Le Mans com Vitória Portugueses e 2º lugar na classe LMP2

Parabéns Filipe Albuquerquee e Filipe Albuquerque, pelas 1ª e 2ª posições nos LMP2!!!

Agora só falta a corrida, são só 24horas .

Amanhã sou eu que arranco as 13h30, podem ver no EuroSport"

Filipe Albuquerque estreou-se a vencer nas 24 Horas de Le Mans na sua sétima participação e repartiu o pódio da categoria LMP2 com António Félix da Costa - um feito inédito para o desporto motorizado português, 5º e 6º da geral.

Uma luta fantastica entre ... 

O Oreca 07 #22 da United Autosports com Paul di Resta, ex-piloto de Fórmula 1, e Phil Hanson e Filipe Albuquerque

e Anthony Davidson - outro ex-piloto de Fórmula 1 - e Roberto González. António Félix da Costa também em Oreca 07 #38 da Jota Sport

Filipe Albuquerque Quase quase que dava, acabámos em 2º, a corrida ficou decidida nos últimos 10 minutos, numa luta espetacular com o carro do Filipe, acabámos as 24 horas a 32 seg deles... Parabens a ele pela vitória, não foi para nós, mas vem para e foram uns justos vencedores. Obrigado a todos pelo apoio!

e a terceira vitória consecutiva da Toyota em Le Mans e também a terceira para o carro #8 Toyota TS050-Hybrid

O vencedor de Vila Real em 2015 Jose Maria Lopez foi terceiro lugar da geral no #7 Toyota TS050 – Hybrid de Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi.

E a  Algarve Pro Racing completou a 88ª 24 Heures du Mans

na oitava posição com o ORECA 07 LMP2 de Simon Trummer, John Falb e Matt McMurry Racing # 25 Goodyear / BRM Chronographes! Grande equipe de trabalho! 

Mas uma constatação das comemorações dos 50 anos da primeira vitória em Le Mans da Porsche em 1970 com o 917K neste ano de pandemia, em nada foi igual como naquele feliz ano. 

24h de Le Mans 2019

Aí estão as emblemáticas 24h de Le Mans na sua 87º aedição

Depois das três sessões de qualificação

A Toyota parte na pole com o nosso conhecido José Maria Lopez

Filipe Albuquerque, Phil Hanson e Paul Di Resta partem da 6º posição no Ligier da United Autosports

António Félix da Costa, A. FarfusJ. Krohn na 4ª. nos GTE-PRO

 e Pedro Lamy na sua 20º participação, Dalla Lana e M. Lauda na 11ª. nos GTE-AM

Sem esquecer Algarve Pro Racing Team

Na sétima hora 

O Ligier #22 de Filipe Albuquerque continua na sexta posição. 

 Pedro Lamy continua em último a 23 voltas do líder

perto das 22 horas Pedro Lamy abandona. 

12º 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / P. DI RESTA Ligier JSP217 - Gibson LMP2 M 122 8:01:25.917 7 Laps 1 Lap 13 4 3:30.403 233.1

37º 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FARFUS / A. DA COSTA / J. KROHN BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 114 8:03:35.277 15 Laps 15.944 8 3 3:50.702 212.6

58º 98 Aston Martin Racing P. DALLA LANA / P. LAMY / M. LAUDA Aston Martin Vantage LMGTE Am M 87 7:01:33.766 42 Laps 8 Laps 7 4 3:55.026 208.7

9 horas 

12º 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / P. DI RESTA Ligier JSP217 - Gibson LMP2 M 139 9:03:19.442 7 Laps 24.608 14 4 3:30.403 233.1

36º 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FARFUS / A. DA COSTA / J. KROHN BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 129 9:03:48.123 17 Laps 30.528 9 3 3:50.702 212.6

58º 98 Aston Martin Racing P. DALLA LANA / P. LAMY / M. LAUDA Aston Martin Vantage LMGTE Am M 87 7:01:33.766 59 Laps 22 Laps 7 4 3:55.026 208.7

Algarve Pro Racing Team is running well in a solid 12th position at the midway point of the 87th 24 Hours of Le Mans with the #25 ORECA 07 LMP2 and drivers Andrea Pizzitola, John Falb and David Zollinger - 

10 horas

14º 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / P. DI RESTA Ligier JSP217 - Gibson LMP2 M 152 10:04:31.801 9 Laps 29.255 16 4 3:30.403 233.1

36º 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FARFUS / A. DA COSTA / J. KROHN BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 142 10:04:30.174 19 Laps1:02.961 10 3 3:50.702 212.6

58º 98 Aston Martin Racing P. DALLA LANA / P. LAMY / M. LAUDA Aston Martin Vantage LMGTE Am M 87 7:01:33.766 74 Laps 36 Laps 7 4 3:55.026 208.7

16 Horas

11º 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / P. DI RESTA Ligier JSP217 - Gibson LMP2 M 241 16:02:29.223 14 Laps 2 Laps 25 234 3:29.892 233.7

17º 25 Algarve Pro Racing D. ZOLLINGER / A. PIZZITOLA / J. FALB Oreca 07 - Gibson LMP2 D 235 16:02:51.323 20 Laps 1 Lap 24 3 3:30.350 233.2

34º 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FARFUS / A. DA COSTA / J. KROHN BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 224 16:03:33.686 31 Laps 1 Lap 17 3 3:50.702 212.6

Abandonou

98 Aston Martin Racing P. DALLA LANA / P. LAMY / M. LAUDA Aston Martin Vantage LMGTE Am M 87 7:01:33.766 7 4 3:55.026 208.7

21Horas

9º 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / P. DI RESTA Ligier JSP217 - Gibson LMP2 M 316 21:01:10.491 18 Laps 1 Lap 32 234 3:29.892 233.7

15º 25 Algarve Pro Racing D. ZOLLINGER / A. PIZZITOLA / J. FALB Oreca 07 - Gibson LMP2 D 309 21:02:26.419 25 Laps 4 Laps 32 3 3:30.350 233.2

33º 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FARFUS / A. DA COSTA / J. KROHN BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 294 21:02:39.836 40 Laps 1.488 21 3 3:50.702 212.6

A uma hora do fim o Toyota TS 050 Hybrid #8 passou o carro #7 que estava com dificuldades

A Toyota explicou o que levou o carro nº7 a  perder a dianteira na 23ª hora.

