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FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 26 – 22nd July 2005
FORD WITH A NEW DRIVER AND GREATER EXPECTATIONS
Team Ford Hotfiel Sport returns to action at Spa, after
they decided to skip the Mexican event to concentrate on test
and development work on the new Ford Focus RS WTCC. “The
journey to Mexico would have meant the cars being away for
six weeks,” said team principal Hans Hotfiel. “We
decided it was better using this time for extensive tests.”
The team tested in various locations. Thomas Klenke shared
driving duties with the team's test driver Patrick Bernhardt
and new driver Michael Funke, who will be replacing Thomas
Jäger from Spa onwards. 35 years old from Duisburg, Funke
raced for Hotfiel Sport in 2003 and 2004, emerging as a race
winner in the German Production Car Championship (DPWM). Last
year, when the DPWM raced together with the FIA ETCC at Spa,
Funke claimed two third places. “Ford has put great
trust in me by handing me this drive. Now it's up to me to
pay back and deliver,” he said.
The team concentrated on suspension and differential settings
as well as engine performance. "By using a harder anti-roll
bar and softer springs in the front and by changing the rear
axle's geometry we have improved a lot,” said Klenke.
“In the WTCC, you have to brake into the corners as
deep as possible in order to shut the door on anybody who
wants to overtake you. Fine-tuning the differential prevents
the inside front wheel from locking up under turn-in braking.”
After the tests, Eberhard Braun, the German head of motorsport
at FordTeamRS, concluded: “The team made significant
steps in the right direction; set-up, transmission and engine
have all been improved. We expect that effort to be reflected
in better results during the second half of the season."
SEAT SPORT CONFIDENT IN SPITE OF BALLAST
Fresh from a start-to-finish race victory in Mexico, the
SEAT Sport team is preparing for Spa in confident mood. In
Belgium once again Jason Plato will team up with the three
regular SEAT Sport drivers Rickard Rydell, Jordi Gené
and Peter Terting. Last year’s performances at Spa,
including a 3rd place for Gené, suggest the SEAT Sport
Toledo Cupra cars could challenge for the podium positions.
Recent strong performances by the team mean
that both Rydell and Terting will be carrying 40-kg and 35-kg
respectively. Gené and Plato will only be carrying
5kgs of ballast each.
FURTHER TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CHEVROLET
Puebla saw Chevrolet achieve their best results of the season
with both Rob Huff and Nicola Larini scoring points in the
Drivers’ Championship. Now with all of their cars back
from Mexico, the team is preparing for Spa in the hope that
the longest track on the FIA WTCC calendar will also bring
success.
The team recently completed a two day test session at Pembrey
with Nicola Larini behind the wheel of a Lacetti. The aim
of the session was to further chassis development. Team Manager
Mark Busfield commented, “We have found some new specs
that should allow us to improve the chassis dynamics during
the next races, and thus improve our performance in the twistier
part of the track. We aim to qualify in the top twelve and
finish in the top ten.”
DE MICHELI’S HONDA TO MISS THE BELGIAN EVENT
JAS Motorsport will enter only one of their Honda Accord
cars in Spa. Adriano De Micheli will not join Roberto Colciago
because the team could not manage to repair his car in time.
De Micheli had extensively damaged his Honda when he crashed
into the concrete wall during the first free practice session
at Puebla-Amozoc.
MAN OF THE WEEK: BART MAMPAEY
Bart Mampaey is Team Manager of BMW Team UK - the team of
2004 FIA European Touring Car Champion, Andy Priaulx. Bart
is also the only Belgian involved on the FIA WTCC, and therefore
Spa is his home race.
What is Spa like as an event? “It
is fast becoming a classic on the touring car calendar. and
there are always large crowds. It’s one of the most
attractive circuits in the world and provides fantastic touring
car racing. A special event indeed.”
What is the team expecting to achieve in
Spa? “Our expectations are weighed against the results
in 2003 when Andy took a race win. Of course it is would be
fantastic to emulate that, but the car is carrying a lot of
ballast and the weather is an issue as there is always the
chance of rain. Let’s wait and see.”
What are the team’s chances of winning the world title?
“For the past two years, the championship has been extremely
close on points. It was disappointing when Andy missed out
on 10 points after a puncture at Silverstone and we just hope
that those aren’t the points that would have made the
difference. All I know is we are going to be as competitive
as possible right to the very last race in Macau.”
FLASH NEWS
END OF VOYAGE: The long trip back from Mexico
is over. On Monday 18th July the cargo ship ‘Yucatan’
docked in Antwerp as scheduled. The last part of the voyage
was by truck, as the day after cars and parts were on their
way to the teams’ workshops.
DOWNTOWN SPA: Cars and drivers of the FIA
WTCC will participate in a promotional event in Spa on Wednesday
27th July. The cars will be exhibited in front of the Casino,
and the drivers will meet the public during an autograph session
from 15.00 to 17.00.
THEY SAID: QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Alain Menu, about Spa: “The last time I raced there
was in 1988 in Formula 3, but although that was more than
15 years ago, I consider it one of my favourite race tracks
in the world. Eau Rouge is a corner you can’t compare
to anything else anywhere.”
TV COVERAGE FROM SPA (Central European Time)
Friday, 29th: FIA WTCC Magazine – repeat EUROSPORT,
08.30/09.00 Qualifying – highlights EUROSPORT, 22.00/22.15
Saturday, 30th: Warm up – LIVE EUROSPORT, 08.30/09.00
Races 1 & 2 – LIVE EUROSPORT, 11.50/14.00 Races
1 & 2 – LIVE RTL TVI, 11.50/14.00 Thursday, 4th:
FIA WTCC Magazine EUROSPORT, 19.00/19.30 Friday, 5th: FIA
WTCC Magazine – repeat EUROSPORT, 09.00/09.30
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