The fifth and sixth rounds of the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship will take place this weekend in Spain, at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with the N.Technology Alfa Romeo team looking forward to turning in a good result on a race track where they have an excellent recent winning record. This will be the fourth consecutive visit of the FIA Touring Car Championship to the Spanish stadium-like racetrack, where last year a crowd of 59,000 attended.

After struggling during the opening two races at Curitiba in Brazil and Zandvoort in Holland, the N.Technology Alfa Romeo team will be looking to turn the flashes of promise they have shown into solid results. The Italian brand needs manufacturer points as it has amassed just 11 after the two double header races, while rival BMW has 60, SEAT in on 43 and Chevrolet has grabbed 35. Experienced team returnee James Thompson and rookie Olivier Tielemans will both be gunning for points finishes when the hit the track tomorrow.

The N.Technology Alfa Romeo team has an excellent record on the Valencia circuit, which it will be hoping to put to good use. It dominated the 2004 FIA European Touring Car Championship meeting, with its then drivers Fabrizio Giovanardi and Gabriele Tarquini, who took one victory apiece. The following year, during the FIA WTCC inaugural season, local hero Jordi Gené started from pole position to give the new SEAT León its first win, while Jörg Müller won race two for BMW. However last year Alfa Romeo was back in the winners' circle thanks to Augusto Farfus in the first race, while Jörg Müller claimed in the second one.

The Alfa Romeo drivers will be helped in their push for the podium by the fact they will be carrying no 'success' ballast - and after two meeting some of their rivals are starting to look distinctly heavy.
 

In total sixteen drivers, including the three newcomers María De Villota, Maurizio Ceresoli and Massimiliano Pedalà, will carry the handicap weights in Valencia this weekend. The list is topped by current championship leader Augusto Farfus with 50 kg, only 10 short of the maximum handicap allowed. Jörg Müller, Gabriele Tarquini and Andy Priaulx – in 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the points – all have 45 kg, while Nicola Larini and Independent Luca Rangoni are on 25 and 20 respectively.

The full penalty weight list for Valencia starts with 50 kg Augusto Farfus; then 45 kg Jörg Müller, Gabriele Tarquini and Andy Priaulx; 25 kg Nicola Larini; 20 kg Luca Rangoni; 15 kg Alain Menu, Roberto Colciago and Tiago Monteiro; 10 kg Yvan Muller, María De Villota, Maurizio Ceresoli and Massimiliano Pedalà; and 5 kg Robert Huff, Tom Coronel and Alessandro Zanardi.

This week's event was presented to the local media and fans yesterday, May 17th, at 5.00 pm, in a press conference at Valencia's Museo de las Ciencias, located inside the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, the futuristic complex designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. The action on track will get underway tomorrow morning (Saturday) with two free track practice sessions (0830 and 1130) followed by the official qualifying session (1500). Race day - Sunday - will kick off with a warm-up (0800) before rounds 5 and 6 of the 2007 FIA WTCC take place (1020 and 1535).