WTCC Race of the Netherlands – Circuit Park Zandvoort – 5 / 6 May 2007
Weather: sunny, with a cold wind and a dry track.
MENU AND LARINI MAKE A CHEVROLET FRONT ROW
For the first time in WTCC history the front row of the grid will be filled by two Chevrolet Lacetti cars. Alain Menu dominated the electrifying session, improving his time whenever others looked set to challenge for the pole. After he set a provisional pole position of 1:47.578 he improved to 1:47.044, a time that his team-mate Nicola Larini was able to close on but not to match; the Italian will line up alongside the Swiss, only 0.157 slower. Augusto Farfus ensured BMW were in the top three with a lap of 1:47.519.
Luca Rangoni, independent driver for Proteam Motorsport, put in an outstanding performance on his last lap to qualify fourth overall. For most of the session Roberto Colciago of SEAT Sport Italia was the fastest independent but eventually he qualified 10th overall.
The newest driver to the SEAT Sport team, Tiago Monteiro, achieved their best qualifying result as he was placed fifth with a time of 1:47.738. Teammate Jordi Gené clocked the 7th best time while BMW Team Italy-Spain’s Félix Porteiro slotted in between the two.
Andy Priaulx spoiled his fastest lap by making a mistake at turn ten, consequently he qualified 8th ahead of Robert Huff of Chevrolet. James Thompson’s time of 1:48.121 at the wheel of his N.technology Alfa Romeo 156 was good enough to place him 12th on the grid tomorrow.
Local man Tom Coronel qualified 15th; the pressure was on him as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands watched the session from the GR Asia garage.
PRACTICE 2 – MENU SET FASTEST LAP
Alain Menu topped the timesheet for the second free practice. The Chevrolet driver clocked 1:48.610 which was only 0.107 seconds faster than his teammate Nicola Larini. The top three was rounded off with Tom Coronel completing a lap in 1:48.743.
Augusto Farfus headed the BMW drivers; he was forth overall with a time 0.387 shy of Menu’s. The other Dutchman, Olivier Tielemans was placed fifth for Alfa Romeo ahead of Andy Priaulx and Robert Huff.
The quickest independent driver was Roberto Colciago from SEAT Sport Italia; 13th quickest overall.
SUSPENDED PENALTY FOR FREITAS
Miguel Freitas was given a suspended penalty of 2000 euros because his Alfa Romeo 156 was not equipped with the up-to-date FIA data logging system. If his team change the system for Valencia the penalty will be cancelled, otherwise the fine will be implemented and exclusion from the Valencia event will ensue.
DRIVERS FINED FOR A TOTAL OF 4500 EUROS
Following Firday’s free practice session seven drivers were fined. One of the offences, committed by Luca Rangoni, Yvan Muller and Andy Priaulx was entering the fast lane before the green light signalled the start of the session.
The penalty was 500 euros a piece. A slightly more expensive mistake was made by Roberto Colciago, Olivier Tielemans, Félix Porteiro and Alex Zanardi as they were each fined 750 euros for not slowing down under yellow flags.
2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship RESULTS FREE PRACTICE 2 Zandvoort Circuit Length = 4.3070 km. Start: 11:00 End: 11:30
1 8 Alain MENU SUI Chevrolet Lacetti 1:48.610 12 142.76
2 7 Nicola LARINI ITA Chevrolet Lacetti 1:48.717 11 0.107 142.62
3 20 Tom CORONEL NED SEAT Leon 1:48.743 13 0.133 142.58
4 3 Augusto FARFUS BRA BMW 320si 1:48.997 14 0.387 142.25
Alain MENU
"For Chevrolet this result is fantastic. They have worked so hard for nearly three years and our first pole from qualifying is well deserved. Since 2005 we have improved the car step by step but we are getting there. Since Brazil it has been a dramatic improvement.
I expected us to be good here because there are varied corners and lots of ups an ... mehr
Alain Menu topped the timesheet for the second free practice session at Zandvoort. The Chevrolet driver clocked 1:48.610 which was only 0.107 seconds faster than his team-mate Nicola Larini, who posted the second best lap time. The top three was rounded off with local hero Tom Coronel completing a lap in his ... mehr
2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship - ZANDVOORT
Tiago MONTEIRO
"I think it’s good I’ve started on a positive note. I got used to the track quickly and the car had good balance. However, the experienced drivers always keep something special for qualifying so I know ... mehr
5 / 6 May 2007ROUNDS 3 & 4 – ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS TESTING AND PRACTICE REPORTWeather: sunny and windy, with a dry track.
MENU FASTEST IN TESTING
Ahead of the second meeting of the 2007 WTCC season in Zandvoort, the field had the chance to suss out the circuit. A th ... mehr
Zandvoort’s sandy banks provided a good challenge for the N.Technology Alfa Romeo 156 drivers today as the team conducted the day’s testing for round three and four of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Holland.
Both drivers completed essential laps during the two 30mins sessions, providing vital data for the Championship’s first weekend at the Zandvoort Circuit. ... mehr
Tiago Monteiro, in his first official participation of a WTCC event topped the timesheet for SEAT Sport in the first free practice at Zandvoort.
The Portuguese driver clocked a time of 1:48.972 and only completed six laps after losing his bumper.
Independent driver Roberto Colciago ... mehr
Ahead of the second meeting of the 2007 WTCC season in Zandvoort, the field had the chance to suss out the circuit. A thirty minute private testing session saw Alain Menu emerge on top with a time of 1:47.424 behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Lacetti.
Menu was over a second faster than his closest rival, Andy Priaulx in his BMW Team UK 320si. Tiago Monteiro made it three ... mehr
This week fiawtcc.com talks to James Thompson, the the N.Technology Alfa Romeo driver currently excited about his first appearance at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
What do you make of Zandvoort as a circuit then?
JT: "I have no idea. It's the first time I'll have been there, so really I guess I'll spend the first session just learning the track. I've ... mehr
Zum 03 & 04 Lauf der FIA WTCC in Zandvoort / Niederlande
Sendezeiten Eurosport
F IA WTCC race 1 06.05.2007 11:45 – 12:45 LIVE
FIA WTCC race 2 06.05.2007 15:15 – 16:15 LIVE
FIA WTCC race 1 & 2 07.05.2007 09:00 Highlights
FIA WTCC Magazine 08.05.2007 23:00 Highlights
Sendezeiten Eurosport 2
... mehr
Holland’s Olivier Tielemans is ready for some serious racing this weekend as the N.Technology driver prepares to impress local fans at his home track for round two of the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in Zandvoort.
Tielemans’ expert knowledge of the Zandvoort track puts him back in the running for a strong points finish in front of his home crowd. The 22 ... mehr
RFB WTCC – FIA GT3 – WSR Mégane
Racing For Belgium will have their hands full this coming weekend. Wim Coekelbergs and his team will be battling it out on no less than three different fronts on Saturday and Sunday: WTCC in Zandvoort, WSR Mégane Trophy at the Nürburgring and last but not least the FIA-GT3 at Silverstone.
Wim Coekelbergs is looking ahe ... mehr
COUNTDOWN: - 9 DAYS to the 2007 FIA WTCC Race of Netherlands – 5th/6th May, in Zandvoort
1 BMW Team UK Andy Priaulx (GBR) BMW 320si
2 BMW Team Germany Jörg Müller (GER) BMW 320si
3 BMW Team Germany Augusto Farfus (BRA) BMW 320si
4 BMW Team Italy-Spain Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) BMW 320si
5 BMW Team Italy-Spain Félix Porteiro (ESP ... mehr
The 3rd and 4th rounds of the FIA WTCC will take place next week at Circuit Park Zandvoort, in the Netherlands. This is the first time the championship is visiting the Dutch racetrack located on the shores of the North Sea.
The event was officially presented yesterday at Zandvoort’s Take Five Beach Club. During a press conference attended by national media, Marcello Lotti ... mehr
James Thompson again demonstrated N.Technology Alfa Romeo’s dominance at its home track in Monza today, topping the FIA World Touring Car Championship times from the morning test session.
In the last official test before the championship’s second round, in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Thompson showed the Alfa Romeo 156 has improved since last year with a best time today of 2: ... mehr
WORKSHOP IN MUNICH
A large representative of sponsors, partners, manufacturers, sport marketing experts and press gathered in Munich’s Marriott Hotel for the launch of the 2007 European phase of the FIA WTCC that will start in Zandvoort on May 6th.
A two-hour workshop was devoted to supply general information, benchmarks and an overview on the series’ new ... mehr
COUNTDOWN: - 16 DAYS to the 2007 FIA WTCC Race of Netherlands – 5th/6th May, in Zandvoort
Fifteen drivers took part in the official test at Oschersleben, on Monday and Tuesday. The weather was mostly sunny and warm.
Alain Menu and his Chevrolet Lacetti clocked the fastest lap of 1:34.956 over the two days on Tuesday morning; the Swiss stepped in for N ... mehr
Seven teams, with 14 cars, are due to take part in the second FIA WTCC official test that will take place next week at the Oschersleben Motorsport Arena, Germany, on Monday and Tuesday, April 16th and 17th.
The teams who have confirmed their participation are: BMW Team UK (1 car), BMW Team Germany (3 cars), BMW Team Italy-Spain (2 cars), Chevrolet (2 cars), SEAT Sport (3 ... mehr
FIA GREENLIGHTS GREEN-FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP
In one of the first developments of its kind the FIA World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC) is set to run on bio-fuel from 2009 after the FIA World Motor Sport Council gave unanimous support for the initiative.
Bio-ethanol fuel will be introduced to the FIA WTCC alongside unleaded petrol and diesel in 2008, b ... mehr
After Russian Bears Motorsport announced their participation in the Zandvoort and Valencia rounds, another team from Russia, Sport-Garage, unveiled that 17-year old driver Timur Sadredinov will take part in selected rounds of the 2007 FIA WTCC.
