HONDA in WTCC 2014

[tokyodream]

http://www.carscoops.com/2014/02/honda-releases-first-photos-of-its-2014.html

Honda Releases First Photos of its 2014 Civic WTCC Race Car



While Honda has chosen to race the Civic Tourer in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), the Japanese carmaker continues to approach the World Touring Car Championship in a more traditional way, choosing the Civic hatchback for the job.

Following the teaser rendering released late last year, Honda has now revealed the real 2014 Civic WTCC works car, albeit with camouflage gear. The first two images of the new Civic racer were taken earlier this year during its first test session in Aragon, Northern Spain.

The design of the new Civic WTCC reflects the latest technical regulations for the FIA WTCC and stands out because of the wheel arch extensions, larger diameter wheels, sleeker aero package and extended rear spoiler.

Under the banner of the “Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team”, Honda will enter two works cars in 2014, driven by Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro and run by J.A.S. Motorsport. Private outfits Zengő Motorsport and Proteam Racing will also compete for honors with two further Civics, driven by Hungary’s Norbert Michelisz and Moroccan Mehdi Bennani respectively.

Honda’s objectives for the 2014 WTCC season are clear: the carmaker wants to win both the manufacturer’s and the driver’s titles.

“We achieved four victories and captured the manufacturer’s title last season in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the WTCC, which was our first year of full-participation,” said Honda CEO Takanobu Ito. “In this season, we will strive to win the double title for driver’s and manufacturer’s with a total of four machines including a works team and two private teams,” the executive added.

[tokyodream]

HONDA UNVEILED CIVIC’S LIVERY

Honda unveiled the livery of its WTCC racer, earlier this week during the press conference that took place at Geneva’s Salon International de l’Automobile.

 
Just like last year, the Civic WTCC sports the colours of the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team, however the 2014 car has a much sexier look thanks to the new TC1 technical regulations that have been adopted by the championship.

Honda factory drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro were called on the stage and posed for pictures alongside their racing car.

Philip Ross, Vice President Honda Motor Europe said: “With the new cars the WTCC will be a fast-paced and fiercely competitive championship. And our goal is to fight for both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles.”

Donald Smith, Castrol's Global Sponsorship Manager, commenting on the new Civic WTCC said: "We are delighted to extend our partnership with Honda, after a first successful season. For us, there is something special about the coming together of two brands with such rich and successful racing pedigrees. The new livery looks absolutely fantastic, with Castrol and Honda once again sharing the red and the white!"

CIVIC: FROM WTCC TO THE TYPE R
The new Honda Civic Type R Concept was revealed today at the Geneva Motor Show.

Described by the design team as a ‘racing car for the road’ rather than a high performance version of a road car, the new Type R looks is set to be the most extreme Civic Type R yet. Its sleek and aerodynamic profile reflects a car designed for function and performance whilst maintaining the look of a road car and the distinctive character of Type R.

“The Type R represents Honda’s racing spirit. It is built with a passion for motorsport,” said Masaru Hasegawa – Chief Stylist.
Honda’s successful return to WTCC in 2013, has been instrumental in gathering knowledge that has helped shape the new Type R.

TV AUDIENCE INCREASED BY 9%
After achieving in 2012 the ambitious goal of exceeding the half-billion of viewers worldwide, the WTCC continued in 2013 to improve its TV audience figures.

According to the final report issued by REPUCOM, the Germany-based sports research firm, cumulated audience for the 2013 season totaled to 557 million viewers that equates to an 8.9% increase compared to the previous year.

In 2013, 111 TV channels broadcasted at least one of the WTCC events, reaching 188 countries worldwide and this amounted to 1176 hours of broadcasting hours, 8.7% more than in 2012.

http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-245006.html

[tokyodream]

http://www.motorsport.com/wtcc/news/honda-unleash-muscular-new-civic-to-take-on-fia-wtcc-2014/

Honda unleash 'Muscular' new Civic to take on FIA WTCC 2014
The FIA World Touring Car Championship 2014 starts on April 13th on the street circuit of Marrakech.

Following several thorough test sessions at the circuits of Aragon, Barcelona, Le Castellet and Valencia with the brand new Honda Civic WTCC, Honda R&D and J.A.S. Motorsport are ready for the start of the FIA WTCC 2014.

The FIA World Touring Car Championship 2014 starts on April 13th on the street circuit of Marrakech. The season ends on November 16th, with another street race in Macau. In total, the season boasts twelve events on five continents, with a total of 24 races.

The most important change is the new FIA technical rulebook, which is why the Civic WTCC now has impressive, muscular looks and a lot more power under the hood. J.A.S. Motorsport was tasked with building and developing the chassis, while Honda R&D managed to put a 380 bhp strong 1.6 litre 4 cylinder direct injection turbo-charged petrol engine in the Civic, with Mugen providing trackside support.


2013 saw the first full FIA WTCC season for the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team. The driver pairing of Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro scored three wins, and Honda conquered the Manufacturers' Title. As the saying goes, 'Never change a winning team', and that is why the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team Honda's official team - enters two Civics WTCC for Italian Gabriele Tarquini World Touring Car Champion in 2009 - and Tiago Monteiro from Portugal.

The official Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team will be pitted against two private teams. Hungarian Norbert Michelisz proved that he deserved his spot in the third, private Zengõ Motorsport Civic with a win last year in Suzuka. This year there will be a fourth Civic, entered by the Italian private Proteam Racing and will be in the capable hands of Moroccan Mehdi Bennani. J.A.S. Motorsport will build the cars to the same specifications as Honda's own Civic WTCC.

New Engine, New Car - Same Team Spirit

The new rules also brought more power by allowing the fitting of a larger diameter restrictor (33 mm to 36mm), and Honda R&D also took the opportunity to bring several evolutions for the 2014 version of the HR412-E.

Daisuke Horiuchi, Large Project Leader for WTCC engine development at Honda R&D said: "On top of having created a new casting for the block & sump, we also made great progress on the intake and combustion. After these first track tests, I am satisfied that the simulations we have carried on the test bench have been confirmed in real life on the track. Our only job is now to fine tune the engine management."

Commenting on the technical evolution of the Honda Civic WTCC 2014, Andrea Adamo, Chief Designer, J.A.S. Motorsport, said: "The new Civic WTCC does not have much in common with last year's Civic. Everything is new: the chassis, the engine, the suspension, the aerodynamic parts, even the size of the tyres has changed! Considering we started the project in September 2013 and were able to perform a shakedown of the new Civic WTCC in January 2014, our staff really have done an incredible job in a short amount of time."

Alessandro Mariani, Managing Director and Team Principal of J.A.S. Motorsport, said: "We are very proud that we can bring the new Civic WTCC 2014 at the start of what will be a very exciting FIA WTCC season. It has been hard work all through winter and the late rule changes did not make our lives any easier. We have set high aims, but the test sessions we completed show that we are moving in the right direction. The team spirit we've created will be essential to get us through this challenging campaign."

Honda Racing

=====================

Se anunta un an exeptional, asa cum trebuia sa fie de mult timp !!!

http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-246291.html

A STRONG FIELD OF 22 FULL SEASON ENTRIES

Twenty-two cars have been entered in the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship on a full season basis.
The largest contingent is formed by the sixteen of the new TC1 vehicles: four Honda Civics, three Citroën C-Elysées, three LADA Grantas and six Chevrolet RML Cruzes.

 
An additional Citroën, for Ma Qing Hua, will be entered for five events later in the season.

Six cars have been entered in the TC2 class by Liqui Moly Team Engstler (2 BMWs), Campos Racing (3 SEATs) and Nika Racing.

Team Engstler and Campos Racing are due to communicate their full line up of drivers in the next days, while Nika Racing will announce later the driver’s name and the model of the car they will run

Onyx Race Engineering informed the FIA that they have been forced to give up on their plan to compete in the championship in 2014.

In Short...

CITROËN SETS THE PACE IN OFFICIAL TEST

Citroën’s six-months of preparation for its first season in the WTCC resulted in a superior pace during the championship’s official test at Valencia.

Sébastien Loeb and his C-Elysée car set the pace yesterday on the Ricardo Tormo circuit, well ahead of the two factory Honda Civic cars of Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro.

The test was also the first occasion to see the brand new Chevrolet RML Cruze in action. Tom Chilton and Hugo Valente took the wheel of the cars run by ROAL Motorsport and Campos Racing respectively.

Despite an early problem with the mounting of the rear wing, that was soon solved by the teams with the help of the RML technicians, the Cruze impressed for speed and consistency considered that this was its very first test after last week’s shakedown.

It is worth noticing that the Citroën and Monteiro’s Honda were the first race cars built by the teams for the season. While Tarquini was still driving the Civic test car.

Yesterday Campos Racing young new comer John Filippi took also part in the test at the wheel of the TC2 SEAT León, while Citroën’s Ma Qing Hua tested on Thursday before handing the car to Loeb.

HONDA WORKS FLAT ON DEVELOPMENT

The Honda Castrol Team continued working flat on developing the new Honda Civic WTCC in TC1 specifications during a three-day test in Valencia.

This was only the second proper test for the Japanese car, built and run by J.A.S. Motorsport.

