FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 04 – 3 March 2006
27 FULL-SEASON ENTRIES FOR THE 2006 FIA WTCC
The deadline for entering in the 2006 FIA World Touring Car
Championship expired last Tuesday, 28 February.
27 cars, representing six different car Manufacturers have
been entered. The official entry list will be released on
the occasion of the Media Day, which will take place at Monza
on Tuesday, 21 March.
A field of 35/38 cars is expected to take part in the season’s
first race meeting at Monza, on 2 April, with the addition
of the Italian Superturismo Championship competitors and other
drivers who will take part only in selected FIA WTCC rounds,
including the Peugeot 407 run by the Peugeot Sport Denmark
team.
BMW UNVEIL 2006 FIA WTCC CAMPAIGN
Three teams and five drivers will defend BMW’s colours
in the 2006 FIA WTCC.
“In 2005, we won everything there was to win in WTCC,”
said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “Obviously
it’s our goal to repeat these achievements with our
BMW 320si, which is a newly developed car. With our driver
line-up and the new car we should be well-prepared for the
tasks ahead of us. Furthermore, I’m convinced that in
2006 the series is going to consolidate its position as the
most significant touring car championship.”
In 2006 the BMW national teams will race the new BMW 320si.
Andy Priaulx, the reigning champion, enters the 2006 season
as the man to beat, following his back-to-back titles in the
2004 ETCC and 2005 WTCC. However, his BMW rivals are keen
to prevent Priaulx and his BMW Team UK from winning a third
consecutive title. BMW Team Germany once again, relies on
Dirk Müller and Jörg Müller. BMW Team Italy-Spain
driver Alessandro Zanardi who claimed his maiden WTCC win
at Oschersleben last year, is to have a new team-mate: Marcel
Costa.
“I’m really looking forward to supporting the
BMW effort to defend the Manufacturers Championship,”
said the 27-year-old winner of the 2002 Spanish F3 Championship.
“The WTCC is a fantastic series and the races are truly
hard-fought. It will be vital for me to learn as fast as possible.”
SEAT BETWEEN GENEVA AND ALBACETE
SEAT Sport continue the preparation in view of the 2006 FIA
World Touring Car Championship working on both, promotion
and technical development. While the team was testing at Albacete,
the racing car was exhibited at the Geneva Auto Show.
At Albacete, the six drivers took turns at the wheel for
two days, in changeable weather conditions. On the first day
Rickard Rydell, Peter Terting and James Thompson worked on
the car’s settings as the track gradually dried. On
the second day Jordi Gené, Yvan Müller and Gabriele
Tarquini focused on different components that had been previously
tested. Thompson said: “I’m quite satisfied with
the progress we’re making on the car, both in terms
of mechanics and familiarisation. I’m feeling more and
more comfortable at the wheel of the León and I am
looking forward to the start of the championship to prove
our potential.”
The SEAT Sport team will test again at Magny-Cours on 7 and
8 March.
CHEVROLET TESTED FOR TWO DAYS AT ALBACETE
RML and Chevrolet continued their winter test programme at
Albacete in Spain. All three drivers attendend two days of
development tests, mainly focusing on setting up chassis and
suspensions.
“We spent both days doing short runs with all three
cars,” Team Manager Mark Busfield explained. “This
was our first opportunity to use the Yokohama Advan tyres
on a dry track, although it was cool and windy on the first
day. On the second day it was warmer outside, so that gave
us a first real opportunity to try and understand the tyres
in the dry and in normal temperatures.”
Next week, a four-day test at Magny-Cours is scheduled.
ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST LADA WTCC CAR FROM RUSSIA
The first car built by LADA Motorsport for the FIA WTCC campaign
has been delivered to MTEC’s factory at Waldsolms in
Germany. The long procedures for clearing the Russian custom
prevented the car from being exhibited at the Geneva Auto
Show as it was planned.
The LADA 21106 racing car is now undergoing the homologation
formalities and immediately afterwards it will be prepared
for its first rollout.
WIECHERS-SPORT SIGN O’BRIEN AND ROMANINI
Germany-based Wiechers-Sport launched a new campaign in the
FIA World Touring Car Championship in which they won the 2005
Independents’ Trophy with Marc Hennerici. For the new
season the team double their efforts, lining-up two BMW cars
compared to the one they raced last year, for Diego Romanini
and Emmet O’Brien.
Romanini, a 27-year old Italian from Camaiore has already
raced for the team in the 2004 German Production Car Championship.
O’Brien, 24-year old from Dublin, emerged in one-make
trophies, classifying 7th in the 2004 British SEAT Cupra Cup
and 10th in the 2005 European Alfa Challenge.
The team will compete in Monza with two BMW 320i E46, but
they have planned to switch to a couple of new BMW 320si E90
cars sometime during the season.
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