FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 05 – 10 March 2006
ALEX ZANARDI OPENS PARALYMPIC GAMES
Alessandro Zanardi was the guest star at the Opening Ceremony
of the IX Paralympic Winter Games that took place today at
Turin’s Olympic Stadium.
After already being involved in the Turin 2006 Olympic Winter
Games as one of the olympic torch bearers, Zanardi was invited
on the stage after the Italian celebrated climber Reinhold
Meissner. Dressed in a white racing overall he delivered an
emotional speech before the 30,000 spectators who had gathered
in the stadium: “I’m a racing driver despite the
fate had tried to change the course of my life. With huge
efforts I have managed to get back to winning races. For me
it was more difficult than for my fellow colleagues, as my
handicap may have slowed me down. But actually did not stop
me!” The Paralympic Winter Games will start on Saturday
March 11, to go on until March 19.
SEAT LAUNCH FIA WTCC CAMPAIGN IN PARIS
Yesterday evening in Paris, SEAT Sport launched their 6-car
campaign in the 2006 FIA WTCC. During a crowded press conference
at the exclusive Club de l’Etoille the President of
SEAT Sport Winfried Burgert declared: “We are making
this huge effort with a clear goal in mind: the World Championship
titles.”
And Jaime Puig, Director of SEAT Sport echoed: “We
have six winning drivers and the León is a very good
car. The championship appears to be very open, as all the
Manufacturers involved have top-level teams and drivers. I
think we have everything needed to fight for both the Drivers’
and Manufacturers’ titles.”
Five of the six works drivers attended the event in Paris,
all but Rickard Rydell. Jordi Gené, Peter Terting,
Gabriele Tarquini and James Thompson followed each other on
the stage, while the home boy Yvan Muller was the last one
to be called. “I’m quite happy to be with SEAT
Sport, because I feel part of a great team which is also like
a family. I want to do my best to bring SEAT to the front,”
said the Frenchman.
N.TECHNOLOGY TO RACE THREE ALFAS
N.technology have entered three Alfa Romeo 156 cars in the
2006 FIA WTCC. The team directed by Mauro and Monica Sipsz
will represent the Italian car maker who will also compete
in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
The 22-year old Brazilian Augusto Farfus is facing his third
consecutive season with the team; last year he was classified
fourth in the FIA WTCC, also scoring his first victory in
Macau’s Race 1. Farfus’ team-mates are Gianni
Morbidelli and Salvatore Tavano, both from Italy. Morbidelli
(36) boasts an impressive racing CV, including Formula One
(67 Grand Prix starts) and Touring Car as a works driver for
BMW, Alfa Romeo and Volvo. Tavano (26) has been a regular
competitor in the FIA Touring Cars since 2001 and the winner
of the 2004 Italian Super Production title.
PIERRE-YVES CORTHALS TO RACE FOR JAS
JAS Motorsport announced today their campaign in the 2006
FIA WTCC. They will compete as an Independent team with a
couple of Honda Accord Euro R cars.
The first one, supported by Monroe shock absorbers, will
be driven by Pierre-Yves Corthals, the 30 year-old Renault
Clio Cup European Champion from Liége, Belgium. “I’m
delighted to be driving in the WTCC as part of the JAS Motorsport
team,” said Corthals. “Although modern Super 2000
cars are new to me, I’m confident that my extensive
experience with front wheel drive cars will be a great advantage.”
On the second car Alessandro Mariani, Director of JAS Motorsport,
said: “Negotiations are underway and we hope to confirm
a second driver in the coming days.”
SELECTED WTCC EVENTS FOR CZECH DRIVER
Jirí Janák, winner of the 2005 Czech Škoda
Octavia Cup, will contest some selected rounds of the 2006
FIA WTCC at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 156 Gta run by Ceskoslovenský
Motorsport.
”Our team will provide technical and organisational
assistance. We are taking advantage of the experience we made
last year, when we were the first Czech team to participate
in selected WTCC events,” team principal Stanislav Matejovský
explained.
The 22-year old driver stated: “This is going to be
my greatest racing experience so far. I am looking forward
to it very much. Our goal is the best possible result, but
I know very well that it will be tough.”
SEAT, CHEVROLET AND ALFA IN MAGNY-COURS
The French track of Magny-Cours hosted four days of testing,
from Tuesday to Friday. SEAT Sport tested on the first two
days. “The weather was mostly rainy, but we managed
to have some good runs in the dry on the first day. And in
any case it was also very important to test in the wet,”
SEAT Sport director Jaime Puig commented. When SEAT left,
N.technology arrived with all their three drivers: Farfus,
Morbidelli and Tavano. They took turns at the wheel of one
Alfa Romeo 156.
The Chevrolet team stayed in Magny-Cours for all four days.
“Fortunately we had booked four days of track time,
just to be sure to have some dry time, as the weather hadn’t
been on our side at the earlier tests in Brands Hatch and
Albacete,” Team Manager, Mark Busfield said. “Two
cars were set up with different suspension settings and weight
distribution, and all three drivers swapped between both cars
to get back-to-back impression.”
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