Commenting on the technical evolution of the car, Andrea Adamo, Chief Designer, J.A.S. Motorsport, said: “The new Civic WTCC does not have much in common with last year's Civic. Everything is new: the chassis, the engine, the suspension, the aerodynamic parts, even the size of the tyres has changed! Considering we started the project in September 2013 and were able to perform a shakedown of the new Civic WTCC in January 2014, our staff really have done an incredible job in a short amount of time.”

Speaking about the 1.6-litre turbo engine, Daisuke Horiuchi of Honda R&D said: “On top of having created a new casting for the block and sump, we also made great progress on the intake and combustion. After these first track tests, I am satisfied that the simulations we have carried on the test bench have been confirmed in real life on the track. Our only job is now to fine tune the engine management.”

Gabriele Tarquini added: “The Civic has become a nice racing car. As a driver I can only applaud such an evolution, because it is a lot of fun to drive this kind of racing car. I think I can safely say that I’ve never driven such a strong a front-wheel drive car before! The only time that I was at the wheel of a car that came close was in 2010 with a Civic in the Buenos Aires 200 Km for the Argentine TC 2000 Championship.”

VALENTE: THE RML CRUZE FEELS GREAT!

At the end of his first test in the Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 car run by Campos Racing, Hugo Valente was thrilled by the car’s potential.

“The first test was good. It was difficult to know what to expect, as RML had a very tight schedule to develop the car, but they did a great job as always! We had a few problems with the rear wing on Thursday, but it was fixed for good. Besides this we did not experience any major issue; the car was reliable, which is very positive for its first test. I am also pleased with the pace we have shown, we were only a few tenth behind the two Honda cars and for myself to be only one tenth of a second slower that Tom Chilton on my first day wasn't so bad either. He's more experienced with the Chevrolet and has claimed some great results last year! The car feels great! The new regulation really made an impact on the driving and it's much more fun now! I'm really excited for the season to begin, it's a great opportunity for us to be here and I want to enjoy every second of it!” the French driver commented.

TEEN-AGER FILIPPI JOINS CAMPOS RACING

Folllowing the announcement that he will compete in the 2014 WTCC for Campos Racing, 19-year old French John Filippi tested the team’s SEAT León at Valencia.

“I have weighed different options for starting a professional career. After making different tests I chose WTCC because I feel it represents the better opportunity. It is a competitive world championship that involves important manufacturers and famous drivers, and benefits from a global TV coverage. I know it will be a diffficult task, but my target is to gain experience during my first season. I am happy to join Campos Racing that is one of the most respected teams in the series. And they also have the experience for helping young drivers to grow up, as they proved with Pepe Oriola in the past,” Filippi said.

Oriola attended the Valencia test, acting as Filippi’s personal trainer. “I’m glad that the team trusts me and my talent for training the young drivers. This is a pride for me. I know the championship and I can transmit my experience to help the rookies,” Oriola said.

Campos Racing team manager Joan Orús commented: “Filippi has completed a good test and I really hope our test programme will make easier for him to adapt to touring cars competitions.”

TWO BMW CARS FOR TEAM ENGSTLER

The Liqui Moly Team Engstler has entered two BMW 320 TC cars for the full season in the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The first car will be driven as usual by team principal Franz Engstler, a WTCC regular since 2007. The German driver has taken the start in 140 races, claiming one overall victory at Oschersleben in 2011 when he was classified eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.

“We have currently a few negotiations ongoing for the second car and hope to unveil the name of Franz’s team-mate in the next days,” explained team manager Kurt Treml.

TOM CORONEL UNVEILS CAR’S LIVERY

Tom Coronel unveiled the livery of his Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 car he will drive in the 2014 WTCC for ROAL Motorsport.

The Italian team had the first test in Valencia with Tom Chilton’s sister car, while Coronel’s will be delivered in the next days.

“Off course it is unfortunate not being able to put the first miles on this week. Only days ago RML finished building the first two cars in TC1 specs and my chassis will probably not be ready before the end of next week. Beginning of April I will drive in a shake-down on the Adria track. After that the car will be transported to Morocco for the season’s opener. It’s a tight schedule, but there is no other option. I'm happy that I will at least compete in the WTCC this year, again with ROAL Motorsport and with the successor of the car that won the championship in the last four years. TC1 specs mean an increased output to 380 bhp, new technology, a better look and more aerodynamics. I would really like to thank my new sponsors for their support in making this happen!” said the Dutchman.

PaddockTalk Perspective

[tokyodream]

Aseara dupa 17.00, pe Eurosport, am vazut prima cursa si 3/4 din a doua de la Marrakech, CITROEN s-a distrat , in prima cursa, au luat primele 3 locuri, in a doua, primele 2:

RACE 1 – LÓPEZ LEADS A CITROËN TRIO

José María López took a triumphal victory for the Citroën Total WTCC team.

The Argentine crossed the line first ahead of team-mates Sébastien Loeb and Yvan Muller. The three C-Elisée cars led from lights to flag, creating a huge gap between them and the rest of the field.
Tom Chilton finished fourth, but only eight seconds behind; the Briton was followed by Borković, Monteiro and local hero Bennani.
Franz Engstler dominated the TC2T class from his team-mate Di Sabatino.

 

Key moments

Start – López takes perfect start ahead of Loeb, Muller, Chilton, Monteiro and Borković. Münnich cuts chicane and is penalized with a drive-through for jumping the start.
Lap 2 – Valente touches Bennani in turn 15 right ahead of Coronel. The Honda loses the rear bumper in the incident
Lap 4 – Borković attacks Monteiro at the braking of turn 15; in the contact Monteiro loses the rear bumber and fifth position.
Lap 5- The advantage of the Citroën trio reaches 7 seconds, with Loeb closing the gap on the leader, López.
Lap 6 – Huff in the pits (misfiring), Morbidelli passes Kozlovskiy for 12th. Loeb posts best lap time.
Lap 8 – Engstler leads comfortably in TC2T, ten seconds clear of Di Sabatino, with Filippi third.

Lap 9 – Coronel (front splitter) and Morbidelli (bodywork) in the pits.

Lap 11 – Valente jumps on the kerbs of the first chicane and loses a front dive plain.

Lap 12 – Münnich in the pits (bent steering).

Lap 13 – Bennani passes Michelisz for 7th in turn 5 and so does also Valente shortly after.
Lap 14 – Triple win for the Citroëns with López, Loeb and Müller in their WTCC debut.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/2909

================

RACE 2 – LOEB TAKES MAIDEN WTCC WIN

Sébastian Loeb took his maiden win in the WTCC in what was only his second start in this championship.

He beat team-mate and Race 1 winner José María López. López who is the first leader of the championship, thanks to the pole position points.
The race was marked by an accident at the start between polesetter Tom Coronel and local hero Mehdi Bennani. In the melee, the Citroën of Yvan Muller was also an innocent victim.
At the restart, the two C-Elysée cars took control of the proceedings, cruising to a 1-2 finishing. Hugo Valente took a brilliant first podium with the Campos Racing Chevrolet, ahead of Tom Chilton and Bennani, who completed a brilliant recover after paying a drive-through penalty. Mikhail Kozlovskiy, who scored a remarkable sixth for LADA and also his first WTCC points.
Franz Engstler encored his victory in the TC2T class, ahead of John Filippi who beat Pasquale Di Sabatino for second.

Key moments
Grid – Thompson (brakes problems), Michelisz (broken steering pump) and Huff (turbo failure) do not take the start.
Start – Coronel takes a better start from the pole, but Bennani holds on and the two collide before the first braking; the Chevrolet spins, hitts the wall and is collected Muller who had no way to avoid the collision. The race is suspended after a couple of laps behind the safety-car.
Restart – After another lap behind the safety-car, Bennani takes the lead while Loeb passes Monteiro. Münnich goes straight at first chicane after losing the front spoiler. Bennani loses the rear bumper in the back straight.
Lap 6 – Loeb takes the lead. Valente and Monteiro clash at turn 10. Münnich retires. At the end of the lap, Bennani serves the drive-through he was given for the accident at the start.
Lap 7 – López passes Valente for third and then Monteiro for second.
Lap 8 – Borković stops on the straight with a fire alert, while Valente passes Monteiro. The safety-car is deployed again to allow removing Borković’s car. Huff takes rejoins of the race from the pits.
Lap 9 – The race restarts, with Loeb ahead of López, Valente, Monteiro, Chilton, Kozlovskiy, Morbidelli and Bennani. Behind them Engstler leads the TC2T classes while Filippi and Di Sabatino fight for second.
Lap 10 – Bennani passes Morbidelli in turn 15. 
Lap 11 – Nice fight between Monteiro and Chilton for fourth, while Bennani passes Kozlovskiy.
Lap 12 – Chilton, Monteiro and Bennani continue to fight, with the Moroccan passing the Portuguese in turn 5. Monteiro’s car is losing bodywork pieces.
Lap 14 – López closes on Loeb, while Monteiro slows down with a flat tyre.
Lap 16 – Chilton passes Bennani but somehow cutting the first chicane and giving back the position. Loeb takes win ahead of López, while Chilton pips Bennani right on the finish line for fourth.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/2913

============

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 48 pt.
    2. FRA LOEB Sébastien 47 pt.
    3. GBR CHILTON Tom 27 pt.
    4. FRA VALENTE Hugo 19 pt.
    5. FRA MULLER Yvan 17 pt.
    6. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 11 pt.
    7. RUS KOZLOVSKIY Mikhail 10 pt.
    8. SRB BORKOVIĆ Dušan 9 pt.
    9. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 8 pt.
    10. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 6 pt.

Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 95 pt.
    2. Honda 44 pt.
    3. LADA 34 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 23 pt.
    2. FRA FILIPPI John 14 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 14 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. Campos Racing 27 pt.
    2. ROAL Motorsport 18 pt.
    3. Liqui Moly Team Engstler 13 pt.

===============

este un regulament nou, multi spun ca vine ca o manusa celor de la Citroen, care au avut 1 an sa dezvolte masina........s-a vazut in linii drepte cum treceau de Honde si Chevrolet............ motoare in jur e 400 CP......... ideea este ca nu toti au masinile gata pentru anul asta............ sa vedem Seat si BMW cand le scot pentru curse........... se anunta un an super-tare.

Culmea, chiar si LADA se misca destul de bine............. sa vedem pe circuite virajate ce-o sa fie, aici, cu linii drepte, C-Elysee-ul a fost la putere!

[tokyodream]

Etapa a II-a, Le Castellet :

RACE 1 – MULLER’S FIRST WIN WITH CITROËN

Yvan Muller took his first personal win for Citroën after dominating Race 1 at the Paul Ricard.

The reigning champion, who had inherited pole position after technical scrutineering yesterday, did not have the best of starts but took the lead in lap 3 after passing Michelisz and Tarquini and flew away to the chequered flag.
Sébastien Loeb completed Citroën’s 1-2 after storming throughout the field from the last row in the grid. Honda took its first podium of the season, thanks to a great race by Gabriele Tarquini, who came ahead of Pechito López and a very inspired Rob Huff, who took fifth for LADA after a great race.
In the TC2T class, Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Franz Engstler and Pasquale Di Sabatino signed another 1-2.
 

Key moments
Start – Tarquini takes a perfect start ahead of Michelisz, Mulller, Valente, Huff and Borković.
Lap 1 – Muller passes Michelisz for second, while there is a contact between Loeb (already 7th) and López; Loeb has another contact with Morbidelli as he takes 6th.
Lap 3 – Muller passes Tarquini at first corner and takes the lead.
Lap 4 – Loeb passes Huff and Valente and climbs to 6th
Lap 5 – Huff passes Valente for 7th
Lap 6 – Loeb (who has fastest lap in 1.44.389) takes third from Michelisz.
Lap 7 – López passes Huff at the chicane after a short duel
Lap 8 – Muller leads with 4.5 seconds on Tarquini and posts fastest lap (1.43.801).
Lap 11 – López passes Michelisz in turn 2 after a contact that puts both cars sideways.
Lap 12 – Loeb is attacking repeatedly Tarquini for second but the Italian resists.
Lap 14 – Loeb eventually manages to outpower Tarquini, while Michelisz, Huff and Valente fight fiercely for 5th with the Brit brilliantly taking the advantage.
Lap 16 – Valente also passes Michelisz for 6th

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3004

============

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3012

RACE 2 – LÓPEZ RECOVERS TO VICTORY

José María López took his second win of the season in a lively Race 2 at the Paul Ricard, marked by two safety-car periods.

The Argentine preceded his team mate Yvan Muller, winner of Race 1, in another 1-2 win for Citroën after the C-Elysées bent the resilience of the Honda of Tiago Monteiro, who led for most of the race. The Portuguese offered to Honda its second consecutive podium finish.
Tarquini, Bennani and Loeb completed the top 6. The Frenchman had a more difficult Race 2 after an early contact with Muller and hitting the chicane tires later on.
Franz Engstler won again the TC2 race despite being hit by Filippi at mid-race.
 

Key moments
Start – Monteiro takes a great start and takes the lead ahead of Bennani, Münnich, Tarquini and Borković.
Lap 1 – Chilton pushes Morbidelli into a spin and Muller is also involved.
Lap 2 – Chilton is passed by López and Muller who slams the door on Loeb; the two tangle.
Lap 4 – Valente fights with Chilton and Michelisz for tenth
Lap 5 – Monteiro leads from Tarquini who has passed Bennani.
Lap 6 – López and Muller pass Tarquini after a small mistake of the Italian.
Lap 7 – Loeb hits the tire pile at the chicane, prompting the exit of the safety-car.
Lap 8 – Chilton is given a drive-through for the incident at the start.
Lap 9 – At the restart, Monteiro keeps the advantage on López and Muller; but it’s safety-car again, as Filippi T-bones Engstler at turn 1.
Lap 14 – The race restarts and López and Muller outpower Monteiro; Borković and Loeb pass Valente
Lap 16 – Loeb moves up to fifth Bennani ahead of Borković
Lap 17 - Loeb passes Bennani for fourth
Lap 18 - López wins from Muller; Michelisz and Morbidelli pip Valente and Huff for 8th and 9th
Lap 18 – Engstler retakes TC2T lead from Di Sabatino.

===============

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 85 pt.
    2. FRA LOEB Sébastien 73 pt.
    3. FRA MULLER Yvan 65 pt.
    4. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 31 pt.
    5. FRA VALENTE Hugo 31 pt.
    6. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 30 pt.
    7. GBR CHILTON Tom 30 pt.
    8. MAR BENNANI Mehdi 16 pt.
    9. SRB BORKOVIĆ Dušan 15 pt.
    10. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 14 pt.

Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 186 pt.
    2. Honda 103 pt.
    3. LADA 75 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 45 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 30 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 21 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. Campos Racing 51 pt.
    2. ROAL Motorsport 26 pt.
    3. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 24 pt.

============

Din pacate am vazut 3-4 tururi din mansa 2, HONDA se tinea bine pe viraje, dar in continuare, in linie dreapta, nu-i facea fata lui Citroen - posibil sa fie ceva diferenta de CP intre cele 2 motoare..........

[tokyodream]

Etapa 3 , Hungaroring, 4 mai:

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3088/t/THEY-SAID%E2%80%A6-THEY-SAID%E2%80%A6

THEY SAID… THEY SAID…

Quotes from Race 1 podium finishers at Hungaroring

Yvan Muller: “This is a track where we all know it’s difficult to overtake, so having a good start was key to the outcome of the race. In the beginning I pushed hard to create a gap over José María (López), so from the moment I had roughly 1.8 seconds in hand I slowed down a bit and controlled my lead. I was very pleased with car in the first race, as it was important for me to score as many points as possible here and at the previous round in France to compensate for the zero-score in the second race in Marrakech.”

José María López: “I’m still a bit surprised to still be leading the championship standings after six races. The reason I didn’t win in the first race is because Yvan made the difference in qualifying. He’s probably the most complete driver in the WTCC and he doesn’t make any errors, so second in Race 1 was good enough for me.”

Tiago Monteiro: “I’m very happy and proud of the team for the work they’ve done this weekend. We’ve been playing catch-up so far this season, but today’s result shows that every little thing we can find helps make the Civic go faster.”

=============

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3089/t/THEY-SAID%E2%80%A6-THEY-SAID%E2%80%A6

Quotes from Race 2 podium finishers at Hungaroring

Gianni Morbidelli: “My victory may have looked easy from the outside, but I can tell you it wasn’t. After my brake issues yesterday in practice, I never thought to be able to win here. I half expected to see the Citroën cars arrive in my rear-view mirrors at some point, but they didn’t. Instead I had to fight hard to keep Tiago (Monteiro) at bay all 14 laps, but fortunately I had a near-perfect race and made no mistakes. Of course it also helped me that it is difficult to overtake here. I was faster in some corners and Tiago was a bit quicker on other parts of the track. I would like to dedicate this victory to the Münnich Motorsport team, as they have worked very, very hard to get where we are today.”

Tiago Monteiro: “I pushed Gianni (Morbidelli) hard throughout the entire race but he didn’t make any mistakes. Only on the last lap did he brake a bit late going into the chicane, we touched but I lifted as I didn’t want to pass him like that. This then allowed Hugo (Valente) to close in on us, but in the end all was well.”

Hugo Valente: “The start was crucial to my race. Gianni (Morbidelli) had a better start and Tiago (Monteiro) surprised me, so I took Turn 1 in third position. They had good scrap all race long, but I just couldn’t get closer. On the last lap, I tried to profit from Gianni braking late at the chicane, but both kept their cars on the black stuff. All in all, a good weekend with a second WTCC podium finish.”

==============

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 115 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 105 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 84 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 65 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 48 pt.
    6. FRA VALENTE Hugo 47 pt.
    7. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 37 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 36 pt.
    9. MAR BENNANI Mehdi 26 pt.
    10. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 23 pt.

Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 271 pt.
    2. Honda 172 pt.
    3. LADA 112 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 65 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 49 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 33 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. Campos Racing 69 pt.
    2. ROAL Motorsport 45 pt.
    3. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 41 pt.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/

[tokyodream]

Slovakia Ring , 11 mai:

RACE 1 – LOEB WINS SOAKED RACE

Sébastien Loeb took his second WTCC win in a dramatic Race 1 at the Slovakia Ring that had to be neutralized with the safety-car in lap 7 because of the heavy rain and was red-flagged two laps later.