Os sensores de pressão dos pneus diziam à equipa que o carro tinha um furo no pneu frontal direito, mas a verdade é que isso sucedia no pneu da traseira direita. Foi por isso que Lopez teve que voltar para as boxes. Se os quatro pneus tivessem sido trocados na primeira paragem, o argentino, Kobayashi e Conway provavelmente agora estariam a festejar a vitória.

1º 8 Toyota Gazoo Racing S. BUEMI / K. NAKAJIMA / F. ALONSOToyota TS050 - Hybrid LMP1

6 36 Signatech Alpine Matmut N. LAPIERRE / A. NEGRÃO / P. THIRIET Alpine A470 - Gibson LMP2

9º 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / P. DI RESTA Ligier JSP217 - Gibson LMP2 M 365 24:00:53.907 20 Laps 1 Lap 37 234 3:29.892 233.7

15º 25 Algarve Pro Racing D. ZOLLINGER / A. PIZZITOLA / J. FALB Oreca 07 - Gibson LMP2 D 357 24:03:32.245 28 Laps 5 Laps 39 338 3:29.072 234.6

20 51 AF Corse A. PIER GUIDI / J. CALADO / D. SERRA Ferrari 488 GTE EVO LMGTE Pro

31º 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FARFUS / A. DA COSTA / J. KROHN BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 335 24:00:26.780 50 Laps 2 Laps 25 3 3:50.702 212.6

32 85 Keating Motorsports B. KEATING / J. BLEEKEMOLEN / F. FRAGA Ford GT LMGTE Am

Não foram fáceis as nossas 24 horas de Le Mans, com problemas durante a noite a atrasarem-nos. Ainda assim o nosso espírito de equipa e de luta permitiu-nos cortar a meta com os 2 carros da BMW. Estarei de volta em 2020 a Le Mans 🇨🇵 fica a promessa! Obrigado a todos voces pelos apoio 🇵🇹 #TeamAFC13 #LeMans24 #BMWMPOWER

Antonio Felix da Costa 

20ª participação de Pedro Lamy nas 24 Horas de Le Mans

A edição de 2019 da emblemática prova de 24 Horas de Le Mans não correu bem a Pedro Lamy e aos seus companheiros de equipa Paul Dalla Lana e Mathias Lauda. Problemas mecânicos no Aston Martin #98 da categoria GTE AM acabaram por ditar o abandono da equipa após as 7 horas de corrida.

“Foi uma prova complicada e que terminou demasiado cedo para a nossa equipa. Tivemos de entrar duas vezes nas boxes logo nas primeiras horas da competição, primeiro devido a um problema na direção assistida e, depois, a uma saída de pista. Por fim, outro problema mecânico obrigou-nos a abandonar a corrida ao início da noite” explicou o piloto português.

A Algarve Pro Racing Team alcançou um final de top dez desejado no 87º 24 Heures du Mans com os motoristas Andrea Pizzitola, John Falb e David Zollinger

e agora está assim ...

José Maria "Pechito" Lopez é segundo em Le Mans

O vencedor da 1ª Corrida do WTCC em Vila Real em 2015 José Maria "Pechito" Lopez é segundo em Le Mans

Os grandes vencedores Fernando Alonso / Sébastien Buemi e Kazuki Nakajima (Toyota TS050 Hybrid N°8). Toyota Gazoo Racing em dupla com Conway/LopezJose Maria "Pechito" Lopez/Kobayashi

 Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez

2015

 https://manueldinis.blogs.sapo.pt/45o-circuito-internacional-de-vila-real-496907

 2016

 https://manueldinis.blogs.sapo.pt/campeonato-do-mundo-de-carros-de-659964

WTCC Vila Real 2016 2ª corrida

Campeonato do Mundo de Carros de Turismo (WTCC) - adaptação á pista

A prova principal da etapa de Vila Real do Campeonato do Mundo de Carros de Turismo (WTCC) iniciava agora a adaptação ao Circuito Transmontano.

Dia a dia das corridas, terça-feira, 21 de Junho.

 E este fim-de-semana temos os Campeonatos Nacionais de Velocidade em Vila Real para mais um Racing Weekend!

Federação Portuguesa de Automobilismo e Karting

Nordschleif Nürburgring FIA World Touring Car Championship

Este fim de semana é em Nordschleife. Correr no fim de semana que passou em Spa Francorchamps e no próximo em Nordschleife é para poucos. Sou um sortudo. Vamos com tudo este fim-de-semana!

This weekend we race in Nürburgring Nordschleife. To race one weekend in Spa and now in Nordschleife is not usual, I am definetely a lucky guy! Let´s go for it! ‪#‎honda‬ ‪#‎thepowerofdreams‬ ‪#‎tiagosworld18‬

Nordschleife preparations. Amazing atmosphere ✌🏻️ ‪#‎wtcc‬ ‪#‎tiagosworld18‬‪#‎honda‬ ‪#‎thepowerfdreams‬ ‪#‎nordschleife‬

Preparação para a Nordschleife. Ambiente incrível ✌🏻️

LADA SPORT hopes to run rings around WTCC rivals at ‘The Ring’

Rob Huff went P3 in FP0 with Tiago Monteiro P4 and Michelisz Norbert P6

Honda Racing WTCC

Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez took top spot in Free Practice 1 for the FIA WTCC Race of Germany 2016 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife!

World champion López set a best lap of 8m44.236s early in the one-hour session, finishing up a second clear of Citroën Racing team-mate Yvan Muller in a reversal of the positions from Testing held earlier on Thursday.

WTCC Trophy competitor Tom Chilton took an impressive third, just three tenths away from Muller. Nicky Catsburg was fourth for LADA Sport WTCCin front of Rob Huff, who triggered an early end to the session with two minutes to go after he crashed his Honda due to a suspected puncture. He was reportedly unhurt in the impact, but has been taken for checks.

FIA WTCC

1er et 2e des deux premières séances d'essais sur la Nordschleife. Qualifications demain à 12h45 / 1st and 2nd of the first practice sessions at the Nordschleife. Qualifying tomorrow at 2:45 pm.

Yvan Muller

Sexta-feira

Honda excluída das corridas da Hungria e Marrocos.

Honda excluded from Hungary and Morocco results

Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez took the DHL pole position for the Main Race atFIA WTCC Race of Germany 2016 with a sensational record lap of theNürburgring Nordschleife.

