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BMW
Faithful to its tradition of exploiting motor sport programmes to promote its road cars, BMW confirmed its presence in WTCC in which it clinched the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles three consecutive years, from 2005 to 2007.
In order to support the customer teams, in 2012 BMW Motorsport developed a kit to update the 320si cars to 320 TC, including the 1.6-litre turbo engine.
ROAL Motorsport, directed by the 1987 WTCC champion Roberto Ravaglia, run two cars for Dutch race winner Tom Coronel and Darryl O’Young. Liqui Moly Team Engstler confirmed their 2012 duo of Franz Engstler and Charles Ng, and so did Proteam Racing with Mehdi Bennani. Swiss racer Fredy Barth drives for Wiechers-Sport, while WTCC race winner Stefano D’Aste has established his own team PB Motorsport. -
Chevrolet
After launching the Cruze cars in 2009, Chevrolet managed to win back-to-back Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Although the factory programme has been halted after eight seasons, the Chevrolet brand is still represented by four Cruze cars. Former Chevrolet works team Ray Mallock’s RML, one of the most experienced and winning outfits in Touring Car racing, run two of them for three-time World Champion Yvan Muller and former BTCC race winner Tom Chilton. The Chevrolet line-up is completed by two cars run by bamboo-engineering, for the English duo of James Nash and Alex MacDowall and one entered by Swedish outfit Nika Racing. -
Honda
In 2012 the Japanese car maker made its first WTCC appearance with the new Civic 5-door car at the events in Japan, China and Macau. This is Honda’s first works car racing programme since the brand pulled out of Formula One.
Now Honda is in for its first full season campaign, fielding three cars , built and developed by the Italian outfit JAS Motorsport and powered by the 1.6-litre turbo engine designed by Honda R&D.
Two works cars are run by the Honda Racing Team J.A.S for Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro, while a third machine is entered by Zengö Motorsport for 2012 Yokohama Trophy winner Norbert Michelisz -
LADA
Avtovaz, Russia’s first car manufacturer returned to the WTCC after its campaign in 2009.
After taking part in two events in 2012 with a single Granta Sport car driven by WTCC race winner James Thompson, the LADA Sport team field two cars in the 2013 season, one for Thompson and one for Russian driver Aleksei Dudukalo.
The team have secured the precious collaboration of French outfit ORECA for the technical development of the chassis and the 1.6-litre turbo engine. On top of this the programme is supported by Lukoil Racing, Russia’s major oil company. -
SEAT
Although SEAT Sport had officially left the championship after winning back-to-back Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles in 2008 and 2009, the Spanish brand is well represented with León WTCC cars powered by the new 1.6L turbo engine developed by the factory.
Three cars are raced by the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport that joined WTCC after clinching the 2012 FIA GT1 title. The German outfit signed the reigning world champion Rob Huff in addition to René Münnich and 2012 GT1 world champion Marc Basseng.
Other León cars are run by Special Tuning Racing for Tom Boardman, Tuenti Racing for the 18-year-old Pepe Oriola and Campos Racing.
ROB HUFF CLAIMS HIS FIRST WORLD TITLE - News
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19 November 2012 04:06 ROB HUFF CLAIMS HIS FIRST WORLD TITLEIn a thrilling finish to an exciting season, Rob Huff accomplished his mission! Yesterday in Macau the Chevrolet driver claimed his first FIA WTCC title at the end of an eventful day, recovering from a mistake in the first race.
After having been the fastest in all the sessions from Friday morning, Huff was so eager to settle the matter as soon as possible that he took an unnecessary risk and crashed from the lead.
This offered his team-mates and rivals Yvan Muller and Alain Menu the opportunity to finish first and second, significantly cutting their point gaps, which meant that the second race would have been the decider. This time Lady Luck smiled to Huff, who benefitted from the mistakes of the drivers in front of him to finish second behind Menu and grabbing a well deserved world crown.
Chevrolet and all its three drivers deserve to be praised for such a triumphal season. The Cruze cars built and run by the RML have always set the pace, on all the tracks and in all conditions. The team crew have always done the maximum to give their drivers performing and perfectly equal cars. And the drivers have done their job in a professional way, which was also shown today by Menu and Muller who did not give up until the very end.
In the Yokohama Trophy, Darryl O’Young was able to win both races in front of his home supporters; Norbert Michelisz was crowned champion of the Drivers’ Trophy, while Lukoil Racing won the Team’s Trophy.
Last but not least, Tiago Monteiro gave Honda and JAS Motorsport their first podium result, only one month after they joined the championship.
Standings
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1.
MULLER Yvan
198 pt.
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2.
TARQUINI Gabriele
118 pt.
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3.
NASH James
108 pt.
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4.
NYKJÆR Michel
96 pt.
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5.
HUFF Rob
77 pt.
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6.
CHILTON Tom
77 pt.
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7.
MACDOWALL Alex
73 pt.
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8.
CORONEL Tom
66 pt.
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9.
MICHELISZ Norbert
63 pt.
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10.
MONTEIRO Tiago
60 pt.
- 1. Honda 417 pt.
- 2. LADA 248 pt.
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1.
NASH James
78 pt.
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2.
NYKJÆR Michel
70 pt.
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3.
MACDOWALL Alex
66 pt.
- 1. RML 108 pt.
- 2. bamboo-engineering 81 pt.
- 3. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 49 pt.
