FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 32 – 17 August 2007
ROUTE TO: OSCHERSLEBEN, GERMANY
The 15th and 16th rounds of the FIA WTCC will take place
next week in Germany, at Oschersleben’s Motorsport Arena.
The German track, located some 30 km from Magdeburg in the
Bode region, is a traditional venue for the FIA Touring Cars
having hosted the European Touring Car Championship from 2001
to 2004 and the World Touring Car Championship in 2005 and
2006.
Oschersleben is regarded as BMW’s home circuit. Not
only because it is in Germany, but also because the BMW drivers
have managed to win nine out of the ten races held here so
far, with Andy Priaulx claiming four victories. The only occasion
in which they were defeated was the second race of the 2004
ETCC meeting, when Rickard Rydell and his Toledo Cupra gave
SEAT their first victory in the FIA championship.
MENU WAS FASTEST IN SPRING TEST
Compared to previous years, the track’s layout has
been modified. The first corner – the Hotel bend –
has been completely retraced and although the lap distance
has been extended by only 20 metres, lap times are now a few
seconds slower.
The Motorsport Arena hosted a two-day WTCC official test
on 16th and 17th April. Chevrolet’s Alain Menu set the
fastest time of 1:34.956, only 11/1000 of a second better
than BMW’s Jörg Müller’s 1:34.967. Jordi
Gené was the best SEAT driver and fourth overall in
1:35.150.
PRIAULX GUEST STAR AT BRANDS
Current World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx will make
a guest appearance at Brands Hatch this weekend in preparation
for the FIA WTCC event there next month.
The two-time World Champion will spend Sunday at the circuit,
giving interviews and passenger rides as well mentoring drivers
in BTCC support race Formula BMW. Priaulx is yet to win a
touring car race at Brands Hatch and with this year’s
championship running as close as ever, the BMW Team UK driver
is leaving nothing to chance.
“I’m doing some passenger rides but it’s
not really something I can use to my advantage,” said
the 33-year-old. “You have to use the pits each time
and we’re not doing full laps of the track so the advantage
I could have from this weekend is minimal. It’s a shame
because one of the passengers is F1 presenter Louise Goodman
and I’m sure I could have set a competitive lap with
her in the car because she’s a lot lighter than the
success ballast I’m used to in the WTCC!”
PEDALÀ IS BACK AT SEAT SPORT ITALIA
Massimiliano Pedalà will make his third appearance
in this season’s FIA WTCC at Oschersleben next week.
Like he previously did in Valencia, Pedalà will join
Roberto Colciago at the wheel of the SEAT Sport Italia team’s
second SEAT León car.
After his Spanish, debut the Italian driver came back in
Brno to replace his team mate sidelined by a dislocated shoulder,
and managed to win the first race of the Independents’
Trophy on the Czech track.
Pedalà will join the championship again at Monza for
the 19th and 20th rounds.
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