The two-time world champion was already sitting on provisional pole when he achieved an 8m35.541s lap on his final attempt, moving 3.573 seconds clear of Citroën Racing team-mate Yvan Muller at the top of the times and bettering his qualifying record from 2015 by 1.8 seconds.

Tom Coronel produced another outstanding qualifying performance to claim third as the best WTCC Trophy runner in his ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet Cruze.

Qualifying for tomorrow’s FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race of Germany on the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife concluded with Nick Catsburg leading the LADA SPORT ROSNEFT charge from within the top five (Friday 27 May). 

The Dutch driver pushed his LADA Vesta TC1 to the sixth fastest time on the 25.3km circuit, which is nestled in Germany’s wild and picturesque Eifel Mountains, therefore he will start Saturday’s (28 May) Opening Race from P5 under the reversed grid rules and the Main Race from P6.

However, the strongest session for LADA SPORT ROSNEFT was undoubtedly FP2 on Friday morning, as all three LADA Vestas could be found in the top five positions, with Italian touring car star Gabriele Tarquini holding second, France’s Hugo Valente third and Catsburg fifth. 

Unfortunately, the all-important qualifying session didn’t quite go to plan. The typical three-part qualifying format has been replaced with a single hour-long session for the WTCC’s Race of Germany on what is easily the world’s longest race circuit, but the track was also shared with competitors from the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). 

Crashes involving runners from both the ETCC and WTCC limited drivers to only a few flying laps, and Valente was one unfortunate casualty, when a tyre failure sent him spearing into the barriers at high speed close to the end of qualifying.  

The Frenchman will subsequently start both races from 13th, one place behind LADA SPORT teammate Tarquini. 

Сatsburg said: “I pulled it out of the bag at the end of qualifying! I feel good, the car feels good and the result is good, if not a little disappointing. I think I might have been able to find one second or so, but I know I’m not five seconds off Jose Maria Lopez’s pace as a driver and I feel I got the most out of the car. It was nice to have some wet running with the LADA Vesta and I’m happy in those conditions, so I’m happy!”

Tarquini added: “Perhaps we didn’t find the best possible setup for qualifying.  In FP2, we had some wet running and the car was totally different – it felt great, but the problem was there when we came back to the dry setup today. I was sure we could make the top ten at the start of qualifying and then I made mistakes while trying to deal with some understeer. We have nothing to lose by experimenting with setup changes from 12th on the grid.”

Valente said: “The LADA Vesta is behaving very well here at the Nurburgring in both wet and dry conditions and that’s why I’m so frustrated to have had two tyres blow out. I was going quite slowly when the first one let go in free practice, but the second one happened while I was pushing on at 260kph on one of the fastest parts of the track. I was a passenger on both occasions and I just feel sorry for the guys in the team, who worked so hard to repair my car overnight. Confidence counts for a lot around here and these two offs won’t help when I go into tomorrow’s races!”

 

 

LADA SPORT ROSNEFT’s Nick Catsburg to start WTCC Race of Germany in TOP-5

Qualifying for tomorrow’s FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race of Germany on the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife concluded with Nick Catsburg leading the LADA SPORT ROSNEFT charge from within the top five (Friday 27 May).
 
The Dutch driver pushed his LADA Vesta TC1 to the sixth fastest time on the 25.3km circuit, which is nestled in Germany’s wild and picturesque Eifel Mountains, therefore he will start Saturday’s (28 May) Opening Race from P5 under the reversed grid rules and the Main Race from P6.
 
However, the strongest session for LADA SPORT ROSNEFT was undoubtedly FP2 on Friday morning, as all three LADA Vestas could be found in the top five positions, with Italian touring car star Gabriele Tarquini holding second, France’s Hugo Valente third and Catsburg fifth.
 
Unfortunately, the all-important qualifying session didn’t quite go to plan. The typical three-part qualifying format has been replaced with a single hour-long session for the WTCC’s Race of Germany on what is easily the world’s longest race circuit, but the track was also shared with competitors from the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC).
 
Crashes involving runners from both the ETCC and WTCC limited drivers to only a few flying laps, and Valente was one unfortunate casualty, when a tyre failure sent him spearing into the barriers at high speed close to the end of qualifying. 
 
The Frenchman will subsequently start both races from 13th, one place behind LADA SPORT teammate Tarquini.
 
Сatsburg said: “I pulled it out of the bag at the end of qualifying! I feel good, the car feels good and the result is good, if not a little disappointing. I think I might have been able to find one second or so, but I know I’m not five seconds off Jose Maria Lopez’s pace as a driver and I feel I got the most out of the car. It was nice to have some wet running with the LADA Vesta and I’m happy in those conditions, so I’m happy!”
 
Tarquini added: “Perhaps we didn’t find the best possible setup for qualifying.  In FP2, we had some wet running and the car was totally different – it felt great, but the problem was there when we came back to the dry setup today. I was sure we could make the top ten at the start of qualifying and then I made mistakes while trying to deal with some understeer. We have nothing to lose by experimenting with setup changes from 12th on the grid.”
 
Valente said: “The LADA Vesta is behaving very well here at the Nurburgring in both wet and dry conditions and that’s why I’m so frustrated to have had two tyres blow out. I was going quite slowly when the first one let go in free practice, but the second one happened while I was pushing on at 260kph on one of the fastest parts of the track. I was a passenger on both occasions and I just feel sorry for the guys in the team, who worked so hard to repair my car overnight. Confidence counts for a lot around here and these two offs won’t help when I go into tomorrow’s races!”
 

 

 

 

P10 on qualy means pole for the opening race ✌🏻️ ‪#‎nordschleife‬ ‪#‎honda‬‪#‎thepowerofdreams‬ ‪#‎tiagosworld18‬

10º na qualificação o que significa que vou sair da pole para a primeira corrida!

No mais difícil e exigente circuito do mundo, Tiago Monteiro garantiu esta tarde o primeiro lugar da grelha para a primeira corrida do WTCC em Nurburgring Nordscheleife, o conhecido “Green Hell”.

 MAC3 victory and pole position for Tiago Monteiro for the opening race. After a challenging weekend, that's a pretty good result in qualifying. Michelisz Norbert starts P4 for the main race and P6 for the opener. Rob Huff P8 for main race and P17 due to engine-change penalty in opener.

 

 

 Quando ia em primeiro.. e na ultima volta, um pneu sai e o acidente acontece...