The Frenchman benefitted from an excellent start from P2 on the grid to overtake team-mate and poleman José María López.
A faultless race by the two, despite the conditions, gave Citroën another 1-2. Third was Norbert Michelisz (Honda) ahead of the Chevrolet RML cars of Coronel, Chilton and Morbidelli, with the Honda cars of Monteiro and Tarquini right behind.
Rob Huff took the points of ninth for LADA and Yvan Muller finished tenth after having to serve a drive-through for jump start.
In his first real WTCC appearance, Petr Fulín (Campos Racing) imposed his SEAT among TC2 cars, after John Filippi went into the gravel during the safety-car period.

 

Key moments
Formation lap - Kozlovskiy experiences an oil leak and pits; it will not start
Start – Loeb kicks off better and takes the lead ahead of López, Michelisz, Muller (who will get a drive-through for jumping the start), Chilton, Coronel, Morbidelli and Huff.
Lap 1 – Engstler and Thompson go out at turn 1 but continue.
Lap 3 – Muller serves the drive-through and rejoins 14th. Borković goes side-ways at turn 6 and Bennani goes wide to avoid him.
Lap 4 – Fulín passes Di sabatino and takes the lead in TC2. Borković is again off at T6 with some body damage in the rear left.
Lap 5 – López is now getting closer to Loeb; Muller passes Bennani for 13th. Coronel passes Chilton for 4th after a short fight. Filippi passes Di Sabatino for 2nd in TC2 and shortly after takes the lead from Fulín. Also Engstler passes Di Sabatino.
Lap 6 – Valente is suffering aquaplaning on the straight. Huff attacks Tarquini for 8th.
Lap 7 – As rain increases, the safety-car is deployed.
Lap 8 – Filippi stops in the pits after an excursion into the gravel.
Lap 9 – The race is red-flagged and will not resume.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3156



RACE 2 CANCELLED DUE TO HEAVY RAIN

The second WTCC race at the Slovakia Ring has been cancelled due to heavy rain.

The adverse weather conditions had already forced the race control to shorten the first race after eight laps out of eleven for safety reasons.

This was enough to reach 75% of the planned distance and award full points for the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships.

This is the first time a WTCC race is cancelled since the championship was revived in 2005.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3164


Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 138 pt.
    2. FRA LOEB Sébastien 113 pt.
    3. FRA MULLER Yvan 109 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 71 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 52 pt.
    6. FRA VALENTE Hugo 47 pt.
    7. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 46 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 46 pt.
    9. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 40 pt.
    10. NLD CORONEL Tom 28 pt.



Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 323 pt.
    2. Honda 204 pt.
    3. LADA 131 pt.


Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 75 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 55 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 38 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. Campos Racing 76 pt.
    2. ROAL Motorsport 59 pt.
    3. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 48 pt.

[tokyodream]

Salzburgring 25 mai:

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3222

RACE 1 – MULLER WINS FROM HEROIC CORONEL

Yvan Muller took a beautiful win in Race 1 under the sun at the Salzburgring.

The Frenchman made good use of the pole to carry on his race almost undisturbed. The man of the race, though, was Tom Coronel, as the Dutchman conquered a brilliant second position at the wheel of his ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet RML, after battling with Loeb and later López.
The Argentine was in second when he missed the braking point at the first chicane in lap 8. He rejoined behind Coronel and attacked him fiercely but the Dutchman made a flawless defense of the runner-up position.
Behind the podium trio, the race was close but positions changed little, with Loeb taking fourth ahead of Monteiro, Chilton, Bennani, Tarquini, Michelisz, Morbidelli, Münnich and the three LADA cars.
Franz Engstler dominated again the TC2T race, with John Filippi taking second this time in the Campos Racing SEAT and Di Sabatino completing the podium.

Key moments
Grid – The last-minute surprise is to see Valente on the grid, after Campos Racing worked all night to repair his following yesterday’s crash.
Start – Muller takes the lead despite a very good start of Loeb, who is passed by Coronel at the chicane and soon after by López.
Lap 1 – López takes second from Coronel. Muller leads from López and Coronel, then Loeb, Monteiro and Chilton.
Lap 2 – López chases Muller. Valente and Borković stop at the pits.
Lap 3 – Borković rejoins the race.
Lap 5 – Very stable race with the two leading Citroën cars a couple of seconds ahead of a very compact group. Tarquini passes Michelisz for 8th. In TC2, Engstler leads from Filippi and Di Sabatino.
Lap 8 – López goes straight at first chicane and loses second to Coronel.
Lap 9 – Duel between Coronel and López with slight contact in the high speed section. Münnich passes Thompson for 12th.
Lap 10 – Münnich passes also Huff for 11th.
Lap 13 – Focus is on the fight for second between Coronel and López.

Lap 15 – Nothing to do for López who his kept at bay by Coronel, while Muller wins. 

===========

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3230

RACE 2 – LÓPEZ BEATS A HONDA TRIO

Citroën continued to reign despite four Honda cars were starting from the first two rows.

The success of José María López was partly facilitated by the two safety-car periods occurred. The first one on lap 1 after a collision at the start put out of contention the Citroën of Muller and the LADA cars of Huff and Thompson in the role of innocent victims. A few yards later, another clash, between Chilton and Borković, further justified the suspension of the race.
At the restart, López passed three Honda cars in a sequence and was attacking Tarquini when the safety-car got in again, to allow cleaning of the track. That made relatively easy for the Argentine to take the lead and win, ahead of a trio of Honda cars (Tarquini, Monteiro, Michelisz) and the Chevrolet cars of Coronel and Morbidelli. Loeb was 7th and Kozlovskiy took one point for LADA.
In TC2, same scenario as in Race 1, with Engstler winning from Filippi and Di Sabatino. 

Key moments
Start – Excellent start of Tarquini who takes the lead ahead of Monteiro, Michelisz and Bennani, but behind it’s chaos, as Muller trying to pass López, ends on the grass on the left side of the straight. When getting back onto the tarmac he touches Thompson who goes sideways hitting Huff. Both LADA cars spin in the middle of the group and hit the barriers. In another accident shortly afterwards, Borković and Chilton are both put of contention.
Re-start – Muller does not make the grid as his car is too damaged.
Lap 3 – Tarquini leads ahead of Monteiro, Michelisz, Bennani, López, Coronel and Loeb.
Lap 5 – López passes Bennani for fourth.
Lap 6 – López passes Michelisz for third while Coronel takes fifth from Bennani and Morbidelli passes Loeb for 7th.
Lap 7 – López starts attacking Monteiro, who tries to resist and protect Tarquini’s leadership.
Lap 8 – López takes second from Monteiro in the long back straight while Morbidelli takes 6th from Bennani.
Lap 9 – Bennani concedes 7th to Loeb.
Lap 10 – Münnich misses the first chicane taking a lot of gravel.
Lap 11 – Big fight between Coronel and Morbidelli, side by side in turn 5. Safety car is deployed again to clean the gravel on the track.
Lap 13 – Re-start with Tarquini keeping the advantage and López attacking. The Argentine uses the slipstreaming to pass in the back straight.
Lap 17 – López wins ahead of Tarquini and Monteiro.

================

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 179 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 138 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 134 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 96 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 74 pt.
    6. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 60 pt.
    7. NLD CORONEL Tom 58 pt.
    8. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 54 pt.
    9. GBR CHILTON Tom 54 pt.
    10. FRA VALENTE Hugo 47 pt.


Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 412 pt.
    2. Honda 269 pt.
    3. LADA 136 pt.


Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 98 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 69 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 52 pt.


Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 85 pt.
    2. Campos Racing 78 pt.
    3. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 65 pt.

[tokyodream]

Moscova, 8 iunie:

RACE 1 – LOPEZ SCORES FOURTH WIN

José Maria López scored a commanding win in the first of the two Russian rounds of the FIA WTCC.

The Argentine came briefly under attack from Gabriele Tarquini at the start of the race, but a misunderstanding between Monteiro and Tarquini that resulted in a slight contact gave him the necessary room to take a defining lead already after just one corner.
Sébastien Loeb finished in third, just 0.2 seconds behind the Honda of Tarquini, while reigning world champion Yvan Muller managed to take fourth place from Tom Chilton on the final lap.
Citroën’s newcomer Ma Qing Hua scored his first WTCC points by finishing in sixth, while Rob Huff claimed a tenth place for LADA.
In the TC2T Franz Engstler scored yet another win ahead of his team mate Pasquale di Sabatino

 

Key moments
Start – Tarquini tries to take advantage at the start but gets hit by Monteiro and loses the momentum, giving López a clean escape. Loeb moves up to third.
Lap 1 – Huff passes the Chevrolet cars of Borković and Valente to take 11th place. Muller moves up to fourth.
Lap 2 – Tarquini comes under attack from Loeb for 2nd place. Borković misses his braking point at the end of the long straight and takes off his team mate Valente. Both cars are out of the race.
Lap 3 – Ma passes Michelisz for 7th, while Huff passes Bennani for 10th.
Lap 4 – Monteiro and Muller run wide on the exit of Turn 15, handing 4th place to Chilton. Monteiro drops to 7th behind Muller and Ma.
Lap 5 – A nice fight for 8th place develops between Michelisz, Coronel, Huff and Bennani.
Lap 7 – Nothing changes at the front. López leads by two seconds from Tarquini and Loeb.
Lap 8 – Coronel passes Michelisz for 8th on the start/finish straight. In TC2T the two Engstler BMW cars are in the lead. In turn 15, Misiulia misses his braking point and crashes out from third in the class.
Lap 16 – Muller passes Chilton for 4th in turn 1. López scores his fourth win of the season.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3275

=============

RACE 2 – MA WRITES MOTORSPORT HISTORY

Ma Qing Hua, driving a fourth works Citroën car, wrote history today by becoming the first-ever Chinese driver to win a race of an FIA World Championship.

On the opposite end of the scale of happiness, WTCC points leader José Maria López stalled on the grid and retired; the first time this season the Argentine driver does not score any points. The works Honda cars, too, had a race to forget with both Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro retiring for technical reasons while fighting for podium positions.
Honda privateer Mehdi Bennani saved the day for the Japanese manufacturer by finishing in third. Franz Engstler encored his victory in the TC2T class.

 

Key moments
Grid – Pole sitter Valente’s car is not resting on its wheels at the 5-minute board, which means he will get a drive-through penalty.
Lap 1 – Ma misses his start and drops to 3rd behind Michelisz. Valente leads. López stalls on the grid and retires. Muller tries to make up ground but goes off after being hit from behind and rejoins in 9th.
Lap 2 – Ma and Michelisz fight a hard fight for 2nd. Huff and Kozlovskiy make contact and the Russian driver retires.
Lap 4 – Ma and Michelisz keep fighting hard, potentially for the lead as Valente still has to take his penalty. Loeb runs wide exiting Turn 1 and loses a place to Muller.
Lap 5 – The three Honda cars of Bennani, Tarquini and Monteiro and the Chevrolet of Chilton run nose to tail in 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th. Monteiro pushes Chilton and moves up a place.
Lap 6 – Muller passes Bennani and Monteiro going into Turn 2.
Lap 7 – Valente takes his penalty as Ma takes the lead. Morbidelli and Loeb swap paints on the front straight. Tarquini retires with a power steering problem.
Lap 8 – Muller takes 2nd from Michelisz at the end of the straight. Valente takes 10th from Münnich.
Lap 10 – Just 1.2 seconds cover Monteiro, Bennani, Coronel and Loeb in 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th.
Lap 11 – Huff retires, while Borković passes Thompson for 13th.
Lap 12 – Monteiro retires on the track.
Lap 14 – Loeb comes under attack from Chilton for 6th.
Lap 16 – Coronel hits Michelisz which allows Benanni to take 3rd. Coronel is 4th. Loeb and Chilton pass Michelisz in the last corner. Ma wins the race ahead of Muller.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3277

======

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 209 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 168 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 161 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 105 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 96 pt.
    6. NLD CORONEL Tom 74 pt.
    7. GBR CHILTON Tom 73 pt.
    8. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 64 pt.
    9. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 62 pt.
    10. MAR BENNANI Mehdi 51 pt.

Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 502 pt.
    2. Honda 333 pt.
    3. LADA 165 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 121 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 85 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 64 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 117 pt.
    2. Campos Racing 82 pt.
    3. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 78 pt.

[tokyodream]

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3347

RACE 1 – LIGHTS TO FLAG WIN FOR MULLER

Yvan Muller took another commanding win in the first of the Spa races today.

He beat team mates Loeb and López to the La Source hairpin at the start and never quite looked back. The only change in position at the front came when López outbraked Loeb at the end of the straight on the final lap.
With three Citroën cars filling the podium, Morbidelli led home the rest of the field ahead of Coronel, who passed works Honda driver Monteiro on the finish line. Franz Engstler, as usual, won the TC2T class from Filippi and newcomer Nagy.

 

Key moments
Grid – The car of Dušan Borković develops an oil leak on the grid. The team had changed the engine overnight and the Serbian driver thus has to start the race from the back of the grid.
Start – The Citroën cars make a clean escape while Tarquini and Valente clash entering Eau Rouge. The Honda driver loses quite a few places and drops to eighth.
Lap 1 – Huff spins in the Pif-Paf while running tenth and drops to 21st.
Lap 2 – Borković, who started last, passes Ma for 11th at the end of the Combes straight.
Lap 3 – López chases Loeb for second down the Combes straight. Filippi passes Di Sabatino for second in the TC2T class. Valente (fourth) and Bennani (tenth) are given a drive-through penalty for running wide on the opening laps. López passes Loeb in the chicane, but the rally champion retakes his position at the Source hairpin.
Lap 4 – Bennani takes his drive-through penalty.
Lap 5 – Valente takes his drive-through penalty.
Lap 6 – Borković, Ma and Chilton fight a hard battle for tenth. Bennani passes Huff for 15th.
Lap 9 – López outbrakes Loeb at the end of the Combes straight and takes second place.
Lap 9 – Muller takes another commanding win ahead of Lopez and Loeb. Morbidelli hangs on to fourth ahead of Coronel and Monteiro, the Dutchman beating the Portuguese for fifth by just centimetres.



http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3350

RACE 2 – LÓPEZ RECOVERS TO VICTORY

There was no stopping WTCC points leader José María López in the 14th round of this year’s championship.

The Argentine driver used the superior speed of his Citroën C-Elysée to pick off his opponents one by one, usually hunting them down at speed through the back straight and the Blanchimont corners before going for the kill in the braking zone for the Bus Stop chicane.
Only Chevrolet privateer Tom Coronel, who had led from the start, resisted Lopez initially before being demoted anyway on the Raidillon.
Yvan Muller brought his Citroën home in second, while Coronel still salvaged a second podium finish of the season from Tiago Monteiro and Sébastien Loeb.
Franz Engstler scored his 11th win from 13 starts in TC2.

 

Key moments
Start – Coronel makes a blitz start and leads the field through La Source and up the Raidillon. Valente and López swap paint at the end of Les Combes straight.
Lap 1 – Coronel leads from Morbidelli and the Honda cars of Monteiro and Tarquini. Front row starter Bennani has dropped to tenth. Monteiro passes Morbidelli entering the chicane.
Lap 2 – Michelisz passes Tarquini for fourth. López passes Tarquini for fifth and Michelisz for fourth.
Lap 3 – Muller passes Tarquini for sixth on top of the Raidillon. Chilton passes Bennani for 11th. López passes Morbidelli for third entering the chicane. Muller passes Michelisz for fifth.
Lap 4 – Loeb passes Tarquini and Valente and runs in seventh. López passes Monteiro entering the chicane and takes second.
Lap 5 – Muller passes Morbidelli for fourth. Ma pits and retires.
Lap 6 – Borković retires. López hunts down Coronel but the Dutchman resists a first attempt at the chicane.
Lap 7 – López does what nobody normally does and passes Coronel entering the Raidillon uphill sweep. Muller passes Monteiro for third and Loeb passes Morbidelli for fifth. Muller then passes Coronel in the chicane and takes second.
Lap 9 – López scores his fifth win of the season ahead of Muller. Coronel takes his second podium finish. Franz Engstler scores yet another win in TC2.


Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 255 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 216 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 190 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 125 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 105 pt.
    6. NLD CORONEL Tom 99 pt.
    7. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 84 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 75 pt.
    9. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 74 pt.
    10. FRA VALENTE Hugo 53 pt.


Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 597 pt.
    2. Honda 392 pt.
    3. LADA 202 pt.


Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 144 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 98 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 77 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 143 pt.
    2. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 99 pt.
    3. Campos Racing 95 pt.

[tokyodream]

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3477

RACE 1 – LÓPEZ, PROPHET AT HOME

Pechito López delivered what the thousands of his fans standing under the sun at Termas expected from him.

The Argentine took an authoritative success in Race 1, leading from lights to flag after an impeccable start from the pole. An excellent start of Michelisz and Monteiro gave some emotion to the first phases, but soon the Citroën cars of the two Frenchmen repassed the Honda. The other hero of the day was Norbert Michelisz, who perfectly kept his second position showing consistent pace and managing to keep Muller, Loeb and Monteiro at bay.
Tom Chilton finished 6th and best-placed of the Chevrolet RML cars, while another noticeable fact of the race was that two LADA cars finished in the points. Rob Huff took an excellent 7th, after a consistent race, just ahead of Tarquini, and James Thompson stole tenth in the last corner from Tom Coronel. Franz Engstler won again in TC2 ahead of John Filippi.

Key moments
Start – Loeb and Muller have a relatively poor start, which allows Michelisz and Monteiro to pass them, while López has a perfect kick-off.
Lap 1 – The fight is between Monteiro, who cannot keep at bay Muller and Loeb and starts nice fight with Séb for fourth. Valente goes wide on the grass after a contact with Kozlovskiy who hardly avoids spinning.
Lap 2 – It’s Lopez leading ahead of Michelisz, Muller, Loeb, Monteiro, Chilton, Huff and Tarquini.
Lap 4 – Nice fight between Coronel and Borković for tenth, with the two passing each other. It’s all good for Thompson and Morbidelli who both pass the Serbian.
Lap 5 – Valente stops in the pits with some issue following the incident on lap 2.
Lap 7 – Michelisz has very good pace and is only 2.5 seconds behind López, while Monteiro and Chilton seem to be closing on Loeb (4th)
Lap 9 – Borković pits with a punctured left rear tire; Echevarría pits as well from third in TC2T class behind Engstler and Filippi.
Lap 12 – Muller is closing in on Michelisz for second, but is not in a real position to attack him.
Lap 13 – López wins comfortably ahead of Michelisz, Muller, Loeb and Monteiro, Chilton, Huff, Tarquini and Bennani, while Thompson pips Coronel for tenth in the last corner.

