FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 43 – 9 December 2006
PRIAULX CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION BY THE FIA
Andy Priaulx has been officially titled 2006 FIA World Touring
Car Champion, during the traditional FIA prize giving gala
last night in Monaco. In the sumptuous setting of the Sporting
d’Eté’s Salle des Etoiles, the FIA honoured
all its champions. In a progression from Karting Racing to
Formula 1, the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s
prize giving took place between those of the FIA GT and the
World Rally Championship. On the stage, where the BMW Team
UK winning car was exhibited, the first three drivers classified
– Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller and Augusto Farfus
– received their trophies, while BMW Motorsport Director
Mario Theissen collected the Manufacturers’ champion
trophy. “It’s lovely to be back. To win two in
a row is very special but in fact it is three in a row with
the 2004 European Touring Car title as well. I’m enjoying
this very much. It does get harder because everybody is after
you and I think this year is a vintage year with so many drivers
up for the title going into the last race,” Priaulx
said.
WTCC DRIVERS IN THE RACE OF CHAMPIONS
Andy Priaulx and Yvan Muller will represent WTCC at the Race
of Champions that will be held at Paris-St. Denis’ Stade
de France on December 16th; the third edition of the event,
which gathers drivers from every area of motorsport.
Two different titles will be awarded: the “Champion
of Champions” (won by Heikki Kovalainen in 2004 and
Sébastien Loeb in 2005) and the “Nations Cup”
(won by France in 2004 and Scandinavia in 2005). Priaulx will
represent England, alongside Formula One race winner Jenson
Button, while Muller will be paired in the French team with
triple WRC champion Loeb. Among the other drivers who will
take part in the event are Formula One star David Coulthard,
7-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, WRC aces Colin McRae
and Marcus Grönholm and DTM multi-champion Bernd Schneider.
"The chance to take part in the ROC was something I
jumped at as I have watched it in the past and reckoned it
would be a lot of fun," said Priaulx. "I have already
raced with my national flag on the car in the FIA WTCC, so
to be able to represent England alongside Jenson Button was
an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down. I know I shall
be pitted against many motor racing heroes, but this gives
me a great opportunity in a totally different kind of motor
sport environment."
PRIAULX WINS THE GREGOR GRANT AWARD
Andy Priaulx was awarded with a Gregor Grant Trophy at the
Autosport Awards last Sunday in London. The Briton was presented
with his award by Jean Alesi and Eddie Jordan. Looking back
on his success, which earned him an Autosport front cover
as the 'Schumacher of touring cars', Priaulx said: "That
meant a lot to me - firstly for Autosport to give me a front
cover especially in touring cars. But to be the Schumacher
of touring cars is special. If I can't be in F1, then I wanted
to be the Schumacher in whatever I could do. You are only
as good as your weakest link in motorsport, so this is down
to a lot of good people."
The Gregor Grant Trophy - named after Autosport’s founding
editor - is given in recognition of outstanding achievement
in motor sport. In the two previous years it was awarded to
multiple rally world champion Carlos Sainz and to Bernie Ecclestone.
BOLOGNA MOTOR SHOW: ZANARDI’S HOME RACE
Tomorrow Bologna’s motor sport fans will have the privilege
to cheer for their home boy Alessandro Zanardi during the
Euroturismo trophy that will be held during the Bologna Motor
Show. Zanardi and his BMW 320si will face a bunch of WTCC
drivers and famous bike riders in a pursuit tournament along
a track that winds among the pavilions of the fair district.
Gabriele Tarquini, freshly crowned Italian Superturismo champion
Roberto Colciago and Moto GP ace Loris Capirossi, will be
all at the wheel of SEAT León cars; WTCC vice-champion
Jörg Müller will be the other BMW representative,
while Augusto Farfus will drive the N.technology Alfa Romeo
156, with which he classified third in the WTCC, for the last
time before moving to BMW Team Germany for the next season.
The field will be completed by Nicola Larini’s Chevrolet
Lacetti and by a DB Motorsport Alfa Romeo 156 in the hands
of another Moto GP celebrity: Marco Melandri.
WIECHERS-SPORT PRESENT NEW BMW IN ESSEN
German WTCC independent team Wiechers-Sport have presented
their new BMW car at the Essen Motor Show; exhibited in the
Hall 12, among the Wiechers-built roll cages and bars.
At least one BMW 320si will be campaigned by the team during
the next World Touring Car Championship season; the name of
the driver still has to be unveiled. In the meantime, the
team have opened negotiations with a number of other drivers
in order to race a second car.
OSCHERSLEBEN MOVED ONE WEEK FORWARD
Today in Monaco, the FIA World Motor Sport Council confirmed
the 2007 FIA World
Touring Car Championship’s calendar, with only one change.
The German event at the Oschersleben Motorsport Arena has
been moved one week
forward, from the 2nd of September to the 26th of August.
2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship
11 March Brazil Curitiba **
15 April Mexico Puebla **
20 May Spain Valencia
3 June France Pau *
17 June Czech Republic Brno
8 July Portugal Porto *
29 July Turkey Istanbul
26 August Germany Oschersleben
23 September Great Britain Brands Hatch
7 October Italy Monza
18 November Macau Macau
* Pending the homologation of the circuit
** Pending the homologation of the circuit prior to 31 December
2006
COUNTDOWN: - 92 DAYS
to the 2007 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil – 10th/11th March,
in Curitiba
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