 

 

"Foi um grande susto mas felizmente não passou disso. Tanto eu como o Yvan estamos bem, vim apenas ao hospital fazer alguns exames por precaução. Volto em Moscovo mais forte que nunca 💪🏻👊🏻

That was a big moment but thankfully I am ok and Yvan as well. I'm in the hospital doing some exams just for precaution. I'll be back stronger than ever in Moscow"

Tiago Monteiro

 

 

WINNER! 🎉 2nd victory Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez today.
P2. Michelisz Norbert
P3. Tom Chilton

 

 

 

A dramatic day with a puncture-induced high-speed crash for Tiago Monteirowhile leading - from which he emerged unscathed - plus two podiums forMichelisz Norbert and a terrific recovery drive for Rob Huff.

 Honda Racing WTCC

 

 

Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez ruled the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife by winning both encounters at FIA WTCC Race of Germany.

The Citroën Racing driver charged through from ninth on the grid to claim the Opening Race laurels before converting his DHL pole position into victory number five of 2016 by taking the Main Race triumph.

 

Strong results for LADA SPORT ROSNEEFT in incident-packed races on the Nordschleife 

LADA SPORT ROSNEFT came away from the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race of Germany on the world-renowned Nurburgring Nordschleife with a pair of top six finishes (Saturday 28 May).

French racer Hugo Valente led the LADA charge in sixth in the Opening Race and Nick Catsburg from the Netherlands finished sixth in the day’s Main Race on the 25.3km racetrack, nestled deep in Germany’s Eifel Mountains.

The Opening Race started without haste, but turned into an incident-packed affair, as a final-lap tyre failure for leader Tiago Monteiro initiated a dramatic collision that took him and Yvan Muller out of the race.

All three LADA SPORT ROSNEFT drivers finished inside the top ten and Valente was satisfied to lead the Russian team’s charge in sixth, with Tarquini and Catsburg shadowing him in seventh and ninth respectively.

However, attention was squarely on the durability of the WTCC’s control tyres, as the failure that claimed Monteiro was the last of many at ‘The Ring’, with Valente himself a victim of two blow outs in free practice and qualifying.

A field of concerned and frustrated drivers lacked confidence after being advised not to push and to avoid the kerbing while flying through the forest on the Nordschleife, and the instructions only served to dilute the on-track action in the Main Race.

Tarquini and Valente sat in seventh and eighth after a typically physical start, sticking their elbows out and muscling their way through the first corner complex to commence a race-long battle with the Volvos of Fredrik Ekblom and Thed Bjork.

Italian touring car veteran, Tarquini, drove the widest LADA Vesta on the track in defence of seventh place and, although he and his young French teammate, Valente, soaked up immense pressure, they were ultimately out-dragged in the Nordschleife’s protracted acceleration zones and crossed the line in eighth and tenth, with Catsburg coming home in a solid sixth.

Reflecting on generally positive, if not slightly frustrating outing at the Nurburgring, Catsburg said: “I didn’t feel comfortable in the car because we were all a bit afraid about the tyres, so I took it easy and just brought it home. Had we been able to push, I think a podium might have been possible in the Main Race”.

Valente added: “The car wasn’t performing as well as in free practice and qualifying, because there were concerns over the tyres and we had to make changes that we’ve never done before, but my progress was good and I don’t think we could have asked for more than a sixth place in the Opening Race. We struggled in a straight line and we were advised to be cautious on the Nordschleife to save the tyres. We’ve had a lot of punctures, not just at the Nurburgring, but at normal circuits too, and it’s a shame that no action has been taken with the tyres before this weekend.”

Tarquini said: “I can’t be satisfied with the results, as I wasn’t able to push in the races. Tyres have been a big problem this weekend and it’s not the place to have this issue, as we’re in a forest, you reach very high speeds and there’s very little room for error. Cars are faster and heavier than last year and the problem must be analysed. You can’t race at a track like this, fearing that the tyres might let go and I was more of a taxi driver on the Nordschleife today.”

The FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) moves on to LADA SPORT ROSNEFT’s homeland, Russia, and the Moscow Raceway for Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2016 season (10-12 June).
 

 

 

John Filippi sobrevive en el “Infierno verde” para lograr un cuarto puesto

http://camposracing.com/john-filippi-sobrevive-en-el-infie…/

John Filippi survives “Green Hell” to take fourth place
http://camposracing.com/john-filippi-survives-green-hell-…/…

 

Main Race flash: López rules the Nordschleife in WTCC

 

 

Acordei muito dorido mas aliviado e contente por já estar em casa com a minha família. Obrigado a todos pelas milhares de mensagens de apoio que para mim significam muito!! Agora é recuperar para voltar mais forte que nunca em Moscovo daqui a duas semanas 💪🏻👊🏻💪🏻

Very sore and bruised but so grateful and happy to be back home with my family!! Thank you all so much for your kind messages!! It means so much to me!! I will be back stronger than ever in Moscow 💪🏻👊🏻💪🏻 ‪#‎raceway‬ in 2 weeks!! ‪#‎workhardplayhard‬ ‪#‎tiagosworld18‬ ‪#‎honda‬ ‪#‎thepowerofdreams‬‪#‎lovemyfamily‬

Yvan Muller  WTCC Nürburgring.

 

Rob Huff reflects: a double dose of 'The Green Hell'

There was collisions, controversy and a whole lot of drama during the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race of Germany and the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of the Nurburgring (27-29 May).

To be honest, it was shaping up to be a nightmare weekend for me. In the WTCC, some sort of failure on my Honda caused a massive shunt at 220kph in free practice, necessitating an engine-change that resulted in a ten-place grid penalty and resigned me to 17th on the Opening Race grid.

The Castrol Honda Racing boys did a phenomenal job to repair the car, I had a little trip to the Medical Centre and all was fine by the time we reached qualifying.

We looked pretty quick in practice, but my Civic Type-R wasn’t the same and didn’t fill me with confidence after its brush with the barriers. I qualified seventh and successfully raced to fourth place in both the Opening and Main Races, which, considering how the week began, is pretty good going.

The main story of the Opening Race was the incident involving my teammate Tiago Monteiro and Citroen’s Yvan Muller; a tyre failure sent Tiago into a terrifying high-speed spin that saw him go airborne. Yvan simply had no way of avoiding the wayward Honda, contact was made and they were both out on the spot.

