FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 40 – 28th October 2005
FIA AND KSO SIGN WTCC RIGHTS AGREEMENT
The success of the first year of the FIA World Touring Car
Championship (WTCC) is set to continue after the FIA signed
a commercial rights contract with championship promoter KSO
in an agreement which lasts until 2009.
The contract was finalised in Rome today at a signing ceremony
between FIA President Max Mosley and Eurosport President Angelo
Codignoni. The ceremony was also attended by FIA Deputy President
Marco Piccinini and KSO President Jacques Behar. Eurosport,
parent company of KSO, will continue to be the host broadcaster
for the WTCC. It broadcasts live coverage of every race plus
highlights and feature programmes.
The FIA’s decision to sign this agreement follows the
growing success of the WTCC, which was launched at the start
of this year. So far it has seen seven manufacturers competing
at ten events held on three continents around the world. With
this new agreement the championship is set for continued success
in 2006 and beyond.
FIA President Max Mosley said: “We warmly welcome this
agreement, which will guarantee the continued growth of the
FIA World Touring Car Championship. KSO and Eurosport have
done an excellent job promoting the championship in its first
year and we look forward to increasing success in the future.”
Eurosport President Angelo Codignoni said: “We greatly
appreciate the value of this agreement with the FIA and the
recognition of the work done by KSO and Eurosport. This is
a strong motivation for us to make an even greater effort
to promote the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the highest
level in motorsport.”
THE WAY TO MACAU – WTCC’S LAST VOYAGE
The WTCC’s last voyage of the season has begun. Spare
parts and tyres are already on their way to Macau, split among
twelve containers on board of five different cargo ships that
sailed from Rotterdam, Felixstowe, Genoa, Valencia and Barcelona.
They are due to dock in Hong Kong between November 8th and
10th, with delivery at the track on November 12th.
The 27 racing cars will be airfreighted on board two Boeing
747 cargo planes from Luxembourg; the first one leaving on
November 7th and the second on November 9th. Cars will be
delivered at the paddock on the day following each departure.
Another 20 tons of spare parts will be also airfreighted in
the beginning of November.
HUISMAN REINFORCES THE BMW ARMADA
BMW’s force will be stronger than ever in Macau with
the addition of Duncan Huisman. The 33-year old Dutchman will
drive a BMW Team Holland car, run by RBM alongside their regular;
Andy Priaulx’s BMW Team UK car. Huisman, three times
a winner in the Macau Guia Race for BMW – 2001, 2002
and 2003 – might help the German Manufacturer to clinch
both the FIA WTCC Manufacturers’ and Drivers’
titles. He will be one of the few top drivers with no ballast
on board.
“André Couto will not carry ballast either.
He’s good and drives a competitive car (a works Alfa
Romeo). My problem is that I haven’t driven many miles
in the WTCC car. On the other hand, BMW has always been competitive
in Macau for fifteen years. Therefore, I should be in a position
to be competitive and help Dirk and Andy in their chase for
the title,” he said.
Over ten years Huisman has emerged as one of the most successful
BMW drivers. Twice a winner of the Dutch Touring Car Championship
(1997 and 2000), he was a race winner in the FIA European
Touring Car Championship, being classified 2nd in the 2001
Super Production Championship and claiming the Michelin Independents’
Trophy in 2003. In the current season he finished as a runner-up
in the Dutch Porsche Cup, but he also won the Nürburgring
24 Hours sharing a BMW Motorsport M3 GTR with Priaulx, Boris
Said and Pedro Lamy.
“That was one peak point of my career. Now I’m
very much looking forward to Macau, because I want to make
up for last year, when we did not manage to be competitive
and this put a halt to my winning streak there.”
FLASH NEWS
WEATHER: The latest service offered from
the Macau Grand Prix Committee is a special area within their
official website to know everything about the weather. By
visiting the http://www.smg.gov.mo/GP/index.php webpage, it
will be possible to know in real time air temperature, wind
direction and speed, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure,
as well as an accurate 4-day weather forecast.
BTCC: The British Touring Car Championship
will be contested by cars complying with the FIA Super 2000
regulations from 2007 onwards. Currently, Super 2000 cars
race alongside the series' own BTC Touring cars, but from
2007, new cars will have to comply with the FIA Super 2000
regulations.
The BTTC is the eighth premier national championship in
Europe to embrace the FIA technical regulations.
MENU: This weekend Alain Menu will be racing
for Chevrolet in the 200 Miles of Buenos Aires, counting towards
the Argentine TC2000 championship. Like last year, Menu will
share a Chevrolet Astra with reigning champion Christian Ledesma;
they were classified second in 2004.
THEY SAID: QUOTE OF THE WEEK
BTCC series director Alan Gow commenting on the change of
regulations: "This is the obvious way forward for the
BTCC as most touring car championships throughout Europe will
also run to S2000 regulations, as will the World Touring Car
Championship.”
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