FIA WTCC Newsletter # 5 - 8 February 2008
FIRST TEST FOR THE N.TECHNOLOGY HONDA
N.technology concluded their first test towards the 2008
FIA WTCC in Valencia with James Thompson at the wheel of the
Honda Accord Euro R Super 2000.
"The car has a good base," said Thompson. "This
test was primarily used for the team and I to get to know
the car and that went well. We still have plenty of work to
do before our season starts but this was a starting point.
It's a work in progress!"
N.technology will be looking to carry on last year's end-of-season
form, which saw Thompson score more points in the second half
of the season than any other driver on his way to finish third
in the championship.
"This car is a totally different package from the Alfa
Romeo 156," added Thompson. "But the challenge is
similar in that we have to develop the car quickly to be competitive.
That's something N.technology are extremely good at though
and the Honda package as a starting point is good. We still
have work to do but as a first test, things went well. The
car has great potential."
BMW DRIVERS FACE BUSY DAYS
Busy days for the BMW drivers in view of the start of the
FIA WTCC season.
After they tested in Valencia, Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller,
Augusto Farfus and Félix Porteiro headed to Southern
Bavaria where they are taking part in a fitness camp. Their
sporting activities include cross country skiing, trekking,
climbing and even Zen meditation to improve their power of
concentration.
On Monday the four drivers will take part in a Media Day
at the BMW headquarters in Munich, where they will meet a
group of readers of daily newspapers and radio listeners.
Trained by the drivers in the use of the WTCC computer game,
the guets will face each other in the "Challenge the
Champions" competition that awards two invitations to
the first European WTCC event in Valencia.
After the Media Day, Priaulx, Müller, Farfus and Porteiro
will be given a tour of the BMW plant in Munich - together
with the BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen - and will
finish the day with a long autograph session at the plant.
MONTEIRO'S FIRST TEST IN THE DIESEL SEAT
Tiago Monteiro returned to the Estoril circuit for a day
of test with SEAT Sport. It was the first chance for the Portuguese
driver to drive the SEAT León TDI he will be using
in the FIA WTCC. Tiago's work was more intense in the afternoon,
when the track was dry. Therefore he was able to test new
shock absorbers that gave him some good sensations. At the
end of the day he was satisfied with the development and his
adaptation to the new car.
"The TDI is 80 kg heavier than the petrol-powered León
TFSI I drove last year and so the handling is very different,"
Monteiro said. "But we are on the right track and everything
indicates that our results are positive."
Tiago Monteiro's next test session with the SEAT León
TDI is planned at the Albacete circuit in Spain.
ROLL OUT FOR ENGSTLER MOTORSPORT
German team Engstler Motorsport had their first roll out
with the BMW 320si cars they will run in the 2008 FIA World
Touring Car Championship. In the past few weeks the team have
worked very hard to build the new cars and immediately after
finishing they headed to Hockenheim to shake them down.
Team manager Kurt Treml commented: "We have put so much
into this programme. It is a big challenge for the team and
now we have finally started on-track activities."
Team owner Franz Engstler, who tested alongside his Russian
team-mate Andrey Romanov, was impressed: "I won't forget
about this first roll out. We were all eager to see if everything
worked like it should and the whole team did a great job."
PIERRE-YVES CORTHALS STAYS WITH EXAGON
After having fought for the 2007 WTCC Independents' Trophy
crown, Belgian driver Pierre-Yves Corthals is now ready for
a second season with the Exagon Engineering team directed
by Luc Marchetti. Like last year Corthals will be at the wheel
of a SEAT León TFSI backed by SEAT Belgique and Monroe.
"I claimed three victories in 2007 and only a few mishaps,
especially some race incidents for which I was not responsible,
prevented me from doing better. Last year the team and I have
gained a lot of experience, and we definitely intend to benefit
from that to try and win the title," said Corthals.
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