Thankfully, Tiago was unhurt, but the crash initiated a big debate over the durability and safety of the WTCC’s Yokohama tyres.

There was a lot of fuss and, although I believe this should be analysed and we do need a special ‘Nurburgring tyre’, I know my car is built to the highest level by a very professional set of people. I hit the wall hard in sixth gear and I didn’t even have a bruise or a stiff neck to show for it!

The fact is, we’re racing drivers and, if you’re concerned about your own safety, don’t race! It’s as simple as that.

However, the spotlight was also on Honda after WTCC stewards and the FIA Technical Delegate deemed the Civic Type-R TC1’s flat floors to be in breach of the championship’s technical regulations.

The team was disqualified from the Hungarian and Moroccan results and many were seeking my reaction to the exclusions, but I don’t feel it’s my place to comment; I just drive the car and the WTCC regulations and how Honda interprets them is effectively nothing to do with me.

Naturally, I’m very disappointed, but Castrol Honda Racing is adamant that its floors comply with the regulations and it will appeal in the coming weeks, although the decision is shameful for the fact that the WTCC revolves around its fans and yet, after a fantastic start to the season, there’s now a feeling that the ruling has denied us a good title fight.

I just wanted to get my head down and move on, and that’s pretty easy when you’ve got a Black Falcon Mercedes-Benz AMG GTS waiting to be driven in the Nurburgring 24 Hours!

I was due to test the car earlier in the week, but these plans were cancelled because – and you won’t believe me when I tell you – my plane’s cockpit windows smashed on take-off!

We turned around and made an emergency landing – a new experience for me – but I was unable to get a seat on another flight to Germany and my first taste of the car would be in qualifying on Friday (27 May).

Free practice was curtailed by a gearbox failure and an off for one of my co-drivers and my experience of the AMG GTS consisted of three qualifying laps – one more than my teammates, who know the car well.

The first session was primarily about making it into the top 30 in order to get a blue light, which is basically a permanent blue flag, but Indy Dontje did a great job to put us third.

However, the heavens opened at ‘The Green Hell’ just prior to the top-30 shootout on Friday night, so the idea was to simply complete two sensible laps and bring the car home, which we did in 28th.

It was always going to be an interesting 24 hours, but the start was unbelievable. The race had barely begun when, out of nowhere, massive amounts of ice fell from the sky; several cars crashed and countless others became stranded, their slick tyres unable to grip on what became an ice rink.

A long delay meant my first real run in the AMG GTS would be during the evening shift

Circuit Paul Ricard WTCC 2016 

 Rain session today here in Paul Ricard. Car is working ok so let's push tomorrow and see what we can do in qualy 👊🏻💪🏻👊🏻 #tiagosworld18 #honda#thepowerofdreams #paulricard

Sessão de testes à chuva hoje aqui em Paul Ricard. Tudo ok com o carro por isso amanhã na qualificação é atacar e ver onde estamos! — em Circuit Paul Ricard OFFICIEL.

Sábado

P1 this morning in free practice. So far so good but it's this afternoon that counts with qualy. Let's push 💪🏻👊🏻💪🏻 p.s: by the way, Kubica is not here, remember that yesterday was April Fool's Day 😂

Fui o mais rápido esta manhã no treino livre. Por agora tudo ok mas o que conta é agora à tarde na qualificação. Vamos com tudo! P.S: já agora o Kubica não se mudou para o WTCC, pelo menos por agora. Foi a minha piada do dia das mentiras 😂#tiagosworld18 #workhardplayhard#workhardplayhardtm18 #castrol #honda#hondaracing #brose #fludoswisswatch#monroesafetyambassador #10thseason — em Circuit Paul Ricard OFFICIEL.

Boa qualificação! Amanhã arranco de 2º para a primeira corrida aqui de Paul Ricard. Sinto-me muito confiante com o carro e toda a equipa Honda fez um excelente trabalho, agora amanhã é atacar e tentar trazer a vitória para Portugal! Corrida 1 em direto no Eurosport as 11:00 e depois a segunda as 16:00. Conto com o vosso apoio!!!

Good qualy!. Will start P2 tomorrow for race 1. I am felling really confortable with the car and all theHonda Racing WTCC boys did a very good job today. Let's see if tomorrow we can bring gold home!! Races live on Eurosport
#tiagosworld18 #workhardplayhard#workhardplayhardtm18 #castrol #honda#hondaracing #brose #fludoswisswatch#monroesafetyambassador #10thseason — a sentir-se motivado em Circuit Paul Ricard OFFICIEL.

Some action from today. Tomorrow the magic word is: ATTACK 👊🏻💪🏻👊🏻

Um bocadinho do dia de hoje. Amanhã a palavra mágica é só uma: ATAQUE 👊🏻💪🏻👊🏻 ‪#‎tiagosworld18‬ ‪#‎workhardplayhard‬‪#‎workhardplayhardtm18‬ ‪#‎castrol‬ ‪#‎honda‬ ‪#‎hondaracing‬ ‪#‎brose‬‪#‎fludoswisswatch‬ ‪#‎monroesafetyambassador‬ ‪#‎10thseason‬

Tiago Monteiro  vai sair da segunda linha  no circuito de Paul Ricard para a prova inaugural do Campeonato do Mundo de Carros de Turismo (WTCC),

 Real racing, WTCC France race 1, with epic battles for Tom Coronel 2016

Classificação corrida 1:

1. Rob Huff Castrol Honda Civic
2. Mehdi Bennani Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen C-Elysee +2.184s
3. Norbert Michelisz JAS Honda Civic +6.737s
4. Tiago Monteiro Castrol Honda Civic +7.911s
5. Hugo Valente LADA Sport Vesta +12.554s
6. Jose Maria Lopez Citroen Racing C-Elysee +12.955s
7. Thed Bjork Polestar Cyan Volvo S60 +22.162s
8. Nick Catsburg LADA Sport Vesta +23.708s
9. Tom Coronel ROAL Chevrolet Cruze +24.892
10. Gregoire Demoustier Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen C-Elysee +25.738s
11. Tom Chilton  Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen C-Elysee +26.429s
12. John Filippi Campos Chevrolet Cruze +26.908s
13. Yvan Muller Citroen Racing C-Elysee +40.095s
14. Rene Munnich Munnich Chevrolet Cruze +42.417s

Não terminaram 

15. Gabriele Tarquini LADA Sport Vesta
16. Fredrik Ekblom Polestar Cyan Volvo S60

"Guess who’s back! Career victory number 28 is a pretty special one, not only because I’ve had to wait quite a while to make a return to the top step of the podium, but because it was achieved in my first ever FIA WTCC outing with the Castrol Honda Racing WTCC team at Circuit Paul Ricard OFFICIEL (1-3 April) - http://tinyurl.com/zueakyw"

 Rob Huff Castrol Honda Civic

Première course WTCC de la saison, premier podium général pour Mehdi Bennani Officiel et première victoire dans le WTCC Trophy, grâce notamment à un super départ smile emoticon Après de belles batailles, Greg Demoustier prend le point de la 10e place et monte sur la 3e marche du podium du WTCC Trophy. Tom Chilton termine aux portes du Top 10. Course 2 à 17h15!

The first FIA WTCC race of 2016 starts in 15 min!

Live timing: bit.ly/1pTfdUy
Live TV: bit.ly/238rovn

Thed Björk climbs 9 positions in FIA WTCC Race 1 at Paul Ricard to finish P7 from P16 on the grid!

Team mate Fredrik Ekblom had to retire due to rear-suspension damage sustained at the chaotic start of the race. The team has managed to repair the car and he will be ready for the second race.

The team has repaired Fredrik Ekblom’s car and he will be on the grid forFIA WTCC Race 2, starting at 17:15 CET.

We are 15 min from FIA WTCC Race 2!
Live timing: bit.ly/1pTfdUy
Live TV: bit.ly/238rovn

 Início da prova

Fredrik Ekblom finished P10 in the second FIA WTCC race at Paul Ricard while Thed Björk had to retire with an electrical issue.

The results mean that ‪#‎Polestar‬ ‪#‎CyanRacing‬ has scored world championship points in both races of the season start

2ª Corrida Paul Ricard Circuit

Classificação corrida 2:

1. Jose Maria Lopez Citroën Racing C-Elysee
2. Tiago Monteiro Castrol Honda Civic +0.284 s
3. Norbert Michelisz JAS Honda Civic +3.111s
4. Yvan Muller Citroën Racing C-Elysee +8.562s
5. Nick Catsburg LADA Sport Vesta +9.814s
6. Rob Huff Castrol Honda Civic +19.934
7. Mehdi Bennani Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroën C-Elysee+21.792s
8. Hugo Valente LADA Sport Vesta +22.130s
9. Tom Chilton Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroën C-Elysee +22.389s
10. Fredrik Ekblom Polestar Cyan Volvo S60 +27.554s
11. Tom Coronel Chevrolet Cruze +32.142s
12. John Filippi Campos Chevrolet Cruze +32.166s
13. Gregoire Demoustier Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroën C-Elysee +35.629s

Não terminaram

14. Thed Bjork Polestar Cyan Volvo S60
15. Rene Munnich Munnich Chevrolet Cruze
16. Gabriele Tarquini ITA LADA Sport Vesta

 STORY OF THE DAY - THIS IS WTCC 2016

WTCC France, Race 2 highlights Tom Coronel from P4, 2016

A pair of TOP-5 finishes for LADA SPORT ROSNEFT in 2016 WTCC opener

Spirits are high at LADA SPORT ROSNEFT at the conclusion of the opening round of the 2016 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) at Circuit Paul Ricard, as the Russian team was able to demonstrate that it is now more than a match for its rivals with solid points finishes for Nick Catsburg and Hugo Valente (Sunday 3 April).  

In the Opening Race, Valente found himself third on the initial run to Turn 1, while Catsburg and Gabriele Tarquini emerged from a frenetic opening-lap tussle in sixth and tenth respectively. 

Valente latched to the rear of Mehdi Bennani’s Citroen C-Elysee during the first half of the 16-lapper and he did a valiant job of attacking while playing a rear-guard action against the advancing Hondas of Norbert Michelisz and Tiago Monteiro. Sadly, the young Frenchman’s pace started to drop off as tyre wear became an issue and an opportunistic lunge by Michelisz was enough to relieve the LADA driver of third position and also allow Monteiro through. 

Thereafter, Valente turned his attention to the fast-approaching Citroen of Jose-Maria Lopez; the reigning World Champion did his best to force a mistake with some bold moves, but Valente kept a cool head under pressure and fended off the Argentinian brilliantly to collect ten well-deserved championship points for fifth position.  

Catsburg, who previously claimed to need training from teammate and touring car veteran, Tarquini, when it comes to door handle-to-door handle racing, showed great skill and judgement while embroiled in several high-intensity tussles on Sunday morning. 

The Dutch racer traded places with Tom Coronel on lap one and, after locking horns with Monteiro, spent most of the race in pursuit of the Chevrolet driver. Catsburg clearly had more pace, but bided his time. A fair, yet robust passing manoeuvre on the final approach to Turn 1 opened the door to Volvo’s Thed Bjork, but the dispute for eighth place went right down to the flag, with Catsburg coming out on top. 

Tarquini, meanwhile, was doing his utmost to hold back the Citroen of Gregoire Demoustier and the Volvo of Bjork while carefully managing tyre wear by keeping his distance to those ahead of him. However, on his eighth tour of the Southern French circuit, the Italian received a huge, race-ending biff from the wayward Demoustier that destroyed his right-rear suspension, and the Italian’s misfortune would continue on Sunday afternoon, as a collision resulted front-end damage and another retirement. 

His teammates fared a little better on the French Riviera, as a delighted Catsburg kept the top four honest while driving to a solid fifth place and Valente finished seventh following an incredibly busy race against the Citroens of Bennani and Tom Chilton. 

Catsburg said: “I am really happy, because last year the Race of France for us wasn’t very good and now we have come away with some fantastic results and a good haul of points. We couldn’t have dreamt of keeping up with the Citroens in 2015 and today we were right there with them. I still need to work on my starts and my racecraft – in race one I lost some positions while fighting, while in race two was much cleaner and I was able to get into a rhythm – but we can all be very thankful to the LADA team for what they have done over the winter. The drivers all share ideas openly and I think that is helping us move forward. I’m really excited about the next round!”

