N.TECHNOLOGY RACING NEWSN.Technology - FIA World Touring Car Championship

05.08.2006 ALFA ROMEO RETURN TO EUROPE AFTER A SUCCESSFUL VENTURE TO SOUTH AMERICA PUTS THEM INTO THE WTCC TITLE RACE

After the two successful American events for the N.technology Alfa Romeo team at Curitiba in Brazil followed by Puebla in Mexico the FIA World Touring Car Championship now faces a one month summer break before resuming at the historic Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. The Czech racetrack will host rounds 13 and 14 of the championship, marking the beginning of the series' second European phase that will continue in Turkey and Spain before the grand finale at Macau.

SIX DRIVERS COVERED BY NINE POINTS

Alfa Romeo's double triumph in Mexico has propelled Brazilian youngster Augusto Farfus back into the fight for the world title. The 20 points Farfus collected at Puebla propel him up the leaderboard and into second place, just three points shy of the top. SEAT Sport's James Thompson though is the new championship leader, however he has a very slim margin only three points over his fellow countryman and reigning champion Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK) who is joint with Farfus in second. Another pair of SEAT Sport drivers Rickard Rydell and Gabriele Tarquini are both 5 further points adrift, with BMW Team Deutschland Dirk Muller one mere point behind them.
 
ALFA ROMEO 156 S2000

N.technology Alfa Romeo drive Salvatore Tavano leads the FIA WTCC field during race on at Puebla, a race he went on to win and claim his first victory in the series.

ALFA ROMEO 156 S2000

Augusto Farfus celebrates pole position on his "home" track at Curitiba in Brazil, the start of a two-race South American programme which saw him return to Europe as a title contender.

ALFA ROMEO 156 S2000

The N.technology Alfa Romeo drivers celebrate in Puebla after two 1-2 finishes which have put Augusto Farfus firmly into the FIA WTCC title race.


With 20 points at stake in Brno, three other drivers Yvan Muller, Peter Terting and Jörg Muller have theoretical chances of grabbing the championship lead.

ALFA ROMEO CLOSE UP IN THE MANUFACTURERS' CUP

On the eve of the Mexican event, SEAT edged BMW by one single point in the Manufacturers' classification. In the two races at Puebla, the Spanish brand managed to stretch their margin by 8 points.At the same time Alfa Romeo who are lying in third place reduced the gap from BMW down to 28 points after two maximum points hauls in Mexico from their pair stunning 1-2 finishes.

THE WTCC RETURNS TO BRNO AFTER 19 YEARS

Whilst Brno is a regular venue for Moto GP and Superbike, the FIA WTCC event will be the first car racing world championship hosted by the Czech track in 19 years. The previous was the sixth round of the...1987 World Touring Car Championship. On 16 August 1987 Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz won the 19th Brno Grand Prix at the wheel of an Eggenberger Motorsport Ford Sierra RS500, beating by a small margin the sister car drivern by Steve Soper and Pierre Dieudonne. Third overall and winner of Division 2 was the Bigazzi BMW M3 driven by Luis Perez Sala and Olivier Grouillard.

Among the drivers who took part in that race was the Olympic ski champion Franz Klammer, in an AMG Mercedes 190E, but also three of the current WTCC main men: Roberto Ravaglia, Nicola Larini and Gabriele Tarquini. On his way to clinch the World title, Ravaglia now team manager at BMW Team Italy- Spain classified fourth in a BMW M3 run by Schnitzer Motorsport; the team was already directed by Charly Lamm. Both, Tarquini and Larini were at the wheel of Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo cars, entered by Brixia Motorsport and Alfa Corse respectively.
 
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31.07.2006

Alfa Romeo stunningly bounced right into contention in the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship title race after unexpectedly scoring 1-2 finishes in both races which took place in Mexico yesterday

Photos: FIA WTCC / © 2006 Interfuture Media/Italiaspeed