenger this year, 2013 is going to be great.”

TARQUINI AND MONTEIRO AT HONDA THANKS DAY

Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro were the guest stars last week at Twin Ring Motegi, in an event organized by Honda Racing to thank its motorsport fans.
Together with their fellow Honda Super GT drivers and Moto GP riders, Tarquini and Monteiro attended press conferences, talk shows, photo and autograph sessions, meeting media representatives and families with children.
They also completed demonstration drives around the circuit at the wheel of the Honda Civic WTCC car and took part in karting races against the other Honda racers.
The Honda Racing Thanks Day was attended by more than 4500 people in spite of rainy weather.

THE FIA ETCC AT THE ESSEN MOTOR SHOW

The FIA European Touring Car Cup is well represented at the Essen Motor Show, Europe’s first motorsport exhibition that began
last Friday, November 30 and will close on Sunday, December 9.
More than 350,000 visitors are expected at Essen’s fair complex over the nine days.
Five racing cars are on display in the FIA ETCC stand, representing the different categories: Petr Fulín BMW 320si and Peter Rikli’s Honda Civic (Super 2000), Ulrike Kraft’s Ford Fiesta and Zeljoko Markovic’s Citroën C2 (S1600) and Andreas Pfister’s SEAT León Cup (Single Make Trophy).

THE CHEVROLET-VAILLANTE AT BOLOGNA

The Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T car disguised as a Vaillante that Alain Menu/Michel Vaillant drove to victory in the WTCC Race 2 at Portimão is being exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show.
The red-white-blue racing car makes a fine show in the middle of the stand of La Gazzetta dello Sport, to celebrate the publication of a new series of comic books that reprints Michel Vaillant’s old adventures.
The first issue ‘Brivido a Monza’ (‘De l’huile sur la piste’) was distributed Wednesday, December 5 together with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

www.fiawtcc.com

Team Arena’s Ford Focus WTCC Limited Edition road car that was launched at Macau during the final meeting of the 2012 FIA WTCC, is already arousing a huge interest among fans and dealers.
The car, that was used as the leading car during the rolling start lap for Macau’s Race 1 has been developed by Arena and built to celebrate Ford’s return to the WTCC; it also benefits of a Ford warranty that includes the specially upgraded engine.
The striking looking car is finished in Ford’s Artic White and comes complete with the very same decals that appear on the WTCC racers, including the traditional navy blue racing stripes.
Under the bonnet, the car features a 1.6 turbocharged ecoboost engine that has been upgraded by Arena’s race engine partner Mountune Performance to deliver 202 bhp and sits on Team Dynamics alloy wheels identical to those of the racing car, with Yokohama low profile tyres. A Mountune Performance developed short-shift gear change and a Powerflow exhaust also feature on this exciting car.
The Focus WTCC Limited Edition will be offered for sale globally with a run of just 2,000 worldwide planned.

MENU GUEST STAR AT MICHEL VAILLANT’S LAUNCH

Alain Menu was the guest star at the launch of ‘Au nom du fils’, first comic book of the series Michel Vaillant New Season, that took place last Friday in Paris at the FNAC Montparnasse shop.
Menu, who earlier this year had played Michel Vaillant’s role on the racing track during the WTCC Race of Portugal in Portimão at the wheel of a Chevrolet Cruze car disguised as a Vaillante, joined the Studio Graton team on the stage during a crowded press conference.
Afterwards, the Swiss racers signed copies of the new comic books together with Michel Vaillant’s scenarists Philip Graton and Denis Lapière, and illustrators Marc Bourgne and Benjiamin Benéteau. Earlier on Friday, the five of them had visited Eurosport headquarters at Issy-les-Moulineaux, for another signing session.
The comic book ‘Au nom du fils’, that is set in the FIA World Touring Car Championship and features Michel Vaillant racing against the likes of Yvan Muller, Gabriele Tarquini, Tom Coronel, etc, is now for sale in all the bookshops.

DUTCH TEAM DREAM OF THE WTCC

Nederland-based Vuik Racing are setting up a programme to take part next year in the German ADAC Procar championship. But at the same time, team-principal and driver Henk Vuik doesn’t conceal his dream to race in the WTCC.
In 2013 the team will run two Mercedes C200 cars. “One is the former Thate Motosport car driven by Jens Weimann, while the sister car has been raced in the Scandinavian Touring Car Cup by G-Rex Motorsport,” Vuik explained.
Vuik and his team have built themselves a reputation in the Formula Ford Euro Cup (4^th classified in 2000) and Dutch and Benelux
championships, before they switched to touring cars this year.
“I was looking for a new challenge and took part in the Burando Production Open (the Dutch Touring Car Championship) winning three races! Now we are ready to step up to the ADAC Procar. Both cars have been fitted with new suspension developed in the STCC, and I think they have the potential to win races,” said Vuik.
The plans for 2013 have been set, but Vuik has already a secret dream.
“My dream is to take part with my team in the WTCC, and to race a Mercedes A-Class powered by a 1.6-litre turbo engine…”

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Clinching his first World Touring Car Championship crown, Rob Huff became the series’ fourth different champion following Andy Priaulx (2005, 2006 and 2007), Yvan Muller (2008, 2010 and 2011) and Gabriele Tarquini (2009).
46 drivers of 18 nationalities took part in at least one event during the 2012 season, at the wheel of twelve different models built by six car manufacturers: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, LADA and SEAT.
Robb Holland was the first competitor ever from the USA to enter in a WTCC meeting.
The season’s finale at Macau featured the largest field, with 29 drivers at the start, while the average participation over the twelve events of the year was 23.3.

