FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 07 – 24 March 2006
A FIELD OF 35 FOR THE FIA WTCC OPENING
35 drivers will make an impressive field on next Saturday
and Sunday, for the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship’s
opening meeting at Monza. 25 out of the 27 competitors who
entered the full season will take part in the WTCC Race of
Italy; all but the two LADA Racing cars that are due to join
the championship later in the season. The 8 competitors of
the Italian Superturismo Championship and two race-by-race
entries – Jirí Janák in the CSMS Alfa
Romeo and Jens Edman in the PSD Peugeot 407 – will complete
the field.
THE 2006 FIA WTCC LAUNCHED IN MONZA
On Tuesday, the world’s motorsport media gathered in
a busy Monza press room as the FIA WTCC 2006 season was launched
in front of more than 200 people. Jacques Behar, Chairman
of KSO and Vice President of Eurosport was joined on the stage
by Marcello Lotti, General Manager of KSO. The attendants
were treated to a dramatic video review of the 2005 season
before attentions turned to the forthcoming year.
“I would like to thank the participants of last year
and warmly welcome those who join us for 2006,” stated
Jacques Behar. “Last year TV audiences increased five
fold and this year we are set to expand even further to 450
million viewers worldwide. Among our other exciting steps
forward are the new FIA WTCC website, which will be available
in 6 languages, and the development of an official video game.”
Marcello Lotti said: “This time last year we launched
the FIA WTCC’s maiden season and people had questions
about whether it would work. In the past, other world touring
car championships have lasted only one year, but here we are
on our second. In Monza we will have 35 cars indicating the
success of our regulations and the championship.”
REIGNING CHAMPION FASTEST IN OFFICIAL TESTING
Andy Priaulx, the reigning World Champion, posted the fastest
lap in the two-day official testing that was held at Monza
on Tuesday and Wednesday. 35 drivers took part in the six
one-hour sessions under different conditions. Rain soaked
the track on the first day, but gave way to sunshine and bright
skys on the second.
Therefore all the fastest times were set on Wednesday.
THE TOP TIMES
Tuesday 21 March – wet Wednesday 22 March – dry
1. Augusto Farfus; Alfa Romeo; 2:11.498
2. Andy Priaulx; BMW; 2:12.241
3. Gianni Morbidelli; Alfa Romeo; 2:2.291
4. Salvatore Tavano; Alfa Romeo; 2:12.594
5. Rickard Rydell; SEAT; 2:12.770
6. Jörg Müller; BMW; 2:12.835
7. Dirk Müller; BMW; 2:13.178
8. Alain Menu; Chevrolet; 2:13.432
9. Robert Huff; Chevrolet; 2:13.436
10. James Thompson; SEAT; 2:13.447
1. Andy Priaulx; BMW; 2:00.688
2. Salvatore Tavano; Alfa Romeo; 2:01.173
3. Augusto Farfus; Alfa Romeo; 2:01.237
4. Jörg Müller; BMW; 2:01.247
5. Marcel Costa; BMW; 2:01.396
6. Tom Coronel; SEAT; 2:01.398
7. Alessandro Balzan; Alfa Romeo; 2:01.500
8. Emanuele Naspetti; BMW; 2:01.540
9. Stefano D'Aste; BMW; 2:01.643
10. Peter Terting; SEAT; 2:01.747
ANDY PRIAULX IS AIMING FOR A HAT TRICK Next
week in Monza Andy Priaulx starts the defense of his FIA WTCC
title. His aim for 2006 is a title hat trick, as his World
title came a year after the 2004 FIA ETCC. In a series where
success brings extra ballast and there are reverse grids to
make winning even tougher, Andy has proved consistent and
has beaten some of the best and most experienced drivers in
the world.
“It is going to be a massive season. The opposition
strengthens every year with leading manufacturers entering
more and more cars. All the BMW drivers have a new car and
engine which have shown great potential in pre-season testing,
but the likes of SEAT have not stayed still, and you just
have to look at their line-up to know how tough it will be.
My prediction is, as has happened to me in 2004 and 2005,
it is going to be the last race of the year before the title
is settled. It is great from a spectator point of view both
at the track and on tv but it is always maximum pressure for
us all year,” he said.
RYAN SHARP TO DRIVE FOR JAS MOTORSPORT
JAS Motorsport have completed his line-up with the arrival
of Ryan Sharp. The 26-year old Scotsman has joined Pierre-Yves
Corthals in the team, and will drive the second Honda Accord
Euro R.
Sharp, who tested the car for the first time on Wednesday
in Monza, comes from a successful racing career in karting
and singleseaters. He won a number of national and regional
karting titles before moving through Formula Ford (3rd in
the British Championship), Formula Renault (1st in the German
Championship), and Formula Renault V6 (2nd in the European
Championship) up to the GP2 Championship.
CARS AND DRIVERS IN PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
On Thursday, March 30, the FIA WTCC will finally land in
downtown Milan to promote its first race meeting in Monza.
From 2.00 PM to 6.00 PM the racing cars will be exhibited
in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, alongside the Duomo, the gothic
cathedral which is the city’s landmark. From 5.00 PM
to 6.00 PM drivers will meet fans in an autograph session.
Such an event was also organised last year, but it was cancelled
at the last minute in sign of respect for the death of the
Pope John Paul II.
DRIFTING ALONG THE AUTODROMO
The “crazy” drivers of the Italian SuperDrift
Series will entertain the crowd in Monza as a prelude to the
FIA WTCC opening races. Half a dozen super-tuned cars –
Nissan S14, BMW M3 and M6, Subaru Impreza – will drift
along the autodromo in two different 5-lap exhibitions. Among
them is the brand new Maserati GT Light driven by former biker
Graziano Rossi, father of multi-World champion Valentino.
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