FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 35 – 7 September 2007
ROUTE TO: BRANDS HATCH, UK
The 17th and 18th rounds of the FIA WTCC will take place in
two weeks at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, located
some 30 km South East of London.
It is the second consecutive year the FIA WTCC visits the
Kent racetrack, which is one of the most spectacular for the
fans and demanding for the drivers.
Being a regular venue of the British Touring Car Championship,
Brands Hatch is very well known by a number of WTCC competitors,
starting from the British boys: James Thompson, Robert Huff
and Andy Priaulx. Thompson has won here four times, including
one victory in each of the 2002 and 2004 seasons when he clinched
the BTCC title. Huff also tasted victory at Brands Hatch during
his first year of the BTCC in 2004. Reigning world champion,
Priaulx, is still chasing his first touring car win at the
Kent circuit but says that this just motivates him to go that
little bit further. Other WTCC drivers to have scored wins
at Brands Hatch include former BTCC champions Alain Menu,
Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller. The Swiss – who clinched
the title twice in 1997 and 2000 – was the recordman,
with seven victories between 1995 and 2000, before giving
Chevrolet their first WTCC success in last year’s second
race. Before winning the 2006 WTCC’s Race 1 for SEAT,
Muller had won four times here, once in 2003 when he became
champion. As for Tarquini, he scored four consecutive wins
at Brands in 1994, his impressive maiden BTCC season that
also gave him the title.
MAXIMUM BALLAST FOR FIVE
No less than five drivers – three of BMW and two of
SEAT – will carry the maximum 60-kg ballast onboard
their cars during the next FIA WTCC event at Brands Hatch.
They are Augusto Farfus, Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller,
Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini who occupy the top-five
places in the championship classification. James Thompson
of Alfa Romeo and Nicola Larini of Chevrolet will be 5 and
10 kilos lighter respectively. A total of 15 drivers will
receive handicap weight.
60 kg Augusto Farfus, Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller,
Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini
55 kg James Thompson
50 kg Nicola Larini
45 kg Robert Huff
35 kg Alain Menu
30 kg Tiago Monteiro
25 kg Tom Coronel
15 kg Jordi Gené
10 kg Félix Porteiro
5 kg Alessandro Zanardi and Luca Rangoni
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BRITONS PREPARE FOR HOME SHOOTOUT
James Thompson and Robert Huff are gunning for double World
Champion Andy Priaulx as the three Britons prepare for their
home round at Brands Hatch. BMW star Priaulx is aiming to
make home advantage count against the international field
as he shoots for a remarkable hat-trick of WTCC titles, while
Chevrolet’s Huff and Alfa Romeo’s Thompson are
riding into town on a high after excellent results in the
latest races at Anderstorp and Oschersleben.
“I had a rough start to the season, but we got back
on the pace and now my confidence is back to where it should
be,” said Huff. “I can’t wait for Brands.
I’ve got loads of supporters coming to see me race.
It’s my biggest buzz of the year and one of my favourite
tracks.”
Thompson is confident too. “On the Brands Grand Prix
circuit I always seem to win or have a big crash!” he
said. “The car should be good there this year and local
knowledge always counts for a lot. I’ll hit the ground
running at Brands.” Priaulx, meanwhile, is fighting
for the title with fellow BMW drivers Augusto Farfus and Jörg
Müller. “Brands is a crunch weekend,” he
said. “I’m just hoping that, after the British
summer we’ve had, we have a sunny weekend, because changeable
conditions don’t seem to suit our set-up. Last year
was terrible at Brands – I was leading the second race
and fired it off into the gravel, so it was pretty bad news.
I’m desperate to do well in front of my home crowd.”
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