Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia

Series newsletter 2009-12-25

CHEVROLET TEAM ALREADY AT WORK The Chevrolet team have already started their wintertime testing in view of the next WTCC season. Last week Alain Menu spent a couple of days at Jerez de la Frontera (December 17th and 18th) that were disturbed by ...

CHEVROLET TEAM ALREADY AT WORK

The Chevrolet team have already started their wintertime testing in view of the next WTCC season. Last week Alain Menu spent a couple of days at Jerez de la Frontera (December 17th and 18th) that were disturbed by the rain.

"It was nice to be back at the wheel, although the rain prevented us from doing proper development work. As weather and track conditions were constantly changing, it made no sense to work on set-up, but we completed some useful system checks and completed 700km without troubles," said the Swiss driver.

After a short Christmas break the team will hit the track again at Valencia (January 11th and 12th), Algarve (January 20th and 21st) and Valencia again (February 17th and 18th). The first of these three test sessions will see Yvan Muller making his maiden appearance in the Cruze car.

"What we'll achieve during the winter will be critical for the coming season, as once the championship starts, events and travelling make development work more difficult. We have high ambitions for 2010, so we are doing our utmost during these winter months," explained Chevrolet Motorsport director Eric Nève.

CORONEL WINS TOP GEAR AWARD

Tom Coronel was declared winner of the "Driver of the Year" award from Dutch motorsport magazine Top Gear.

Coronel was selected because he won the FIA World Touring Car Championship's Independents' Trophy despite having lost support from SEAT Dutch importer before the two final race meetings in Japan and Macau.

With a brilliant mix of obstinacy and results, Coronel managed to gather a pool of sponsors willing to back him until the end of the season. And this enabled him to win Race 1 in Okayama and Macau at the wheel of the SUNRED-run SEAT Leon, securing the title with a 13-point margin ahead of Proteam Motorsport's Felix Porteiro.

FOUR EVENTS FOR THE FIA EURO CUP

The FIA European Touring Car Cup will change format from next year, switching from a one-off event at the end of the season to a four-event series.

2010 FIA European Touring Car Cup - calendar
28 March - Braga, Portugal
30 May - Oschersleben, Germany
25 July - Salzburgring, Austria
17 October - Franciacorta, Italy

Each meeting will include two 50km races, for a total of eight rounds awarding points.

Three FIA cups will be awarded at the end of the season, one per each of the eligible categories: Super 2000, Super 1600 and Super Production.

A 100,000 euro prize money will be awarded at each of the four race meetings: 65,000 euros to Super 2000, 25,000 to Super 1600 and 10,000 to Super Production.

"A series of four events will help to cover the whole European territory, making it easier for the teams to take part in all or selected events. The aim is also to strengthen the ties between the National Championships that adopt the FIA technical regulations," KSO General Manager Marcello Lotti explained.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

COUNTDOWN: - 72 DAYS to the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil - 6th / 7th March, in Curitiba

-credit: wtcc

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Chevrolet winter testing preview
Next article Series newsletter 2009-12-31

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia