FIA WTCC newsletter 23
CHEVROLET FASTEST IN BRNO TEST
Chevrolet drivers set the fastest time in yesterday's official
test session at Brno.
Alain Menu topped the morning session, with a lap of 2:09.942,
while his team-mate Robert Huff was the fastest in the afternoon,
improving the best lap to 2:09.648.
The fastest times were much quicker than last year's pole
position - Félix Porteiro's 2:11:584 - which was mainly
due to the racetrack's new surface.
Huff and Menu were the only two drivers to break the 2:10
barrier. Gabriele Tarquini and Alessandro Zanardi emerged
as the fastest men for SEAT and BMW respectively. Tarquini
was third fastest (2:10.016) and Zanardi fourth fastest (2:10.244).
They were followed by Chevrolet's Nicola Larini (2:10.016)
and Porteiro (2:10.244), while James Thompson's Honda set
the seventh fastest lap (2:10.276).
Tom Coronel and Pierre-Yves Corthals were also impressive,
clocking the eighth and nineth fastest laps respectively (2:10.379
for Coronel and 2:10.465 for Corthals).
The test was disrupted five times by the red flag: the last
one towards the end of the afternoon session, when the engine
blew on Yvan Muller's SEAT.
WTCC CZECH RACE LAUNCHED YESTERDAY
The WTCC Race of the Czech Republic was launched yesterday
at the Automotodrom Brno.
Félix Porteiro, winner of last year's first race in
Brno attended the event, together with fellow competitors
James Thompson, Nicola Larini, Gabriele Tarquini, Jaap van
Lagen and Michal Matejovský.
The circuit's General Manager Ivana Ulmanová and KSO
General Manager Marcello Lotti addressed speeches to a large
media representative.
"I am very happy to welcome WTCC as the first international
event of the seson for our circuit. Since 2005 the WTCC is
our second most attended event of the year after the Moto
GP. The racetrack has a new surface, which was finished just
two months ago, and I hope the drivers will appreciate the
difference. I am also pleased that we have a Czech driver,
Michal Matejovský taking part in the races," said
Mrs Ulmanová.
PRIAULX AND ENGSTLER UNDER OBSERVATION
Like Pau, the WTCC Stewards will pay special attention to
Andy Priaulx and Franz Engstler's behaviour on the track.
In fact both drivers received a suspended ten-grid-position
drop after they were involved in different collisions during
the championship's previous race meeting at Valencia.
Priaulx had a clash with BMW fellow driver Augusto Farfus
at the start of the first race; his penalty was suspended
for two events: Pau and Brno.
Engstler collided with fellow Independent competitor Olivier
Tielemans during the second race; his penalty was suspended
for three events: Pau, Brno and Estoril.
LADA REMAIN NOT ELIGIBLE TO SCORE
The event in Brno is the last one in which the two LADA 110
cars of Viktor Shapovalov and Jaap van Lagen are not be eligible
to score championship points in Brno. The Russian cars failed
to pass the scrutineering in Valencia and Pau because the
intake and outlet ports of the cylinder head did not conform
to the homologation form. With the agreement of all the other
competitors, the Stewards decided to let them race as transparent
cars until the meeting at Brno.
However the team must introduce the needed changes so that
their cars comply before Estoril as no further derogations
will be conceded.
VISUAL ART CONTEST IN BRNO
Tomorrow an unusual panel of judges will gather in Brno to
elect the best design of a new decoration for the Chevrolet
Lacetti race car among various projects presented by young
European students. The chosen design will be declared winner
of the 2008 Visual Art "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!"
competition.
Students from 15 European countries have presented creative
projects to redecorate the Chevrolet Lacetti WTCC race car.
The author of the best design will be invited to a weekend
with the Chevrolet team where one of the three Lacetti racing
cars will sport the winning decoration!
The judges are: the President of the FIA Touring Car Commission
Jonathan Ashman and his wife, TV presenter Sian Lloyd; KSO
General Manager Marcello Lotti; Chevrolet Europe Executive
Director Wayne Brannon and visual art expert and graphic designer
Luca Dotti, the son of late actress Audrey Hepburn.
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