FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 10 – 14 April 2006
33 CARS ON THE GRID FOR THE WTCC BERU RACE OF FRANCE
A field of 33 cars will make the grid for the second race
meeting of the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship, that
will take place in Magny-Cours on April 29/30. BERU, the German
company that was founded in 1912 and today is the world’s
leading specialist for ignition, diesel cold start, electronics
and sensorics will be partner of the event that is named WTCC
BERU Race of France.
Compared to the season’s opening in Monza, only two
cars are missing, Jens Edman’s Peugeot 407 and Jirí
Janák’s Alfa Romeo 156 Gta. Roberto Colciago
of SEAT Sport Italia, is due to switch from the SEAT Toledo
Cupra he drove in Monza to a new SEAT León; however
the Italian driver is still recovering after the thoracic
trauma he suffered in a crash with Edman during the first
race at Monza.
MAN OF THE WEEK: AUGUSTO FARFUS
Augusto Farfus is 22 years old and from Curitiba, Brazil.
He finished last season with a win in Macau and began the
new season by winning Race 2 in Monza.
Sitting second in the drivers’ championship at these
early stages, could this be Farfus’ year to shine?
Monza was a great start for the season for you and
somewhat unexpected?
“It was like a dream. I had a hard winter unsure about
this year so I went there simply to drive. We planned to fight
hard but didn’t think we would be as good as the BMW
and SEATs. The car was competitive, I drove to my best and
the whole experience was a pleasure.”
How did it feel to be on the podium with the fans
below you?
“That was something special and it looked as though
over half the people were supporting Alfa Romeo. I really
hope they do it like this throughout the season because it
means a lot to the drivers to be able to see the fans and
share the win.”
So you will compete with + 55 kg in Magny-Cours,
are you worried?
“Well, I think it is a lot for the car and for the tyres.
However, I would be happy to have such weight and even more
for the rest of the season because it means I did well in
the previous races!”
STEWARDS ALLOW BMW TEAMS TO CHECK ENGINES
Further to their collision during Monza Race 2, Andy Priaulx’s
and Dirk Müller’s BMW cars spun off into the gravel
trap.
Both BMW Team UK and BMW Team Germany applied to the Stewards
for authorization to check the engines that were sealed before
the first race in compliance with art. 73 of the Sporting
Regulations, which reads that each engine must be used for
a minimum of four consecutive races.
The Stewards allowed the requested checking and the eventual
replacement of certain parts, under the control of the FIA
Technical Delegate.
THOMPSON WINS TWO AT BRANDS HATCH
James Thompson and his SEAT León dominated the British
Touring Car Championship’s opening meeting at Brands
Hatch. The Yorkshireman, who will only contest part of the
BTCC season for the SEAT Sport UK team, won Race 1 and Race
2, while victory in Race 3 went to his team-mate Jason Plato.
Thompson and SEAT also took the lead in the Drivers and Manufacturers
championships respectively.
James said: “We knew the León would be very
strong around the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in race trim.
It’s been a perfect start to the season for SEAT and
I’m really happy.”
WOMEN’S ACROBATIC TEAM PERFORM IN MAGNY-COURS
The Patrouille Tranchant, the first women’s acrobatic
flying team in the world, will take part in the FIA WTCC race
meeting at Magny-Cours.
The team, established in 2003 by Benjamin Tranchant and formed
by five Russia-built Yakovlev Yak-54 aircrafts, will perform
a 15-minute spectacular stunt-flying-show on Sunday at 2.45
PM, immediately before the start of the first WTCC race.
On Saturday afternoon the Patrouille Tranchant will also
give four lucky drawn people their maiden flight.
THE PEN AND THE HELMET, PART 2
After last year’s successful première, “The
Pen and the Helmet” karting contest returns in Magny-Cours.
On Saturday afternoon, teams formed by one driver and one
journalist will fight in a 40-minute karting race.
The 2005 edition was won by Jörg Müller and Italian
cameraman Cristiano Beretta
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