Series newsletter 2009-01-23

SUCCESSFUL TEST FOR CHEVROLET The Chevrolet team completed a three-day test with the new Cruze at the Estoril's racetrack. It has been another positive step forward for the new car in view of its race debut in Curitiba. Nicola Larini was fully ...

SUCCESSFUL TEST FOR CHEVROLET

The Chevrolet team completed a three-day test with the new Cruze at the Estoril's racetrack.

It has been another positive step forward for the new car in view of its race debut in Curitiba. Nicola Larini was fully satisfied with the work achieved, despite changeable weather condition: "In three days we have experienced everything: sunshine, rain, hale and fog! This has somehow affected our programme, but on the other hand allowed us to test the car in all track conditions and to complete some reliability tests as well. There have been no major hiccups and we were able to gather very useful information," he said. On the technical side, work focused on testing different suspension

configurations and the new X-trac gearbox. The Chevrolet Cruze will continue its testing program in Valencia early February, with Larini and Alain Menu, before embarking the long journey to Brazil.

Nicola Larini tested the Chevrolet Cruze at Estoril

TOM AND TIM FINISHED THE DAKAR

Tom and Tim Coronel made it to the end. The Dutch twin brothers managed to complete the infamous Dakar rally that crossed Argentina and Chile in 15 stages for a total of 6,000 km from January 3rd to 18th.

The Coronels survived a number of difficult moments and technical issues and drove their Bowler Nemesis car back to Buenos Aires in 70th position overall.

Their best result during the event was a brilliant 11th position overall, claimed on January 15th at the end of the 12th stage that consisted of 530 km from Fiambala to La Rioja.

"When we started two weeks ago we had only one goal in mind: driving to the finish line. It has been tough, but we made it and now we are extremely satisfied," said Tom.

MAKE CARS GREEN - CAMPAIGN UPDATE

The upcoming year is set to be another important time for the Make Cars Green campaign. Not only is it becoming the voice for motor sport initiatives and policies of the FIA's new Environment Commission, the campaign will also spearhead the drive for a positive outcome at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit and support a new global drive for a 50 per cent fuel economy improvement by 2050.

A key element of the success achieved in 2008 was the '10 points for greener motoring' leaflet, which has successfully provided FIA clubs with free, personalised tools and materials to conduct a simple, yet effective, promotional campaign in their home countries. The leaflet offers advice to ordinary motorists on how to use straightforward methods to improve their fuel efficiency by 15 per cent.

In 2008, 43 FIA member clubs throughout the world distributed more than 3.5 million leaflets in 18 languages. The FIA will continue to make such campaign material available, free of cost, to its members throughout 2009. In January alone, a further 15 new clubs have placed orders totalling 260,000 leaflets, and 16 more language variations are coming on stream in February.

All those FIA mobility and motor sport members who wish to support Make Cars Green in 2009 should contact the FIA Communications team to order their own language editions of the '10 points for greener motoring' leaflet and use the following links for other campaign resources.

The FIA World Touring Car Championship supports the Make Cars Green campaign

COUNTDOWN: - 44 DAYS to the 2009 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil - 7th / 8th March, in Curitiba