FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 32 – 2nd September 2005
NEXT STOP: ISTANBUL PARK
The FIA World Touring Car Championship’s 15th and 16th
rounds will take place on 18TH September in Turkey. This will
be the second event ever hosted by the brand new Istanbul
Park, that was inaugurated only two weeks ago with the Formula
One Turkish Grand Prix.
The championship arrives in Turkey with the title fight wide
open. 2004 FIA European Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx
broke his duck in Oschersleben, claiming his first victory
of the year. This, together with his second place in Race
2, enabled him to close in on Dirk Müller. The two of
them are separated by only one point in the Drivers’
Championship. However, despite not scoring in the German weekend,
Alfa Romeo’s leading man Fabrizio Giovanardi remains
within striking distance, 12 points from the lead. With 20
points to be awarded in the Turkish meeting, four other drivers
have good chances for reducing their gaps: Jörg Müller
(24 points behind), Gabriele Tarquini, Rickard Rydell and
Antonio García who are all an equal further two points
adrift. Victories in Oschersleben for Priaulx and Alessandro
Zanardi were a further evidence of how balanced the championship
is, making nine different winners in the 14 races held so
far.
HELSINKI AND BRANDS HATCH ARE IN THE FRAME
Two new racetracks are in the frame to host FIA WTCC rounds
in 2006: Helsinki and Brands Hatch. “We had a meeting
in Oschersleben with Jarno Mahonen, managing director of the
WRC round Neste Rally Finland, who is working on a plan to
establish a racetrack in the streets of Helsinki. At the moment
he is waiting for the authorisation from the local Government.
If this arrives in time to include Helsinki in the calendar
that has to be submitted to the FIA, we’ll race there
in 2006. Otherwise it will be postponed to 2007,” explained
Marcello Lotti, General Manager of KSO. As for Brands Hatch,
KSO have already had several meetings with circuit owner Jonathan
Palmer. “Negotiations are going on, and I should say
that we are getting closer and closer to signing a deal to
move our British round to Brands Hatch Grand Prix,”
said Lotti.
THE MAN OF THE WEEK: ANDY PRIAULX
Since he joined the series in 2003, Andy Priaulx has been
in contention for the drivers’ championship. Last year
he became the FIA European Touring Car champion and BMW Motorsport
rewarded him by making him their third works driver along
with the Müllers. As well as racing, Andy is a mentor
for the young drivers in Formula BMW UK.
What is the key to your consistency? “It’s a
real mixture of elements. I always work the same way with
the team whether it’s a good or bad day, I have stability
in my home life and I have learned a lot coming through other
series. The new BMW 320i is also a factor. Things have often
been tough but I have always managed to continue and improve
because the combination of these things works for me.”
What does your role with Formula BMW involve? “I am
a general mentor really. I teach the lads to drive like I
would and to adopt an effective working method. When things
aren’t going well and they need some advice I am there
to help, as well as pointing out when they have succeeded
and why it happened. It is rewarding seeing them progress
and it is important for me to put something back into motorsport.”
This is your third season in the FIA Championship; in 2003
you fought for the European title until the end, last year
you won it at the final race. Will you succeed in becoming
World champion? “I am feeling really positive for the
remainder of the season. However, the fight is still wide
open and I’m not ruling out an Alfa Romeo challenge,
because Valencia will suit their cars much better than ours,
and they might catch up.”
FLASH NEWS TELEVISION 1:
Turkish terrestrial channel TV8 broadcast
live the FIA WTCC races from Oschersleben. TV8 will broadcast
live again from Istanbul, Valencia and Macau.
TELEVISION 2: For the first time the FIA
WTCC was aired live on two major terrestrial channels in Germany
and Spain. From Oschersleben, ZDF (Germany) broadcast live
for two hours, while TVE2 (Spain) for 30 minutes. TVE2 will
also broadcast live from Valencia, on October 2.
TELEVISION 3: Eurosport, in close collaboration
with the promoter of the LG Race of Mexico, signed a new broadcasting
agreement with Fox Sport Latin America and Speed Panam. These
two pan-regional cable platforms will broadcast all the remaining
races of season on a delayed basis.
THEY SAID: QUOTE OF THE WEEK Alessandro
Zanardi after his victory in Oschersleben: “We've finally
found a set-up that works for my driving. On the slowing down
lap I was already thinking about the next race in Turkey and
what we found out in the set-up. But I'm old enough to tell
my mind to enjoy the experience tonight.”
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