MULLER’S NEW RECORD

Yvan Muller claimed nine race victories during the year, setting a new record for a single season. The previous one – eight – dated back to last year and belonged to Rob Huff and Muller himself.
In 2012 Huff focused on consistency. He won five races, four less than Muller and one less than Alain Menu. However he finished on the podium 17 times, against Menu’s 16 and Muller’s 14; Huff also failed to score in two races only, while Menu and Muller remained scoreless in three races.
Muller’s nine victories meant that he has been the first driver to reach 30 race wins; Menu and Huff are equal in second place with 23.
Three other drivers won races this year: Stefano D’Aste joined the winners’ club claiming his first two WTCC successes, Norbert Michelisz and Gabriele Tarquini won one race apiece.
Tarquini is the only driver who scored wins in all the WTCC seasons so far: 18 in eight years.

MENU THE FASTEST MAN

Alain Menu emerged as the fastest man in qualifying. He won pole position in four of the twelve events, while Muller topped the qualifying session three times, Huff and Tarquini twice, Michelisz once. In the all-time table, Menu and Tarquini are co-leaders with 15 pole positions.
The closest gap between the poleman and the second was 0.026 seconds at Shanghai, when Menu beat Muller, while the average gap over the season was of 0.258.
In the live-or-die battle to win a place in Q2, the average gap between the 12^th (last qualified) and the 13^th (first excluded) was of 0.055 seconds. The closest gap was recorded in Marrakech, where Pepe Oriola cut Franz Engstler off by only two thousandths of a second. For three times Engstler was the first driver to miss the cut, while this happened twice to Tom Coronel, James Nash and Alberto Cerqui.
Besides the three Chevrolet works drivers, Tarquini was the only one who made it to Q2 in all the events, while Pepe Oriola and Tiago Monteiro failed only twice. Rickard Rydell, Michel Nykjær and Colin Turkington had a perfect record, as they qualified for Q2 in the sole event they entered.

D’ASTE KING OF REVERSE POLE

In 2012, the number of drivers admitted to Q2 was increased from ten to twelve, but the number of positions to be reversed on the grid for Race 2 remained ten. This in order to avoid possible strategies to secure the pole.
Of all the drivers, Stefano D’Aste was the best interpreter of the new regulations and managed to claim the reverse pole position on four different occasions. Which put him in the position to win on the Suzuka East Circuit, where overtaking is nearly impossible.
Norbert Michelisz was the poleman on the reverse grid twice.

FORD’S FIRST LEADING LAPS

The twenty-four races of the 2012 WTCC totaled to 320 laps, including 16 behind the safety car, which equated to a race distance of 1358,47 kilometres.
Yvan Muller led nearly one third of the total laps; the 2011 champion was ahead of the field for 106 laps, much more than Menu’s 85 and Huff’s 43. Behind the Chevrolet trio, ranked D’Aste and Michelisz with 33 and 27 laps led respectively.
Looking at the all time statistics, with 369 laps led, Muller is the only driver who topped the 300 mark, while Menu is second with 297.
In the 180 races held since 2005, thirty-three drivers have managed to stay in the lead for at least one lap. During the 2012 season three new members joined the club: James Nash (4 laps in Marrakech, the first ever Ford car leading a WTCC race), Mehdi Bennani (3 laps at Sonoma) and Alex MacDowall (1 lap at Macau).

MICHELISZ CONSISTENT LIKE HUFF

Just like Rob Huff did in the Drivers’ Championship, Norbert Michelisz focused his attention on consistency in his hunt for the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy.
The Zengö Motorsport driver won five races during the season, the same amount of his closest rival Pepe Oriola, but two less than Stefano D’Aste who eventually was classified third in the standings.
Michelisz claimed a serious stake on the title by scoring points in 17 out of the first 18 races. And although he only pocketed five further points in the final six races, the margin he had built was enough to earn him the final victory.
The Hungarian was also the best Yokohama Trophy competitor in the overall championship, where he finished sixth, just ahead of D’Aste and Oriola.

LUKOIL BEAT ROAL BY FOUR

Four points only separated Lukoil Racing Team and ROAL Motorsport in the final classification of the Yokohama Team’s Trophy.
Thanks to the double points awarded in Macau and to Tom Coronel’s withdrawal in the second race on the Guia circuit, the Lukoil duo of Gabriele Tarquini and Aleksei Dudukalo managed to overturn the positions.
Although Tarquini was the driver who scored most of the team’s points during the season, it was Dudukalo who decided the final outcome by finishing seventh in Macau’s Race 2 after his team-mate retired, his car damaged by debris on the track.

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Rob Huff moved another small step closer to his first WTCC title by winning pole position today at Macau and stretching his championship lead by two and one further points ahead of Alain Menu and Yvan Muller.
Once again the Chevrolet team made a clean sweep, placing their three drivers on top of the qualifying sheet. Huff’s pole position was not unexpected, as he had been the fastest in both today’s free practice sessions and had also been on pole at Macau in the three previous years.
However, Muller and Menu – who are now lying 42 and 37 points behind their team-mate – have still some chances to try and reverse the situation in the two races on Sunday.
Gabriele Tarquini put in a solid performance as he qualified fourth, and best of the rest on his last appearance at the wheel of a SEAT car, while his 2013 team-mate Tiago Monteiro claimed a brilliant fifth, the best qualifying result for Honda since they joined the championship one month ago at Suzuka.
Once again, local hero Darryl O’Young shone in qualifying, winning his third consecutive pole position in the Yokohama Trophy at Macau, ahead of Norbert Michelisz and Mehdi Bennani. An outstanding result considering that his bamboo-racing crew had worked all night to rebuild his car after yesterday’s crash.
Tomorrow WTCC drivers will enjoy a day off, before hitting the track again for the two final races of the season on Sunday.

Circuito da Guia – 15 / 18 November 2012
www.fiawtcc.com – http://www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo