2010 World Touring Car Championship

[Jack Keithley]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO Please not Lada! . Oh well they did get robbed of good results last season, I think it was ladygin robbed of a top 5 at oschersleben but Larini took him out last corner last lap . Looks like WTCC wont last long but atleast the Diesel Seats have gone and their dirty tactics

 

[Brian Duddy]

Honestly... what's the point of the WTCC? Their races are short to the point of pointlessness (who would want to pay the money to attend one?), most of the tracks are lame, the cars are neutered and undeveloped and any good one has "success ballast" (the worst idea in the history of racing) and on and on... What's the value in it for anyone?

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

who would want to pay the money to attend one?

I would, and i have a seen a lot of WTCC Live races the last years all over Europe! Its a brilliant serie with super enthusiastic organizers, spectators and above all: approachable friendly drivers! You don't pay EUR 400 to get a weekend pass, but can watch all the action for under 50 for three days.

This the only FIA championship in the world where you can simple walk through the paddock, and if you are not too modest (like Maik Peters ) you just walk inside a team accomodation to start a conversation with a driver

The races are indeed short but that is what the WTCC was designed for by Eurosport: short sprintraces in double format that is perfect for broadcasting on tele.

The only downside with WTCC is that its not longer ETCC.

@Rob: where is the source that says that Lada is pulling out? Would be a big shocker as there will be not much left besides BMW & Chevy if this is true. Only thing i can find is this article, but it dates from September last year: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8272328.stm

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

The WTCC is indeed a great series, but it has become a victim of its own status... it's just become too expensive. That's the problem with any world championship... there will always be difficulties with money.

 

[Omer Said]

Soon the series will be called World BMW Touring Car Championship . Hope no !

 

[Kris Leeten]

Only news I found is that Symtech (the belgian compagny that prepares the cars for Russian Beeir ars Motorsport) has no idea of any Russian plans, with only +/- 45 days left to prepare the cars. (Dates from 13.01, source (dutch) :http://www.autosport.be/news/2010/01/13/SeatTrektZichTerugUitWtccLadaTwijfelachtig

To bad as I was looking forward to Zolder this year

 

[James Chesters]

Chevy confirmed the 3 drivers (Muller, Menu, Huff) and 3 cars at Macau.

 

[GAIAjohan]

Maybe he'll go in a private:

(2001 DTCC)

 

[Maik Peters]

@Bram That was bigfun

WTCC is a very good place to have the change to talk with the drivers...
I don't know how it is with STCC or BTCC

 

[Trebor901]

in BTCC at least when you go into the paddock (free for most of the races in the year) the drivers dont run away and hide in a motor home they will get out and have a talk with you and if you ask they will most of them show you around the garage

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Would be a stunt if he returned to BMW!

 

[Andreas Hultgren]

Despite SEAT pulling out as a factory effort champion Gabriele Tarquini looks set to continue driving the Spanish make in 2010.

After SEAT's departure from the series there have been speculations that he wouldn't return to defend his crown but all that has been denied and he is set to race a Leon TDI prepared by the Spanish-based SUNRED Engineering. The deal is yet to be signed though.

"I want to find a solution to continue," said Tarquini. "One opportunity could be to race a Leon with some support from the factory."

With these news SUNRED will have four cars on the grid. Independent champion Tom Coronel and DTC champion Michel Nykjaer will drive under the SUNRED name while Tarquini and Russian Timur Sadredinov will be driving under separate banner.

Source | autosport

 

[Christophe Berton]

a dutch article about the future of tom

 

[GAIAjohan]

a dutch article about the future of tom

Sounds good then. In a Seat TDI with Tarquini as a team mate.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

So this is also the official statement that Tom Coronel will remain a Seat Sunred driver? Good to have the champ defending its title (that count for both Gabriele as Tom) !!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I am not surprised that if they have equal material Tom will be the suprise of the year

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Does the whole soap around SEAT leaving the WTCC mean that Monteiro will not be driving a TDI this season?

 

[James Johnson]

Does the whole soap around SEAT leaving the WTCC mean that Monteiro will not be driving a TDI this season?

I think hes looking for a drive outside of WTCC anyways?

 

[Trebor901]

yep he said he wasnt doing WTCC this year if he couldnt drive for SEAT.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Young Moroccan driver Mehdi Bennani who made an impressive WTCC debut last year, will compete in the whole 2010 season at the wheel of a Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si.
“We are delighted that Mehdi will be able to do the entire season with Wiechers-Sport. As the only Moroccan driver in a world championship, he will be carrying high the colours of Morocco on the world’s most prestigious circuits” said Aly Horma, President of Marrakech Grand Prix.
“We are very pleased that Mehdi Bennani has joined Wiechers-Sport. From his very first laps in the WTCC, he proved to be very competitive. Our common aim is a place on the podium of the 2010 Yokohama Independents’ Trophy,” said team manager Dominik Greiner.
In 2009 Bennani took part in selected events with a SEAT León run by Exagon Engineering and managed to claim an outstanding victory in the Independents’ class on his maiden appearance at his home race in Marrakech.

Source | fiawtcc.com

A good sign from Wiechers?