ROUTE TO: BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC
The 11h and 12h rounds of the FIA WTCC will
take place next week in the Czech Republic, at Brno's Masaryk Circuit.
This is a traditional meeting for the championship, as
Brno hosted the European Touring Car Championship from 2002 to 2004, and
then the World Touring Car Championship from 2006.
BMW notched up eight victories out of the twelve races; only Alfa Romeo (Fabrizio
Giovanardi's double win in 2002), Chevrolet (Robert Huff won Race 2 in
2006) and SEAT last year have managed to break the German cars' supremacy.
The 2008 meeting saw BMW Team Italy-Spain's
Alessandro Zanardi claiming pole position and dominating the first race
from lights to flag. The second race was one of the most exciting ever in
WTCC; Gabriele Tarquini was able to resist Zanardě's attempt to achieve
double victory by a very narrow margin at the wheel of his SEAT León TDI.
Their breathtaking fight was one of the highlights of WTCC's past season.
The fight between Tarquini and Zanardi in last year's Race
2 at Brno
24 HOURS FOR MONTEIRO AND CORONEL
Tiago Monteiro and Tom Coronel face a busy weekend as they will
take part in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Monteiro will share an Oreca 01 AIM prototype with Brazilian youngster
Bruno Senna and Stéphane Ortelli from Monaco; the car, run by the Team
Oreca Matmut AIM, competes in the top LMP1 category against the likes of
Audi, Peugeot and Aston Martin.
Immediately before heading to Le Mans the team spent three days of testing
at the Paul Ricard circuit: "It was useful to gain confidence. Driving
at 300 kmh at night is not easy and requires specific practice. It is
demanding but gives you a unique feeling. We know we won't be on par with
the diesel cars and our aim is to take the chequered flag with both cars.
It is a realistic aim on my come back to Le Mans," Monteiro commented.
Coronel will compete for the LMGT2 category at the wheel of a Spyker C8
car run by the Snoras Spyker Squadron. His team mates will be his fellow
Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen and Járek Jánis from the Czech Republic.
During the current season Coronel has already raced the Spyker at the Spa
1000 Km where he and Peter Dumbreck achieved a brilliant fourth position
in the LMGT2 class.
After Thursday's last qualifying sessions, the Oreca 01 of
Monteiro-Senna-Ortelli achieved the 15th position on the
starting grid, while Coronel-Bleekemolen-Jánis placed their Spyker 11th
in class.
Monteiro between Senna and
Ortelli during scrutineering in place des Jacobins
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MEDIA ACCREDITATION FOR PORTO
Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2009
FIA World Touring Car Championship will take place at Porto, Portugal, 4th
and 5th July.
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