The Grid

Drivers Championship

1. Gabriele Tarquini 127 pt.

2. Yvan Muller 123 pt.

3. Augusto Farfus 113 pt.

4. Andy Priaulx 84 pt.

5. Robert Huff 80 pt.

6. Jörg Müller 76 pt.

7. Rickard Rydell 64 pt.

8. Jordi Gené Guerrero 48 pt.

9. Tiago Monteiro 44 pt.

10. Alain Menu 39 pt

Manufacturers Championship

1. SEAT 314 pt.

2. BMW 311 pt.

3. CHEVROLET 215 pt.

4. LADA 83 pt.

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ROUNDS 23 & 24 - MACAU

Tarquini is Champion as SEAT and BMW share the victoris

Augusto Farfus and Jörg Müller claimed a 1-2 for BMW, but the laurels went to SEAT. Gabriele Tarquini was crowned the new world champion. Despite Yvan Muller finishing third in the race Tarquini took fifth and stretched his overall point lead to six, taking the title from his team-mate. Thanks to their results and to those of Jordi Gené and Tiago Monteiro, SEAT managed to retain the Manufacturers’ Championship.
The race ended prematurely after a massive crash involving Porteiro, Engstler and Couto at the end of lap eight. Porteiro went off at ‘R’ bend, bounced into the racing line and was smashed into by Engstler. Seconds later Couto added to the carnage by hitting Engstler’s car. Engstler and Porteiro were both taken to the hospital. The young Spaniard was discharged soon after all the clinical checks were all clear, while x-rays revealed a fracture in Engstler’s left collarbone. However Engstler was discharged from the hospital as well. André Couto, the third driver involved in the pile-up walked away unscathed.

There was also a safety car spell for four laps, mid-way into the race, after Tom Boardman crashed on the way to Moorish Hill. Larini’s last WTCC race came to an end after he was hit by Zanardi coming into Lisboa bend on lap eight.

Because the final results took into consideration the lap before the suspension, Porteiro won the Independents’ race anyway while Tom Coronel is the Independent Trophy winner.

Man of the race
Gabriele Tarquini – the oldest FIA world champion ever. His track record at Macau is one tarnished with accidents but this year he kept his head when it counted and had two faultless races. As a family man with a smile for everyone in the paddock Tarquini will be a popular champion. A mention should also go to his team who worked tirelessly on the damaged car after qualifying to make his dream a reality.

In the first race on Sunday Robert Huff won with Gabriele Tarquini second and Jordi Gené third. Augusto Farfus finished eight; he is now out of the championship but will line up on pole for Race 2 in a bid to score maximum points for BMW. Yvan Muller was still in with a chance of the title - after coming home fifth which left him six points behind Tarquini prior to race 2.

In the final two laps it became a race of tactics as the positions from second to eight shuffled. The outcome was that Farfus and Müller made it an all-BMW front row for Race 2. Menu took fourth place while Monteiro, who had blistering pace and at one point was challenging Huff for the win, finished sixth.
Robert Huff said: "I got a good start but looked in my mirrors and saw two SEAT cars which was a bit concerning. I did my best to hold off Monteiro and managed to get in a pace that suited me. My car is good in the middle sector and that made the difference."

Gabriele TARQUINI
“Maybe this was my last chance to be world champion and I took it. It was a tough season especially against great drivers like Yvan (Muller) and Augusto (Farfus). I became the champion without knowing – the team was smiling and crying but I didn’t have a radio so realised a little bit later. I started the weekend with a crash which is obviously not the best way to win a championship. The mechanics were fantastic and spent all night and one day to re-build the car better than it was before! I must say thank you to the team who are unbelievable.”

Yvan MULLER
“Today I had to do my best like I have done all season but unfortunately it didn’t happen. If couldn’t be me as world champion I am happy it is Gabriele (Tarquini). He’s a friend and a great world champion.”

Augusto FARFUS
“We had a tough start to the season with the first three events being disappointing which could have made the difference. My thanks go to BMW, Jörg (Müller) and Andy (Priaulx). We pushed hard to the end but unfortunately it didn’t work and hopefully we can look to a better season in 2010.”

Robert HUFF
“It is certainly easier to win starting from pole but winning is never easy in Macau, sometimes it’s an achievement in itself to finish a lap. Monteiro made life difficult in Race 1 but then I got a gap and focused until the end. I’d like to thank Chevrolet for giving me a great car all season.”

Jörg MÜLLER
“In the end we didn’t get either championship but with a circuit like this you never know if things will go your way. Our 1-2 result in Race 2 was a good result and under the circumstances it was the very best we could do.”

Jordi GENÉ
“It has been a good weekend for me. We needed to do well and I wanted to play my part and help as much as possible for SEAT. Everyone in the team has done a fantastic job – from the youngest mechanic through to the drivers.”

Tom CORONEL
“This season has been a hard fight and Porteiro was a challenge for me. We have finished all the races a got some good results along the way. The championship is about collecting points throughout the year and this is why I am champion!”

ROUNDS 21 & 22 - OKAYAMA
RACE REPORT

FARFUS AND BMW KEEP THE TITLE FIGHT OPEN

In adverse weather conditions - with heavy rain soaking the racetrack - BMW drivers performed a miracle and scored two 1-2 finishes at Okayama in the penutilmate event of the season.
Andy Priaulx claimed victory in Race 1, from Jörg Müller, while Augusto Farfus won the second race ahead of Priaulx.