Sadredinov who is regarded as one of the most talented young Russian drivers made his first international appearance last year at ... mehr
Ten drivers took part in the official test at Brno, on Tuesday and Wednesday. With weather that changed from sunny to overcast with cold temperatures, they were all able to lap under last year’s pole position time set by Tarquini at 2:12.286.
Andy Priaulx clocked the fastest lap on each of the two days: 2:11.208 on Tuesday and 2:10.028 on Wednesday. "The team has worked r ... mehr
The FIA Touring Car Bureau took four different decisions to adjust the cars’ weight for the next WTCC race meeting in Zandvoort:
• the Bureau extended the decision taken before the season’s opening at Curitiba, granting all rear-wheel-drive cars a reduction of 15 kg; this decision will remain in force until further notice;
• for the Zandvoort event only, all Alfa ... mehr
BMW drivers had little time to catch their breath following the start to the FIA WTCC in Curitiba. Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller, Augusto Farfus and Félix Porteiro were back in action for a "fitness and teambuilding week" in Munich.
They took part in an intensive programme of activities over six days, picking up some valuable tips from experienced trainers on how to maintain ... mehr
Last Sunday at Estoril a new era started for Portuguese motor sport. The circuit near Lisbon hosted the inaugural meeting of the new PTCC (Portuguese Touring Car Championship) that features Super 2000 cars alongside Super Productions and former one-make trophy machines such as SEAT León and Renault Clio.
The 20-car field took part in two 50-km races that were won by Franc ... mehr
FIA World Touring Car Championship competitors will hit the track twice on Friday May 4th, for the second meeting of the season at Zandvoort, Netherlands. In addition to the extra 30-minute test session that was authorized by the Touring Car Bureau (at 2.00 pm), the first 30-minute free practice that is regularly held on Saturday morning, has been moved to Friday afternoon (at 4. ... mehr
For the first time ever a Russian racing team will take part in an FIA World Championship.
Russian Bears Motorsport entered three BMW 320i cars in the second meeting of the World Touring Car Championship that will take place at Zandvoort, Netherlands, on May 6th. Their drivers are regular competitors of the Russian Touring Car Championship in which they achieved important ... mehr
FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) 2007 -
The four BMW national team drivers had little time to catch their breath following their successful start to the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in Curitiba, Brazil. Andy Priaulx (GBR), Jörg Müller (Germany), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Félix Porteiro (ESP) were back in action once again from 18th to ... mehr
SEAT TEST THREE DAYS IN BARCELONA
From Monday to Wednesday, the SEAT Sport team completed three days of testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Jordi Gené, Gabriele Tarquini, Yvan Muller and Michel Jourdain were joined by Tiago Monteiro who took part in his first test as a SEAT works driver in view of his WTCC debut at Zandvoort.
"It was an important o ... mehr
23-year old Portuguese Miguel Freitas will join the WTCC for the season from the second meeting in Zandvoort. Freitas, who is not related to the championship’s FIA permanent race director Eduardo Freitas, will drive an Alfa Romeo 156 run by Wim Coekelbergs’ Racing for Belgium team.
The Alfa is an ex-Antonelli Sport car that Alessandro Balzan drove to an outstanding 4th p ... mehr
Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller and Augusto Farfus are in joint lead of the Drivers’ Championship as well as on top of the handicap weight list for the FIA WTCC’s next meeting that will take place at Zandvoort’s, Netherlands, on May 6th. The three BMW men will carry 35 extra kg apiece on board their cars.
SEAT Sport’s Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini will be the heaviest of th ... mehr
Bereits die Anreise nach Curitiba war für die meisten Teams eine Herausforderung. Da etliche Transferflüge von Sao Paulo nach Curitiba wegen Nebels gestrichen wurden, mussten einige Teams über Nacht am Flughafen in Sao Paulo weilen oder mit Rundflügen über Sao Paulo und Curitiba die Zeit verbringen.
Bereits am Frei ... mehr
The season’s opening meeting at Curitiba was a success in terms of promotion and attendance.
Grandstands of the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba were absolutely packed to their full capacity with Brazilian fans, whose roars and cheers propelled local hero Augusto Farfus to a brilliant victory in the second race.
Media attendance was also good, with 60 national ... mehr
WTCC Race of Brazil – Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba – 10 / 11 March 2007www.fiawtcc.com – www.fiawtcccuritiba2006.com.brWeather: cloudy and hot with a dry track.Crowd: 45,000 over the weekend, 33,000 on Sunday
Augusto Farfus was victorious in ... mehr
Curitiba, 11th March 2007FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Round 2 - Laps 14
Farfus took the lead on lap 2, overtaking Yvan Muller who had pole position.
Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller completed the second BMW's 1-2-3 of the day.
Luca Rangoni of Proteam Motorsport won the ... mehr
