Augusto Farfus' didn't succeed in his aim of winning the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship at Macau this morning after a crash at the start of race two abruptly ended his lingering title hopes. The N.technology Alfa Romeo 156 driver arrived in the Far East with a slender one-point lead over his closest championship rivals, the BMW pilots' Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller; but also forced to carry 80 kg of "success ballast", making him the heaviest racing car on the street circuit.

Farfus did very well to recover from a first lap spin in race one, finishing the opening encounter in a strong fifth place, and although Priaulx won the race to take a 5-point advantage into the second race, the Alfa Romeo driver fended off the race-long attentions of his other close rival, Jörg Müller. However Farfus' diminishing title hopes ended abruptly at the start of race two with a crash which eliminated him from the race, and ended his chances of grabbing the crown. “The season didn't end as we had hoped but I did a good job this year and the car was perfect at every event, we never had any mechanical problems," said Farfus. "I have to say thanks to the team and we must feel happy, it wasn't a bad ending.”

Neither of Farfus' N.technology team mates played any major part in the race day proceedings in Macau having both qualified at the tail end of the field, and thus leaving the Brazilian to effectively fight for the title on his own. Gianni Morbidelli crashed out right at the start of race one, his Alfa 156 beyond being repaired for race two, while Salvatore Tavano failed to make it past the first lap in both of the 11 lap races.

Andy Priaulx ends the 2006 FIA WTCC season as World Champion with 72 points, just one ahead of Jörg Müller, the closest of finishes after the former racked up 14 points in Macau compared to the latter's 13 points. Farfus finishes in third with 64 points, ahead of the first SEAT driver Yvan Muller (62). Gabriele Tarquini is fifth (57) with the top ten rounded out by Dirk Müller, Rickard Rydell and James Thompson who all have 54 points, Peter Terting (49) and Jordi Gené (36).

RACE 1

Andy Priaulx turned pole into a win in Race 1, leading all the way and getting closer to a second consecutive World Championship. Second place went to Duncan Huisman while Yvan Muller passed the chequered flag third. At the start Priaulx got off well while fellow BMW man Huisman had impressively promoted himself from fourth to second by the first corner.

It was at this corner on lap 1 that the first incident of the race happened. Augusto Farfus and Dirk Müller came into the Lisboa bend close; Farfus was on the inside and Dirk spun. The German's car then blocked most of the track which caused the rest of the field to bunch up behind. However, a group of drivers – Fabrizio Giovanardi, Tom Coronel, Alain Menu, James Thompson and Nicola Larini – were fortunate to find a gap through. In the first lap Stefano D'Aste and Jan Magnussen had sustained damage to their cars so had very slow journeys to the pits. The leading pack was held up severely by D'Aste at the Melco hairpin as overtaking on this part of the circuit is forbidden. This resulted in Coronel making ground on the front drivers. Seconds later at Melco, Thompson hit Menu but both kept position – 8th and 9th respectively.
 

On lap 4 Giovanardi overtook Augusto Farfus' Alfa Romeo 156 for 4th place at the Lisboa bend. The attack on Farfus was resumed on lap 5 by Jörg Müller and continued for the rest of the 11-lap race. The Brazilian driver though managed to keep Jörg at bay and came home 5th. Meanwhile Jörg had to do some defending of his own as Coronel was hot on his tail. Despite some nail-biting action Jörg finished 6th followed directly by the independent man from GR Asia. Thompson was again involved in an incident on lap 7. The Briton went straight on at the Lisboa bend and rejoined 11th. Soon after, in a separate turn of events Nicola Larini crashed at the exit of San Francisco bend which meant the end of the race for him. Fellow Chevrolet driver Alain Menu also suffered a premature ending as he crashed on lap 8. With Menu out of the race Peter Terting claimed 8th position and the pole for Race 2. Only three drivers remain in the title fight before the second race: Priaulx (69 pts), Farfus (64) and Jörg Müller (62).

RACE 2

Andy Priaulx became the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Champion. Despite finishing 5th in Race 2 the man from Guernsey managed to clinch the title by just one point. Jörg Müller who finished second in the championship was the victor of Race 2. Yvan Muller crossed the line second followed by Tom Coronel. Gianni Morbidelli's Alfa Romeo and Nicola Larini's Chevrolet did not make the grid after the crashes in the first race.

At the start Jörg got a great start. Augusto Farfus also shot off well but his dreams of the title were soon dashed when he went wide, lost the back of his car and smashed into the Mandarin Oriental bend. On the next corner Peter Terting, Yvan Muller and James Thompson went through almost in a row. Following them were Duncan Huisman and Jordi Gené but the pair crashed and were stranded on the track at the Lisboa bend. The pack managed to drive through the wreckage but the Solitude Esses were then the scene of another accident, this time involving Gabriele Tarquini and Robert Huff. With two further cars stuck on the track the safety car was deployed for three laps. During the safety car on track period Alfa Romeo's Salvatore Tavano stopped his damaged car on the track. At the re-start Jörg managed to gain a massive gap as Peter Terting, who was lying second, had problems and dropped back. Yvan Muller overtook Coronel at this stage but the pair were battling for the rest of the race.

Breaths were being held throughout the last few laps of the race as Priaulx had to keep Fabrizio Giovanardi at bay and stay out of trouble. He managed to do so however and therefore claimed his second consecutive WTCC title. Behind Priaulx and Giovanardi, the remaining positions in the points were achieved by local hero André Couto and Dirk Müller. The only Chevrolet driver to be classified was Alain Menu, 10th.