FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 33 – 22 September 2006
OKYAY: I’M EXCITED TO RACE IN THE WTCC
Ibrahim Okyay, who joins the WTCC for the race of Turkey,
has spoken of his excitement to race alongside the world’s
most talented touring car drivers.
“To race in front of my home crowd in Turkey is nothing
special for me because I have done it for many years, but
to be alongside men like Alessandro Zanardi is really what
I’m excitied about,” said the 37 year old from
Istanbul.
Despite winning four national titles in his racing career,
Okyay has only raced at the Istanbul Park circuit once before
and commented “the other drivers have as much experience
of the track as I do so I am technically a guest at my home
track!” He added, “I am very pleased to be here
because the WTCC is a massive championship.”
MARÍA DE VILLOTA WITH CHEVROLET IN SPAIN
María de Villota, from Spain, will be the first woman
to compete in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The
26-year old from Madrid will make her maiden appearance in
the WTCC Race of Spain at Valencia’s Circuito Ricardo
Tormo, on October 7 and 8, at the wheel of a Maurer Motorsport
Chevrolet Lacetti backed by Chevrolet España.
“Being the first woman in WTCC is nothing new to me,
as I was in the same position before in other championships.
On the other hand, I am absolutely excited by the idea of
competing against the best touring car drivers in the world,”
she commented.
Daughter of former Formula 1 driver Emilio de Villota, María
has proved to be competitive in both single-seater and GT
cars, achieving brilliant results in the Spanish F3 and Formula
Toyota championships, and also in endurance races.
The Switzerland-based Maurer Motorsport, that already took
part in the FIA WTCC meeting at Brno, last weekend claimed
the German ADAC Procar title with Vincent Radermecker, who
will be María de Villota’s team-mate at Valencia.
SEAT: A SEVENTH CAR FOR NOGUÉS AT VALENCIA
SEAT Sport will line up a seventh León car at the
next WTCC race meeting in Valencia; the driver will be Óscar
Nogués Farré, winner of the 2005 SEAT León
Supercópa.
This is the third time that SEAT have given a young driver
coming from their own one-make trophies the chance to make
a one-off appearance in the WTCC: earlier this season Florian
Gruber from Germany, winner of the 2005 SEAT European Masters,
took part in the meeting at Oschersleben, while last year
the 2004 SEAT León Supercópa champion Marc Carol
was added to the team in Valencia, where he managed to score
one point in the second race.
Prior to his victory in last year’s cup, Nogués
Farré claimed two national karting titles – in
the 1993 F-CEK and the 1994 F-Inter A – and then moved
to the Renault Mégane and Clio trophies, clinching
the Clio Cup crown in 2003.
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