===========

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3482

2014_news_213
03 August 2014 22:09 RACE 2 – LÓPEZ DOES IT AGAIN

José María López left no doubts about who the hero was at Termas de Río Hondo.

The Argentine rounded the weekend by winning also a very lively Race 2. He had to fight to extricate himself from the group and took the lead in lap 9 from Rob Huff, who was the other hero of the day. The Briton managed to have his LADA in the lead for eight laps and eventually was only second to López.
It is the first time that a car of the Russian maker leads a WTCC race and finishes on the podium. The team completed the excellent day with another points finish by Thompson (10th).
Yvan Muller was third, just like in Race 1, overtaking the Honda cars of Tarquini and Monteiro, while Franz Engstler and Camilo Echevarría made it a 1-2 in the TC2T class for the Liqui Moly-livered BMW cars.

Key moments
Start – Great start for poleman Huff who precedes Bennani, Tarquini, Monteiro and Valente.
Lap 1 – There is great fight in the group, with Muller and Loeb touching each other, López duels with Coronel who runs wide in the grass. Morbidelli touches Thompson who goes sideways at the hairpin.
Lap 2 – López emerges first of the Citroen cars but makes a mistake and is passed by Chilton and Valente. The young Frenchman though cannot resist to López, Loeb, Muller and Michelisz.
Lap 3 – Huff is still in the lead, ahead of Bennani, Tarquini, Monteiro, Chilton, López, Muller and Michelisz.
Lap 5 – Bennani slides down as he is passed by Tarquini, Monteiro and Chilton, and shortly afterwards by López, who passes Chilton too.
Lap 6 – López passes Monteiro for third, while Huff is still in the lead with excellent pace, followed by Tarquini.
Lap 7 – López is second after Tarquini makes a small mistake at the hairpin. Muller passes Chilton for fifth after a tough fight.
Lap 8 – López charges on Huff, whose lead is now 1.1 seconds. Chilton and Loeb make contact. Morbidelli is given a drive through for the incident with Thompson on the first lap.
Lap 9 – López passes Huff at the end of the back straight and takes the lead.
Lap 10 – Chilton stops on the side of the track. Big battle for fourth between Muller and Monteiro, with the French emerging.
Lap 12 – Muller takes third from Tarquini.
Lap 13 – López wins ahead of Huff and Muller.

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 310 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 250 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 213 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 146 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 121 pt.
    6. NLD CORONEL Tom 100 pt.
    7. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 100 pt.
    8. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 84 pt.
    9. GBR CHILTON Tom 83 pt.
    10. MAR BENNANI Mehdi 57 pt.

Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 686 pt.
    2. Honda 449 pt.
    3. LADA 247 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 167 pt.
    2. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 98 pt.
    3. FRA FILIPPI John 93 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 162 pt.
    2. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 115 pt.
    3. Zengő Motorsport 98 pt.

[tokyodream]

Beijing 2014:

Race 1 – Chilton from lights to flag

“Absolutely fabulous!” Tom Chilton had the right words to describe his sensational win in Race 1 at Beijing.

The Brit had surprised everybody taking the pole in the morning and was simply unapproachable during the race. A long safety-car period as from lap 3, caused by an accident between Borković and Münnich, which provisionally cancelled Chilton’s 4-second advantage, didn’t impact at all on the his composure.
Yvan Muller and championship leader José María López completed the podium for Citroën, with the Frenchman securing second as from the start when he passed Tarquini. The Italian lost third in the closing laps, falling as an indirect victim of Ma’s off-track. The race of the local Chinese star ended when he went wide and hit the tire wall. Franz Engstler won once again among TC2 contenders.


Key moments
Start – Chilton takes perfect start, while Muller passes Tarquini for second; Ma passes various cars on the outside
Lap 1 – Chilton leads by 2 seconds ahead of Muller, Tarquini, López, Loeb and Michelisz
Lap 3 – There is contact between Münnich and Borković in the back straight, with both cars hitting the wall. The safety-car is deployed
Lap 11 – At the restart, Chilton pulls away ahead an orderly group
Lap 12 – Morbidelli and Michelisz pass Loeb for fifth and sixth; Ma is 9th after overtaking Huff
Lap 14 – Monteiro (11th) stops in the pits, after being hit by another car

Lap 16 – Chilton leads with 4.7 seconds ahead of Muller, Tarquini, López, Morbidelli, Michelisz and Loeb
Lap 17 – Ma passes Thompson for 8th
Lap 23 – Ma goes wide off-track between turns 10 and 11 and loses three positions; the Citroën hits a stack of tyres that bounces back on the track and is collected by Coronel.
Lap 24 – Also Tarquini stops in the pits, after running on some debris
Lap 28 – Chilton wins ahead of Muller and López, while Valente drops out of the points with a flat front right tyre


Race 2 – Lada and Huff take the power!

LADA made history by taking its first ever win in the FIA WTCC.

And there were a lot of red flags waving this afternoon at Goldenport Park to celebrate a much-awaited moment.
It happened thanks to Rob Huff, who made a perfect race, making good an excellent use of pole position in the reversed grid and keeping control of everything during the entire race. The Brit was escorted from the beginning by Tom Coronel, who completed the excellent weekend of ROAL Motorsport, while Sébastien Loeb completed the podium, ahead of José María López, who grabbed some extra points over Yvan Muller in the title fight.
James Thompson, 6th, gave LADA another handful of points, while Franz Engstler took another victory in TC2T recovering from a spin at mid-race.

Key moments
Grid – A drive-through is inflicted on Bennani for an unauthorized intervention on the grid. Münnich, Borković and Kozlovskiy are not taking the start
Start - Huff takes a good start, controlling Coronel, as opposed to Thompson, who is immediately passed by Loeb and Michelisz
Lap 1- Huff is leading, followed by Coronel, Loeb, Michelisz, Thompson, López and Morbidelli
Lap 2 – Monteiro passes Ma for 12th
Lap 6 – Chilton passes Muller for 8th, while Thompson closes on Michelisz for 4th
Lap 9 – Engstler spins and is passed by Filippi for the lead of the TC2T class
Lap 10 – López passes Thompson for 10th, right behind Chilton and Morbidelli
Lap 14 – As the group gets compact behind Thompson, there is a nice fight between Morbidelli and Chilton, with Muller and Tarquini right behind
Lap 16 – López passes Michelisz for 4th   
Lap 17 – Huff’s advantage is 4 secondsLap 18 – Engstler retakes TC2T lead from Filippi; big fight for 12th between Ma and Monteiro
Lap 25 – Morbidelli passes Chilton for 7th, while Ma is ahead of Monteiro
Lap 26 – Coronel closes on Huff in the final phase, but the Brit has everything under control, for the greatest joy of the LADA Sport team


They said… they said…

Quotes from the winning drivers in the two races at Beijing Goldenport

Tom Chilton, winner of Race 1: “It’s absolutely fantastic, I am so happy of this win. It’s the third one in the WTCC, and the second in China, it shows this country brings me well. We were very pleased with the performance of the car, actually the circuit suited much better than we had anticipated. I took a perfect start, then pushed hard to build an advantage. The safety-car period occurred shortly after, I managed to stay cool and avoid Yvan Muller to outbrake me at the restart. I rebuilt the gap and that was enough to secure the win.” 

Rob Huff, winner of Race 2: “It’s simply fantastic, who would have thought that, even after the great podium finish in Argentina. It’s my first win since Macau last year and certainly the hardest to obtain in my career. And that is why I will cherish forever. I am so happy for LADA Sport and all the boys, they have done such a hard and good work. We kept believing, fighting and working, and that pays off. Everything went well in Race 2: a good start, then I pushed hard in the initial laps to build enough gap. The car was strong and after that, I tried to just manage the gap and the tyres, in case  I needed to push again at the end. In the final laps I had some vibrations on the front left, but could keep Tom Coronel at bay and win.”



LADA’s long way to victory in WTCC

The victory of Rob Huff’s LADA Granta at Beijing Goldenport was the realization of a dream that began seven years ago.

A few people remember that Victor Shapovalov – today Team Principal at LADA Sport – made his first appearance in the World Championship as a driver in 2007. Together with his fellow countrymen Evgeny Zelenov and Lev Fridman, Shapovalov raced for the Russian Bears Motorsport at Zandvoort and Valencia in BMW 320i cars. They were the first Russians to join WTCC.
But Victor had a dream: involving a Russian car manufacturer with a factory programme.
This ambitious programme had a shy start in 2008, when the Russian Bears ran a couple of LADA 110 in selected events. The cars had Russian homologation papers and therefore were not eligible to score points.
In the following season the team was renamed LADA Sport and added a third car. At Porto they launched the new Priora WTCC and signed James Thompson as leading driver and tester. The Briton scored the first WTCC points for LADA claiming two sixth places at Imola. Unfortunately, the programme was stopped at the end of the year due to the financial crisis.
But Shapovalov did not give up and the LADA Sport team came back in 2012 with a single Granta for Thompson at Budapest and Algarve.
The rest is recent history, with the arrival of 2012 WTCC champion Huff and the launch of the Vesta that will be racing from next year.
After yesterday’s triumph Shapovalov was moved to tears: “We have come a long way to achieve this victory and we always believed that LADA would be on the top of the podium! We are extremely happy, and this victory gives us even more drive and motivation for further success!”

