ROUNDS 1 & 2 – CURITIBA, BRAZIL
TESTING REPORT
Weather: sunny and hot with a dry track.
FARFUS FASTEST ON HOME TRACK
The first test session of the season took place at Curitiba,
home track of Augusto Farfus who headed the field with a time
of 1:25.895 followed by his team-mate Jörg Müller
and Tom Coronel.
Cars from four different manufacturers were classified in
the top-five, while the 13 fastest drivers were covered by
one only second.
The session was red flagged with 3 minutes remaining due
to a serious crash between Michel Jourdain and Roberto Colciago.
BMW Team Germany drivers occupied the top positions for much
of the session with Farfus beating Müller to the top
spot by just 0.003 of a second. Tom Coronel completed the
best three and headed the SEAT drivers with a time of 1:26.219.
Chevrolet had their spell as fastest courtesy of Alain Menu
but his best lap of 1:26.392 eventually placed him 4th. James
Thompson ensured Alfa Romeo were also represented at the top
as he set the 5th quickest time.
In the independents category Luca Rangoni headed the field
at the wheel of his Proteam Motorsport BMW. His time of 1:26.558
meant he was an admirable 6th overall.
BULLET NEWS
COLCIAGO AND JOURDAIN COLLIDE The test session
was red-flagged in the closing moments when the SEAT León
cars of Roberto Colciago and Michel Jourdain crashed into
each other. Both cars skidded on the grass off turn 7; Colciago’s
hit the armco barrier first and was then t-boned by Jourdain’s.
As the Italian driver was trapped inside his damaged car,
the medical services performed extrication; Colciago was transported
to the track’s medical centre for examination and then
to Curitiba’s hospital for X-rays, because he complained
of rib pain.
YET ANOTHER MULLER
Team manager at Exagon Racing is Cathy Muller, sister of
SEAT Sport driver
Yvan Muller.
Cathy was herself a successful racing driver in Formula 3
and Sportscars between the late Eighties and the early Nineties,
before stopping to become a mother.
FARFUS’ HOT FOOT
Farfus had his foot in a bowl of ice following the test session.
His new racing boots were thinner than he has been used to
and as a result the heat of the engine burnt his skin slightly.
But this did not keep him from setting the fastes lap…
THEY SAID, THEY SAID…
Augusto FARFUS
“It was a nice start and I’m happy but it’s
much too early to say how things will develop. I want to keep
my feet on the ground because you never know how the weekend
is going to go.”
Tom CORONEL
“I’m surprised to be fast as I did zero winter
testing. I feel strong and the car feels good at high speeds.
I wish the races were now!”
Alain MENU
“I forgot how bumpy that track is. I’m not entirely
happy with the car yet. My time was ok but I think other drivers
will make it up soon.”
James THOMPSON
“Considering we have only done two and a half days
testing we are pleased to be fifth. However we are under no
illusions that it is going to get tougher.”
2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship
TESTING
POS NO CL - DRIVER - NAT - CAR - TIME - LAPS - GAP - KPH
1 3 Augusto FARFUS BRA BMW 320si 1:25.895 16 154.86
2 2 Jorg MULLER GER BMW 320si 1:25.898 16 0.003 154.85
3 20 Tom CORONEL NED SEAT Leon 1:26.219 14 0.324 154.28
4 8 Alain MENU SUI Chevrolet Lacetti 1:26.392 9 0.497 153.97
5 15 James THOMPSON GBR Alfa Romeo 156 1:26.529 14 0.634 153.72
6 30 I Luca RANGONI ITA BMW 320i 1:26.558 14 0.663 153.67
7 6 Robert HUFF GBR Chevrolet Lacetti 1:26.567 12 0.672 153.66
8 1 Andy PRIAULX GBR BMW 320si 1:26.685 14 0.790 153.45
9 12 Yvan MULLER FRA SEAT Leon 1:26.794 7 0.899 153.25
10 11 Gabriele TARQUINI ITA SEAT Leon 1:26.804 8 0.909 153.24
11 5 Felix PORTEIRO ESP BMW 320si 1:26.819 14 0.924 153.21
12 7 Nicola LARINI ITA Chevrolet Lacetti 1:26.860 11 0.965
153.14
13 4 Alessandro ZANARDI ITA BMW 320si 1:26.958 14 1.063 152.97
14 19 I Roberto COLCIAGO ITA SEAT Leon 1:27.021 11 1.126 152.86
15 9 Jordi GENE ESP SEAT Leon 1:27.434 8 1.539 152.13
16 26 I Stefano D'ASTE ITA BMW 320i 1:27.555 13 1.660 151.92
17 23 I Pierre-Yves CORTHALS BEL SEAT Leon 1:27.596 12 1.701
151.85
18 31 I Sergio HERNANDEZ ESP BMW 320i 1:27.755 12 1.860 151.58
19 10 Michel JOURDAIN MEX SEAT Leon 1:28.161 14 2.266 150.88
20 16 Olivier TIELEMANS NED Alfa Romeo 156 1:28.941 14 3.046
149.56
21 21 I Emmet O'BRIEN IRL SEAT Leon 1:29.091 13 3.196 149.30
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