Valente said: “I’m very happy with how the opening round has panned out. I was disappointed with the outcome of race one; I can’t pretend to be happy with fifth after starting from the front, but I can’t complain too much because we weren’t originally on the reversed grid pole and we came away with solid points. I never got to drive last year’s Vesta, but it’s clear that the team has taken a big step over the winter. I have to step up my game because Nicky (Catsburg) was very fast today, but that’s a good challenge. I have been able to adapt my driving to the LADA Vesta as the weekend has progressed and that has helped in a lot of ways, so I’m encouraged for the rest of the season.”

Tarquini said: “It hasn’t been a good day in terms of the results for me personally, but it has been incredibly positive for LADA SPORT ROSNEFT as a whole. The car was very good and I was very happy with the balance. Nicky (Catsburg) is able to judge the improvements over the winter, because he drove the LADA Vesta at Circuit Paul Ricard last year. We really aren’t very far away from the Hondas and the Citroens and two or three tenths will make a big difference.”

Sébastien Loeb Racing Team

Un podium et un Top 10 au classement général, deux victoires dans le WTCC Trophy dont un doublé, et la première place de ce trophée réservé aux pilotes et teams indépendants. Tel est le bilan du team après la première manche du FIA WTCC.

Le résumé et les réactions de Mehdi Bennani Officiel, Tom Chilton et Grégoire Demoustier : http://goo.gl/LS83Hc

 AUTO - WTCC PAUL RICARD 2016

MULLER Yvan (fra) Citroen C Elysee team Citroen TOTAL WTCC portrait ambiance during the 2016 FIA WTCC World Touring Car Championship race of Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France from April 1 to 3 - Photo Vincent Curutchet / DPPI.

World championship points for Polestar Cyan Racing in WTCC debut

2016-04-03

Thed Björk and Fredrik Ekblom scored world championship points in the first ever FIA World Touring Car Championship race weekend of the all-new programme of Polestar Cyan Racing.

Thed Björk provided the best show of the weekend in the first race where he climbed from last position on the grid to finish seventh, passing nine cars.

”I am really pleased with the weekend. We have got a receipt that we are on pace. We had some issues but that is to be expected and the team has done an amazing work with the car. I can’t wait to get to the next race in Slovakia,” said Björk.

Team mate Fredrik Ekblom was next to score world championship points in the second race, crossing the line in tenth position after a tough fight with, among others, former world champion Rob Huff.

”We have had a good first race and I am delighted leave Paul Ricard with points. The car is fast and I am longing for us to sink our teeth in all the data we have gathered in order to sharpen our knives even further ahead of the rest of the season,” said Ekblom.

Some technical issued came with the debut weekend, with a broken rear suspension for Ekblom in race one after an incident and an electrical issue for Björk in race two.

The total results of the season start are above expectation for the team, most importantly showing competitive pace with an all new car and programme of Polestar Cyan Racing.

”We can conclude that our setup with a Swedish car, Swedish drivers and an all-Swedish crew is working. Our mission for the first race was to gather data. We have done more than that with Thed giving us a great show in the first race and both drivers scoring world championship points,” said Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Head of Motorsport at Polestar.

The next WTCC race will be held in two weeks at the Slovakiaring, April 16-17th.

20160402_Polestar_0027

WTCC Race of France

Circuit: Paul Ricard

Length: 3481 m

Lap record (WTCC): 1:31.148, López

Results

Race 1 – Top 5

1 Rob Huff Honda Civic 16 laps

2 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +2.184

3 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +6.737

4 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +7.911

5 Hugo Valente Lada Vesta +12.554

…

7 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +22.162

NC Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60

Race 2 – Top 5

1 José-María López Citroën C-Elysée 17 laps

2 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.284

3 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +3.111

4 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée +8.652

5 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +9.814

…

10 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +27.554

DNF Thed Björk Volvo S60

Q3 – Top 5

1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:28.950

2 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée

3 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic

4 Tom Coronel Chevrolet Cruze

Q2 – Top 5

1 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée 1:29.263

2 José María López Citroën C-Elysée +0.171

3 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.287

4 Tom Coronel Chevrolet Cruze +0.362

5 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +0.406

…

6 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.470

9 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.958

Q1 – Top 5

1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:29.345

2 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +0.112

3 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée +0.420

4 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.421

5 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.444

…

10 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.764

Free Practice 2 – Top 5

1 Thed Björk Volvo S60 1:30.039

2 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.348

3 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +0.351

4 Gabriele Tarquini Lada Vesta +0.446

5 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée +0.462

…

7 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.876

Free Practice 1 – Top 5

1 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic 1:42.565

2 José María López Citroën C-Elysée +0.133

3 Grégorie Demoustier Citroën C-Elysée +0.134

4 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +0.234

5 Gabriele Tarquini Lada Vesta +0.259

…

10 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +1.030

13 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +1.652

Championship standings

Drivers

1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 38 pts

2 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic 34 (-4)

3 Rob Huff Honda Civic 33 (-5)

4 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic 30 (-8)

5 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée 22 (-16)

…

9 Thed Björk Volvo S60 6 (-32)

13 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 1 (-37)

Manufacturers

1 Citroën 84 pts

2 Honda 83 (-1)

3 Lada 46 (-38)

4 Polestar 14 (-70)

TV Schedule

International: https://www.fiawtcc.com/watch-it-on-tv/

Online: http://www.eurosportplayer.com/

WTCC testes em Vallelunga - dia 2

Honda Racing WTCC adicionou 4 fotos novas.

End of day two, which has been affected by rain at Vallelunga. Michelisz Norbert has ended up P6, but has amassed over 400km of useful running over the two days.

"Michelisz: No need for ultimate speed in WTCC testing

 03/03/2016 22:00

New factory Honda driver Norbert Michelisz has said rapid lap times weren’t the priority during official pre-season FIA World Touring Car Championship testing at Vallelunga this week.

Michelisz set the fifth best overall time yesterday and was sixth quickest outright today in his Honda Racing Team JAS Civic.

But by completing 96 laps of the 4.085-kilometre Rome track, Michelisz insists it was a case of mission accomplished. “It’s been a really good test for us,” said the reigning WTCC Trophy champion. “We didn’t come here to set a lap time; we came here to get everything in place to set fast lap times at every round.

“It’s a shame that the weather wasn’t great on the second day, which meant we had to change our plan a little bit, but the results look good and we’ve made some very positive steps forward with the suspension and balance. We have another few days planned over the next few weeks before the start of the season so we should be in a good shape for Paul Ricard at the season opener.”