Race 1 – Chilton from lights to flag

“Absolutely fabulous!” Tom Chilton had the right words to describe his sensational win in Race 1 at Beijing.

The Brit had surprised everybody taking the pole in the morning and was simply unapproachable during the race. A long safety-car period as from lap 3, caused by an accident between Borković and Münnich, which provisionally cancelled Chilton’s 4-second advantage, didn’t impact at all on the his composure.
Yvan Muller and championship leader José María López completed the podium for Citroën, with the Frenchman securing second as from the start when he passed Tarquini. The Italian lost third in the closing laps, falling as an indirect victim of Ma’s off-track. The race of the local Chinese star ended when he went wide and hit the tire wall. Franz Engstler won once again among TC2 contenders.


Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 339 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 273 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 238 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 146 pt.
    5. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 126 pt.
    6. NLD CORONEL Tom 118 pt.
    7. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 118 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 117 pt.
    9. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 103 pt.
    10. GBR HUFF Rob 66 pt.


Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 769 pt.
    2. Honda 499 pt.
    3. LADA 305 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 190 pt.
    2. FRA FILIPPI John 109 pt.
    3. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 98 pt.


Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 187 pt.
    2. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 129 pt.
    3. Zengő Motorsport 112 pt.


http://www.fiawtcc.com

[tokyodream]

Prima victorie HONDA din acest an, prima victorie a unui marocan - BENNANI si victoria 120 Honda in WTCC !!!

CITROEN - campioana mondiala WTCC 2014 si LOPEZ la cateva puncte de primul titlu.

Race 1 – Citroën clinches Manufacturers’ title in style

“C’est fait!”, it’s done. That’s what the Citroën team could say, with emotion and relief, at the end of a Race 1 in Shanghai that they dominated from beginning to the end.

The final 1-2-3-4 ensured in the most brilliant way the Manufacturers’ title for the French car maker. “We are happy for the great job the entire team did and proud to reach the title here in China,” said Team Principal Yves Matton.
The win was for José María López who kept the advantage of the pole ahead team-mates Ma Qing Hua and Yvan Muller, while Sébastien Loeb had to battle against the Honda cars to conquer the fourth spot.
The first non-Citroën at the end was Norbert Michelisz, who defended strenuously his 5th position from Tarquini and Monteiro.
Time to celebrate also for Franz Engstler, who won the TC2T race and secured the Yokohama Trophy title and his team-mate Filipe De Souza took the honours in the Asia Trophy.   

Key moments
Grid – Thompson pits after formation lap with a problem on the front left wheel
Start – Trouble free start, with López taking the lead ahead of Ma, Muller, Michelisz, Tarquini, Monteiro and Loeb
Lap 2 – Loeb attacks Monteiro and after a short fight takes 6th; Coronel takes 9th from Valente
Lap 3 – Chilton, who was 8th, loses rear right wheel and retires
Lap 4 – Loeb passes also Tarquini for 5th, on the outside!
Lap 5 – Michelisz is defending fiercely his 4th place from the attacks of Loeb, while Bennani passes Borković for 10th
Lap 6 – Loeb passes Michelisz for fourth; Lok retires with a broken suspension
Lap 7 – Huff takes 12th from Morbidelli
Lap 13 – Huff and Morbidelli pass Borković for 11th and 12th
Lap 14 – Huff stops with a puncture on the front left; Citroën cars finish 1-2-3-4, while Engstler beats Filippi and De Souza in TC2T

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3806

Race 2 – Bennani leads 1-2 for Honda!

“If it is a dream, wake me up!”: Mehdi Bennani will certainly never forget this day.

The Moroccan driver put a fantastic performance in Race 2 to take his maiden overall win in the WTCC and give Honda its first success of the year. It was also the first WTCC win for the Proteam Racing of Valmiro Presenzini.
The great afternoon of the Civic cars was completed by Tiago Monteiro, who signed the 1-2 for the Japanese manufacturer while Norbert Michelisz took the last spot of the top 5.
Citroën had a more difficult Race 2, as Muller and Loeb collided in the early laps and Ma made a couple of slight off-tracks. José María López took third but was never really in a position to threaten the two leading Honda cars, while Loeb and Ma concluded fourth and sixth. Coronel, Chilton, Valente and Borković took the remaining points with their Chevrolet cars; Engstler and De Souza encored victories in the TC2T class and the Asia Trophy respectively.


Key moments
Grid – Lok does not make the grid and Chilton starts from the pit lane
Start – Bennani takes an excellent start while Valente is slower and get passed by Tarquini and Monteiro.
Lap 1 – Borković and Huff make contact, Bennani leads from Tarquini, Monteiro, Valente, Muller and Loeb
Lap 2 – López passes Michelisz for 7th, with Ma right behind the Honda; at the end of the lap, Loeb hits Muller as they both are behind Valente who is defending his 4th place. Muller’s car is damaged and he retires
Lap 3 – It’s three Honda cars ahead of everybody, with Bennani, Tarquini and Monteiro. Valente holds on fourth with great determination. Ma passes López but runs wide in T15
Lap 5 – Huff crashes in T2 after a clash with Morbidelli; Tarquini slows down with a technical problem and retires; López manages to break Valente’s resilience and takes 4th
Lap 6 – Bennani leads by 4 seconds over Monteiro, with López 8 seconds behind; Chilton, recovers to 10th.
Lap 7 – Loeb overtakes Valente for fourth; Ma runs wide again at turn 15

Lap 8 – Contact between Michelisz and Valente; the Hungarian takes the 5th spot
Lap 9 – Ma passes Valente for 6th.
Lap 10 – Chilton is 9th after passing Borković. Morbidelli is given a drive-through for the contact with Huff
Lap 11 – Coronel passes Valente for 7th
Lap 13 – Valente gets past also by Chilton, with Borković and Thompson chasing him
Lap 14 – Bennani claims his maiden victory

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/3810

Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 384 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 291 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 263 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 170 pt.
    5. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 140 pt.
    6. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 134 pt.
    7. NLD CORONEL Tom 128 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 121 pt.
    9. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 103 pt.
    10. MAR BENNANI Mehdi 85 pt.



Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 848 pt.
    2. Honda 574 pt.
    3. LADA 334 pt.

Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 213 pt.
    2. FRA FILIPPI John 125 pt.
    3. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 98 pt.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 206 pt.
    2. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 135 pt.
    3. Zengő Motorsport 130 pt.

[tokyodream]

Race 1 – Victory gives López the world title

It’s done! José María López secured his first WTCC title with a perfect Race 1 in Suzuka, taking another win (the 9th, equalling Muller’s record of most wins in a season set in 2012).

The Argentine kept his cool in this crucial race and left no room to calculations. Making a perfect use of his pole position, he took a good start and keep things in command until the chequered flag.
His only possible rival, Yvan Muller, escorted him during six laps before suffering a puncture that forced him to the pits. The real battle was for second, between the Chevrolet cars of Chilton and Valente, with the Frenchman passing the Brit in the early stages and bound to keep the position before being passed by Chilton, Sébastien Loeb, Norbert Michelisz in the penultimate lap. Gabriele Tarquini took sixth and Franz Engstler won again in TC2T.
The brand new Champion was welcomed in victory lane by Argentine music and flags while his mechanics were wearing the Argentine national football team’s shirts.

Key moments
Start – Good start of López ahead of Muller, Chilton, Valente and Loeb
Lap 1 – Valente passes Chilton in T15 for third
Lap 2 – The two Citroën cars of López and Muller lead already by 2.5 seconds from the Chevrolet cars of Valente and Chilton
Lap 3 – Chilton attacks Valente and both are under threat by Loeb
Lap 4 – Fastest lap for López, who has now 1.3 seconds over Muller
Lap 5 – Again fastest lap for López, who takes 0.9 on Muller in this lap
Lap 6 – Tarquini goes a little bit wide at turn 9, while Loeb tries again to pass Chilton
Lap 7 – Muller slows down with a rear tyre puncture and retires, which makes López the virtual champion
Lap 10 – In turn 14, Chilton passes Valente for second; the latter seems in troubles and cannot avoid Loeb and  Michelisz passing him, while he manages narrowly to keep Tarquini behind. 
Lap 11 – López wins race and title, while in TC2T, Engstler beats Filippi and Kwong.



Race 2 – Home win for Tarquini’s Honda

After living the crowning of José María López, Japanese fans could enjoy another very emotional moment: the superb win at home of a Honda Civic.

Gabriele Tarquini left no options to anyone in Race 2, taking a lights-to-flag win from the pole. It was a definitely unusual podium, with Dušan Borković taking a brilliant second spot with the Campos Racing Chevrolet Cruze and Norbert Michelisz completing Honda’s success in third.
Tom Coronel was fourth and managed to keep at bay the three Citroën cars of Muller, López and Loeb, who could never approach the top positions. Hugo Valente, who was holding an excellent fifth position in the initial laps, was not rewarded of his efforts, as he was hit and ousted of the race by an attack of Muller that is currently investigated by the Stewards.
It was also a day to remember in TC2T, as John Filippi took his maiden win, at the wheel of the SEAT León of Campos Racing, following Engstler’s retirement, thus rounding the excellent day of the Spanish squad.

