A two-car Alfa Romeo FIA World Touring Car Championship team for this year is planned, using the existing Alfa 156 and with the driving duties shared between Augusto Farfus Jr, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Mika Salo, an influential touring car figure reveals. Bart Mampaey, the owner of reigning FIA WTCC title holders, BMW Team UK, offers these views in an interview with Belgian magazine Turbo this month.

An influential and well placed figure, Bart Mampaey's Belgian-based team, which currently runs under the title of BMW Team UK, has emerged in recent seasons as one of the leading touring car outfits. British driver Andy Prilaux claimed the final FIA European Touring Car Championship title in 2004, before going one better last year, and claiming the inaugural FIA World Touring Car Drivers' Championship at Macau in November. Duncan Huisman was run in a second car by Mampaey, under the BMW Team Holland banner, during Macau races.

Of last years Alfa Romeo factory drivers, Gabriele Tarquini and James Thompson have joined SEAT's FIA WTCC campaign for 2006, while Fabrizio Giovanardi has shipped off to the British Touring Car Championship to join GM brand, Vauxhall. Well regarded Brazilian youngster Augusto Farfus - the fourth factory Alfa Romeo driver last year - has so far not been linked to any other drive and is believed to be very highly rated by the Alfa Romeo hierarchy. EURO F3000 champion in 2003, he joined the N.Technology-run AutoDelta team in 2004, his first series win coming during the closing races of last season in Macau.
 

Meanwhile, influential Autosport magazine recently quoted long-time Alfa Romeo star Fabrizio Giovanardi as being reportedly very keen to take part in the non-BTCC clashing FIA WTCC rounds for his former team, and the Italian recently represented Alfa Romeo in the Yokohama FIA WTCC control tyre tests held at Kyalami during the week prior to Christmas.

The third - and somewhat unexpected name - to be thrown into the equation and mentioned by Mampaey during the interview with Turbo magazine is that of former Finnish F1 star Mika Salo, who has been underemployed since recent spells with Maserati Corse. Salo has strong Fiat conections as he is a former 'stand in' Ferrari F1 driver who still remains close to Jean Todt and who contributed to the development of the Maserati MC12 sportscar during 2004 before handing the team its first international race win in almost four decades, in the FIA GT Championship later that same year. With Maserati and Alfa Romeo now grouped together within the Fiat Auto Division, a strong connection is made.