Although they didn’t take to the track, Michelisz’s fellow factory Honda drivers Rob Huff and Tiago Monteiro were also present during the two-day tes."

segundo dia da Citroen

The new Citroën C-Elysée WTCC took the track with Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez and Yvan Muller! Watch this!

Test report: López tops day two of WTCC testing

03/03/2016 18:30

WTCC title holder José María López has topped day two of official FIA World Touring Car Championship testing in Italy today.

Rain – even a freak hail storm – had dampened the Vallelunga circuit and appeared to have made the early running decisive in terms of the fastest lap times until the factory Citroën driver struck during the day’s fifth and final session with a best lap of 1m37.123s around the the 4.085-kilometre Rome track.

Team-mate Yvan Muller set the bar with a 1m37.730s in the opening dry session and was quickest again in the second session before handing over the C-Eylsée WTCC test car to López. But while López also set the pace in session four, the third session of the day was notable following Fredrik Ekblom’s pacesetting time in his Volvo S60 Polestar TC1.

The Swedish make’s performance brand is embarking on a long-term WTCC campaign from 2016 and the results of testing will give the factory Polestar squad plenty of cause for optimism, particularly after Ekblom’s team-mate, Thed Björk went second quickest in the dry first session to complete the day in third overall.

“We have had two extremely valuable test days,” said Björk. “While we can’t draw any real conclusions until the first race, it is satisfying to see that we straight out of the box are quite close to the top times.”

Mehdi Bennani, who was fastest of all on the dry opening day of testing on Wednesday, underlined his WTCC Trophy title credentials with fourth overall in his Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën. Behind Ekblom in the overall standings, Nobert Michelisz was sixth in a works Honda Civic WTCC followed by Grégoire Demoustier, Tom Chilton and René Münnich.

The two-day official WTCC test was in preparation for the opening weekend of the 2016 season at Circuit Paul Ricard in France from 1-3 April when a number of drivers not in action at Vallelunga, including works LADA trio Nicky Catsburg, Gabriele Tarquini and Hugo Valente, plus Honda pair Rob Huff and Tiago Monteiro, will be on track.

WTCC Official Test day two, combined classification:

1 José María López (ARG) Citroën C-Elysée WTCC (1m37.123s);

2 Yvan Muller (FRA) Citroën C-Elysée WTCC (1m37.730s);

3 Thed Björk (SWE) Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 (1m38.527s);

4 Mehdi Bennani (MAR) Citroën C-Elysée WTCC (1m39.016s);

5 Fredrik Ekblom (SWE) Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 (1m39.223s);

6 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Honda Civic WTCC (1m39.795s);

7 Grégoire Demoustier (FRA) Citroën C-Elysée WTCC (1m39.795s);

8 Tom Chilton (GBR) Citroën C-Elysée WTCC (1m49.291s);

9 René Münnich (DEU) Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 (1m40.371s).

"Polestar pair on track and on the pace in the WTCC

 03/03/2016 20:00

Polestar Cyan Racing put its factory Volvo S60 TC1s up against its FIA World Touring Car Championship rivals for the first time in Italy this week and more than held its own.

Thed Björk and Fredrik Ekblom impressed during two days of official testing at Vallelunga with Ekblom fastest of all in Thursday’s third test session.

“We have waited for a long time to get on track with the competitors of the championship,” said Ekblom. “We worked through a lot of vital issues during the days, providing us with a lot of answers. There is still plenty of work ahead of us all season but the feeling is good ahead of the first race.”

Team-mate Björk added: “We have had two extremely valuable test days. While we can’t draw any real conclusions until the first race, it is satisfying to see that we straight out of the box are quite close to the top times.”

Volvo, through its performance brand Polestar, has made a long-term commitment to the WTCC from 2016

Day 1

Morning session – Top 5
1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:37.348
2 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +0.414
3 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.853
4 John Filippi Chevrolet Cruze +0.876
5 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.985

Afternoon session – Top 5
1 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée 1:37.000
2 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.352
3 Tom Chilton Citroën C-Elysée +0.427
4 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +0.524
5 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée +0.673
…
6 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +1.088

Day 2

Session 1 – Top 5
1 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée 1:37.730
2 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.797
3 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +1.286
4 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +1.493
5 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +2.065

Session 2 – Top 5
1 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée 1:54.731
2 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +1.153
3 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +4.734
4 Tom Chilton Citroën C-Elysée +5.272
5 Grégoire Demoustier Citroën C-Elysée +5.644
…
7 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +8.463

Session 3 – Top 5
1 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 1:40.606
2 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +1.398
3 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +2.789
4 Grégorie Demoustier Citroën C-Elysée +4.179
5 Norbert Michelisz Citroën C-Elysée +9.998

Session 4 – Top 5
1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:45.420
2 Mehdi Bennani Citroën C-Elysée +4.638
3 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +4.842
4 René Münnich Chevrolet Cruze +5.508
5 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +5.991

Session 5 – Top 5
1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:37.123
2 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +2.698
3 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +3.054
4 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +4.542

WTCC 2016 inscritos

Hoje ficou conhecida a lista dos participantes no Campeonato do Mundo de Carros de Turismo, onde ainda há lugar para um dos Chevrolet da Campos e para os dois Civic da Zengo

FIA WTCC: JOIN US IN 2016

2 – Gabriele Tarquini – Lada Sport Rosneft – Lada Vesta WTCC

3 – Tom Chilton – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

5 – Norbert Michelisz – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic WTCC

7 – Hugo Valente – Lada Sport Rosneft – Lada Vesta WTCC

9 – Tom Coronel – ROAL Motorsport – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1

10 – Nicky Catsburg – Lada Sport Rosneft – Lada Vesta WTCC

11 – Grégoire Demoustier – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

12 – Rob Huff – Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team – Honda Civic WTCC

18 – Tiago Monteiro – Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team – Honda Civic WTCC

25 – Mehdi Bennani – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

27 – John Filippi – Campos Racing – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1

37 – José María López – Citroën Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

61 – Fredrik Ekblom – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1

62 – Thed Björk – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1

68 – Yvan Muller – Citroën Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

77 – René Münnich – Münnich Motorsport – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1

89 – John Bryant-Meisner – Nika Racing – Honda Civic WTCC

TBA – TBA – Campos Racing – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1

TBA – TBA – Zengo Motorsport – Honda Civic WTCC

TBA – TBA – Zengo Motorsport – Honda Civic WTCC