Key moments
Grid – Bennani doesn’t make the grid
Start – It’s a lively but orderly start, with Tarquini and Borković keeping first row advantage
Lap 1 – Michelisz tries to pass Borković at the chicane and there is contact; Tarquini leads with 1.3 seconds over Borković, Michelisz, Coronel, Valente and the three Citroën cars of Muller, Loeb and López
Lap 2 – López goes very wide in T15 but rejoins
Lap 3 – Big fight for fifth, with Valente holding the three Citroën cars behind, which allows Tarquini to pull away
Lap 4 – Also Loeb runs wide at turn 15 while, Engstler retires with a broken driveshaft
Lap 5 – Muller touches Valente at T14 sending him into a half-spin; Valente is forced to retire. In the turmoil that follows, López passes Loeb after a little touch
Lap 9 – López tries in vain to overcome Muller and they make contact
Lap 11 – Nothing changes: Tarquini wins, while Filippi takes a maiden victory in TC2T


http://www.fiawtcc.com/news#


Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 422 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 305 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 275 pt.
    4. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 174 pt.
    5. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 169 pt.
    6. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 167 pt.
    7. NLD CORONEL Tom 148 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 144 pt.
    9. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 108 pt.
    10. MAR BENNANI Mehdi 85 pt.


Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 927 pt.
    2. Honda 649 pt.
    3. LADA 371 pt.


Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 226 pt.
    2. FRA FILIPPI John 143 pt.
    3. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 98 pt.


Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 231 pt.
    2. Campos Racing 148 pt.
    3. Zengő Motorsport 146 pt.

[tokyodream]

Ieri m-am trezit la 04.30 si am urmarit cele 2 curse de la MACAU:

Race 1 – López scores a record victory

José María López has added the Macau diamond to his 2014 crown by winning authoritatively Race 1 at the Guia Circuit.

The Argentine pulled away from pole at the start and kept control of the race, although is gap was never very consistent, ending with a 2.7-second margin. With this tenth seasonal success, the Citroën driver broke the record of most wins in the same season (Muller had scored 9 in 2012). He also became, after Augusto Farfus and Norbert Michelisz, the third WTCC driver victorious at Macau on his first appearance.
Behind López, a compact Honda trio composed of Michelisz, Tarquini and Monteiro, who conducted an impressive race proving the excellent race pace of the Japanese cars. They were followed by Muller and Loeb, who ran third in the initial laps, with the Citroën cars being less dominating today.
Franz Engstler won among the TC2T cars.

Key moments
Start – Excellent start of López and Michelisz, with Tarquini and Monteiro who pass Muller too
Lap 1 – Scary moment for Michelisz in one of the braking points, but the Hungarian manages to stay on track and keep 2nd, while López in the lead pulls away. Loeb is 3rd ahead of Tarquini, Monteiro, Muller, Coronel, Huff, Valente and Ma. Chilton is only 16th after a poor start
Lap 2 – Ma passes Valente for 9th and attacks Huff
Lap 3 – Loeb attacks Michelisz at Lisboa but is forced to go wide, being passed by Tarquini, Monteiro and Muller. Ma is 8th after passing Huff
Lap 5 – Bad luck for the Asian drivers of Campos Racing: Kwong hits the wall at san Francisco, and Lok does the same at Melco hairpin
Lap 6 – Valente stops in the pits, while Bennani passes Huff for 9th
Lap 7 – Muller and Loeb increase the pressure on the Honda cars, but situation doesn’t change
Lap 8 – López leads by 4.5 seconds on the Honda trio. Drama for Bennani, as the Moroccan is surprised by a move of Kwong, hits the SEAT, crashes into wall and retires
Lap 10 – Monteiro tries to pass Tarquini (whose bonnet hood is swinging) at Lisboa, but with no success. López wins ahead of the three Honda cars and team-mates Muller and Loeb. Engstler takes success in TC2T



Race 2 – Huff is the King of Macau!

Rob Huff did it again! The Brit has managed to take an astonishing win in Race 2, signing his 7th win (in 20 starts) at Macau.

This definitely made of him the King of the Guia Circuit. It was also the second victory of the year for him and LADA Sport, which ended the season on a great high. Yvan Muller tried everything to pass Huff, but it was impossible for the Frenchman to find a way through. Hugo Valente, after a poor start from the pole, recovered well to take third (his third podium of the year).
The race’s physiognomy changed completely two laps from the end, when at the restart after a safety-car period, the leading Honda of Tiago Monteiro suffered from a power-steering problem and retired.
The Portuguese had been the hero of the race until then, taking command at the start and looking as the very likely winner. Norbert Michelisz took fourth ahead of López and Loeb. Franz Engstler made the top 10, besides winning in TC2T, in his last WTCC race.

Key moments

Grid – Two drivers fail to take the start: Bennani, whose car cannot be repaired after his Race 1 incident, and Tarquini who is not feeling well (he was victim of food poisoning since the morning). Mak Ka Lok starts from the pitlane.
Start – Bad start for the two Chevrolet cars of Valente and Chilton on the front row, with Monteiro sneaking between them and taking the lead; good start of Muller as well.
Lap 1 – Valente tries to attack Monteiro at Lisboa, but goes wide and is passed by Huff, Muller and Michelisz.
Lap 2 – Monteiro leads from Huff and Muller, with the three fighting furiously. Michelisz is 4th ahead of Valente, López, Chilton, Coronel, Ma and Loeb.
Lap 3 – Huff manages to resist Muller’s attack at the end of the straight.
Lap 4 – Again, a fruitless attack of Muller on Huff at Lisboa, but the Briton keeps the inside line. There is a nice fight also between Valente and López for fifth, with the French almost losing the car in last corner. The race is over for Morbidelli who hits the wall at Fisherman’s.
Lap 5 – Loeb is in P8 after passing Ma and Coronel. Fastest lap for Huff in 2.27.009.
Lap 6 – Loeb passes Chilton and Ma passes Coronel at Lisboa, but the Dutchman takes over again at S.Francisco. Kozlovsiy in the pits.
Lap 7 – Little mistake by Muller in one of the brakings in the “esses”, while Ma is off against the wall at the “R” bend. The safety car is deployed.
Lap 10 – Small mistake of Muller at the restart, which gives breathing space to Monteiro and Huff, while Valente takes fourth from Michelisz at the Lisboa corner.
Lap 11 – There is drama at the beginning of the lap, as Monteiro slows down with some technical problem and he is passed by Huff and Muller in close fierce duel. There is contact at the Melco hairpin, but the LADA car manages to keep the advantage until the flag. Valente is on the podium, ahead of Michelisz, López, Loeb, Chilton, Coronel, Thompson and Engstler, who wins in TC2T.




The word to the winners

Quotes from the winning drivers of the final races at Macau.

José María López, 1st in Race 1: “It has been an incredible season and it is fantastic to end it with a win at Macau, something that means a lot to me and could not even think of. That’s probably why I was feeling nervous, despite having already secured the title. I felt good since the beginning of the weekend, we worked well with the team and the result is here. Race 1 was straightforward, although not easy, but I had a very good pace. Race 2, of course, was quite difficult, because of the difficulty of overtaking.”

Rob Huff, 1st in Race 2: “It’s absolutely great to win again at Macau, for the seventh time! There is really a special bond with this track, and to win with LADA makes me feel very happy. It was a difficult race, because of the constant pressure from my old friend Yvan (Muller), but I know him well and I was able to close door every time. I put everything in it, even scratched the wall a couple of times but it worked! I am also very happy for the team, who has done a fantastic job throughout the season. It was clear for us that we lagged behind the competition, we still were five seconds off the pace at Spa, and to finish like this, with 2nd in Argentina and then two wins and P10 in the Drivers’ championship, is simply unbelievable!”

http://www.fiawtcc.com/news#Drivers' Championship

    1. ARG LÓPEZ José María 462 pt.
    2. FRA MULLER Yvan 336 pt.
    3. FRA LOEB Sébastien 295 pt.
    4. HUN MICHELISZ Norbert 201 pt.
    5. PRT MONTEIRO Tiago 186 pt.
    6. ITA TARQUINI Gabriele 182 pt.
    7. NLD CORONEL Tom 159 pt.
    8. GBR CHILTON Tom 150 pt.
    9. ITA MORBIDELLI Gianni 109 pt.
    10. GBR HUFF Rob 93 pt.



Manufacturers' Championship

    1. Citroën 1003 pt.
    2. Honda 710 pt.
    3. LADA 425 pt.

www.fiawtcc.com/standings?idCategory=3



Yokohama Drivers' Trophy

    1. DEU ENGSTLER Franz 249 pt.
    2. FRA FILIPPI John 159 pt.
    3. ITA DI SABATINO Pasquale 98 pt.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/standings?idCategory=2



Yokohama Teams' Trophy

    1. ROAL Motorsport 255 pt.
    2. Zengő Motorsport 164 pt.
    3. Campos Racing 162 pt.


www.fiawtcc.com/standings?idCategory=4

===============

Sa vedem in 2015 ce va fi..... se anunta un an fierbinte