FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 36 – 14 September 2007
TURKINGTON JOINS WTCC AT BRANDS
Team RAC will take part in the FIA WTCC meeting
at Brands Hatch with Colin Turkington in a BMW 320si. Turkington
is currently 5th in the British Touring Car Championship and
has been impressive at the Kent circuit this season, securing
two pole positions and a victory.
The Ulsterman said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity
for me and I’m grateful to the team for giving me the
chance to race against the best Touring Car drivers in the
world. I certainly won’t be there to make up the numbers.”
Dick Bennetts, WSR Team Principal, added: “We are excited
and believe we can make a big impression. Colin has proven
credentials at Brands Hatch, which will make him very competitive.
It’s a great opportunity for us and we are determined
to make the most of it.”
Shaun Meadows, Marketing Director, commented: “It’s
a natural extension for RAC to look to test our car and driver
in the WTCC after our two seasons in BTCC. It will also allow
us to showcase our motoring expertise to a new audience and
we’re looking forward to working with the WTCC, its
fans and followers.”
TARQUINI TESTED THE LEÓN TDI
Gabriele Tarquini had his first drive in the SEAT León
TDI during a private test organised by the SEAT Sport team
at Barcelona’s Catalunya circuit in view of the next
WTCC meeting at Brands Hatch.
However there will be only two TDI cars in Brands Hatch,
again for Muller – who claimed at Oschersleben the first
victory of a turbo-diesel car in a World Championship –
and Gené. Tarquini, Monteiro and Michel Jourdain will
stay with the petrol-powered SEAT León.
After Muller broke the TDI’s duck in Oschersleben,
expectations for Brands Hatch are high at SEAT. “We
should perform even better with the León TDI at Brands
Hatch than we did at Oschersleben, because the track should
suit the car better,” Muller explained. “I know
the circuit well, but we didn’t run in the dry with
the Yokohama tyres last year, so if it’s dry the first
challenge will be to find a good setup. But we go to the UK
with a lot of optimism and I am looking forward to it.”
GR ASIA CONFIRM SADREDINOV
18-year old Timur Sadredinov will stay with the GR Asia team
for the WTCC’s next two events at Brands Hatch and Monza.
The Russian youngster successfully completed his maiden WTCC
appearance three weeks ago in Oschersleben, at the wheel of
one of GR Asia’s three SEAT León cars. During
the first race on the German track, Sadredinov managed to
achieve an outstanding second place in the Independents’
Trophy behind Roberto Colciago; in Race 2 he scored more points
being classified 7th of the independents. 2
CORTHALS IN FOOTBALL CHARITY
WTCC independent driver Pierre-Yves Cortahls was part of the
All Star Belgium team that played against the Formula One
drivers in a charity football match last Wednesday in Brussels,
in front of a crowd of 12,000. Despite lining up famous athletes
like professional football players Jean-Marie Pfaff, Marc
Wilmots, Georges Grün, Ali Lukunku and Enzo Scifo, former
motorcycling world champion Didier de Radigues and motocross
world champion Stefan Everts, the Belgian team lost 8-1. The
match resulted in a great success on the charity side, raising
52,000 euros.
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