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01.03.2008
Corinthians Fans get their chance to see Superleague in Brazil
Superleague Formula returns to the football-mad country of Brazil this week with Corinthians fans getting their chance to see their 750 horsepower, V-12 powered machine for the first time. The Corinthians Superleague Formula entry will be revealed to the fans on Sunday prior to the game against arch-rivals and fellow São Paulo club, Palmeiras. Corinthians becomes the second Brazilian club to launch an assault on the Superleague Formula championship – Rio-based rivals Flamengo kicked off their assault on the series at a major launch in December last year.
The two Brazilian clubs will be looking to follow in the footsteps of their national football team which has claimed five World Cup trophies. With the majority of the Brazilian football season taking place during the European summer, Corinthians and Flamengo do not regularly get the opportunity to challenge their European rivals in any sporting competition. Superleague Formula however, will enable both clubs to compete against the world’s biggest names in 12 races, split over six rounds starting from August this year. With São Paulo also the home of the internationally renowned Interlagos circuit, the combination of football and motorsport is an ideal mix for the São Paulo market.
"The mix of football and motorsport is perfect for São Paulo and I believe our two Brazilian clubs are going to be two of the most heavily supported in our championship," said Alex Andreu, Superleague Formula President and CEO. "We will have a race within the race as the far as Brazilian fans are concerned. The inter-country rivalry will be enormous in Brazil and I am sure our friends at Corinthians will be doing their utmost to topple their Rio rivals – and vice versa. "Our Flamengo launch last year demonstrated the passion for our product in this part of the world. We quickly realised it was vital for our championship to include both a Rio and São Paulo club in the series." The pair of Brazilian rivals will fight it out with European clubs AC Milan, Olympiacos, FC Porto, PSV Eindhoven, Borussia Dortmund, RSC Anderlecht, FC Basel and Sevilla FC. In total, 20 leading international football clubs will do battle for 1 million euro prizemoney at the six Superleague Formula rounds in 2008. The new Superleague Formula car ran for the first time this week in the UK and is due to begin major on-track testing and development next week. Corinthians earned the FIFA World Club Championship crown in 2000, taking the first ever title awarded when they toppled Vasco da Gama on penalties (4-3) at Rio's Maracana Stadium. The club has four Brazilian Serie A titles to its credit, the most recent being in 2005. They also won the Brazilian Cup in 1995 and 2002 and the Brazilian Supercup in 1991. On their home turf in São Paulo – Corinthians have earned the state championship on 25 occasions.
"Since the announcement of Corinthians joining the Superleague Formula championship, our fans have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see the car for the first time," Corinthians Chairman Andrés Sanchez said. "Sunday will be a great opportunity to see the black and white colours on this beautiful car. The people of São Paulo passionately follow both football and motorsport – this is now a beautiful moment for them. "We can’t wait to see our car doing battle with some of the biggest names in international football. We not only want to beat our rivals from Rio, but also ensure Corinthians are battling for the championship against the other great clubs from around the world."
- Paul Ryan- photos Superleague Formula
Author: maggy (admin2)
Last modified: Saturday, 01.03.2008 - 12:39 More reports from this category all copyright automobilsport.com.
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