N.Technology Alfa Romeo is heading back to familiar grounds with round 15 and 16 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) which are being held in Oschersleben, Germany this coming weekend.

The Italian team enjoyed their latest visit to the WTCC podium a few weeks ago in the last round of the series with British driver James Thompson finishing third at Anderstorp in Sweden. The team put in a solid performance throughout the weekend, Thompson taking a fifth place finish in race two, while his rookie team mate Olivier Tielemans claimed his own best finish to date with a 13th place.

The German track, located in the Bode region some 30 km from the city of Magdeburg, is a traditional venue for the FIA Touring Cars having hosted the European Touring Car Championship from 2001 to 2004 and the World Touring Car Championship in 2005 and 2006. Oschersleben is regarded as BMW's home circuit. Not only because it is in Germany, but also because the BMW drivers have managed to win nine out of the ten races held here so far, with Andy Priaulx claiming four victories. The only occasion in which they were defeated was the second race of the 2004 ETCC meeting, when Rickard Rydell and his Toledo Cupra gave SEAT their first victory in the FIA series.

The challenge will be sizeable one this weekend for the N.Technology Alfa Romeo team as home manufacturer BMW is the favourite for the wins according to double British Touring Car Champion James Thompson. “BMW have won most of the races in Oschersleben so far,” said Thompson whose 2005 WTCC qualifying lap record in the Alfa Romeo 156 still stands at the German track.
 

“But we have already shown we have the capability to mix at the top of the grid on several occasions this year so who knows. I think the Alfa can do well here; the track is quite similar to Anderstorp and we were on the podium there so let’s aim for more of the same!”

Team-mate Olivier Tielemans will be looking to further improve his WTCC record following a solid Swedish performance which saw the Dutchman make up 11 places in race one. “Anderstorp was a brilliant race for me and I hope this Sunday will be the same,” said Tielemans who raced at Oschersleben last year in the DTM. “My aim is to improve at each race so I want an even better finish in Germany than I did in Sweden. At least this is one of the tracks I know, so having to learn the circuit won’t eat into my track-time this weekend.”

Thompson will be carrying 40 kg of 'success ballast' around Oschersleben this weekend. Heaviest driver will be Chevrolet's Nicola Larini who will have 60 kg onboard. Between Larini and Thompson will be Andy Priaulx, Jörg Müller, Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller (55 kg) and Augusto Farfus (50 kg). Eurosport’s WTCC coverage begins Sunday 23 August with qualifying shown on Eurosport 2 at 08.00 (CET) followed by race one from 11.45 (CET) onwards and race two on Eurosport at 15.30 (CET).