Aquaplaning was a kind of Damocles' sword, hung above the drivers' head for the whole day. And many made mistakes, including championship leader Gabriele Tarquini (who went wide twice at the start of both races) and Farfus (who salvaged his hopes to be champion with a recovery to eight in Race 1).

The fights for both the world titles are wide open at the eve of the final race meeting. Tarquini's lead has been cut to 2 points ahead of his team-mate Yvan Muller, while Farfus is only 13 points behind. In the Manufacturers' Championship SEAT and BMW are split by 3 points.

The championship will come to an end at Macau on November 22nd, for rounds 23 and 24.

ROUNDS 19 & 20 - IMOLA

TARQUINI AND MULLER SHARE GLORY IN IMOLA

SEAT consolidates leadership in the World Touring Car Championship

SEAT Sport's Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller claimed a serious stake on both the Drivers' and Manufacturers' championships at Imola on Sunday 20 Septeber.

By sharing victories and second places on the Italian track, Tarquini and Muller built a solid cushion from BMW’s Augusto Farfus, who is now 18-points behind the leader and 11 points behind Muller in second. Meanwhile, SEAT's leading margin in the Manufacturers' standings was stretched to 21 points.

SEAT’s drivers started the weekend well by securing the three top positions of the grid in qualifying.

Starting from pole in race 1, Tarquini took the lead closely followed by Yvan Muller. Both drivers set a fast pace allowing them to hold position until the finish. SEAT’s other drivers Rydell, Gene and Monteiro were forced out in race 1 due to a multiple incident on the first lap.

In the second race, Alain Menu (Chevrolet) was the early leader, before Muller and Tarquini moved up overtaking the six cars in the process, courtesy of the reverse starting order.

Both SEAT Leon TDIs imposed their pace once again to secure the second one-two finish of the day. Behind them, their SEAT team-mates Jordi Gene and Rickard Rydell recovered from the back of the grid to finish fifth and seventh respectively.

The Chevrolet Cruzes finished twice on the podium in the two races, Rob Huff clinched third in Race 1 and Alain Menu did the same in Race 2, The home race was not that sweet for Chevvy’s other driver Nicola Larini, who suffered mechanical problems in Race 1.

BMW Team Italy- Spain's Alessandro Zanardi (IT) produced the German marque’s highlight by finishing fourth in both races.

Although the battle for the world title hogged the limelight, James Thompson scored LADA's first points in the Drivers Championship, finishing sixth in both races. He also showed that the pace of the Russian car has improved dramatically and podium results look to be within their reach.

ROUNDS 17 & 18 - OSCHERSLEBEN
RACE 1 & 2 REPORT

BMW WINS TWO RACES - TARQUINI TAKES POINT LEAD

Priaulx and Farfus win for BMW in German WTCC home races.

Augusto Farfus (BR) moved up to second in the drivers' standings of the FIA World Touring Car Championship after winning the 18th round of the season on BMW's home soil in Oschersleben (DE). The BMW Team Germany driver claimed victory ahead of BMW Team UK's Andy Priaulx (GB) and SEAT driver Gabriele Tarquini (IT). This was Farfus' fourth win of the season and the 13th victory in his WTCC career.

In the first race of the day, it was Priaulx who took the chequered flag as winner in the "Motorsport Arena Oschersleben". The triple world champion won after starting from 14th on the grid, relegating Tarquini and Rickard Rydell (SE/SEAT) to second and third respectively. With a total of 18 points the it was his best result of the year. In addition, Priaulx is the first driver in the history of the series since 2005 to claim victory after starting outside the top-ten. In the second race, Farfus' team-mate, Jorg Muller (DE), and Sergio Hernandez (ES) of BMW Team Italy-Spain were also able to improve their points' tallies. Muller executed a sensational fight back from 23rd, crossing the line in fourth. Hernandez was fifth after 14 laps after taking eighth in race one, following a post-race penalty for Chevrolet's Nicola Larini (IT).

Farfus now has 90 points under his belt, so is second in the Drivers' Championship, just one point behind Tarquini. Reigning champion, Yvan Muller (FR/SEAT), follows in third with 84 points. In the manufacturers' classification BMW has scored 234 points to date, shortening the gap to SEAT to one point as well.

As expected, the first chicane turned out to be a dangerous place to be after the start of race one, as several drivers had accidents in this tight section so spoilt their chances of good results. Among them were local hero, Muller, and BMW Team Italy- Spain's Alessandro Zanardi (IT). While Muller had to retire with a broken suspension and a damaged radiator following a collision, Zanardi was at least able to finish the race in 17th.

Priaulx, however, emerged without a scratch from the first chicane, after making an excellent start which saw him improve from 14th to fifth. On the following laps the Englishman gained further ground thanks to impressive overtaking manoeuvres and finally took the lead from Tarquini on lap six, which he kept until the end. After 14 laps he crossed the line 3.939 seconds ahead of the Italian.

Farfus dropped from eighth to 13th at the start, but just like Priaulx was able to fight his way up over the course of the race. On the final lap the Brazilian improved to sixth. Due to Larinis's penalty he was classified fifth, collecting four championship points. Hernandez also celebrated a a points' finish and claimed eighth in the classification.

In race two Farfus stayed in third at the start, but managed to pass Wiechers driver Stefano D'Aste (IT/BMW) for second on the lap two. Two laps later he took the lead away from Engstler. Priaulx moved up several places at the start and then also overtook Engstler on lap five. For the remainder of the race, Farfus and Priaulx remained close to each other, before the former took the chequered flag 0.644 seconds ahead of his fellow BMW driver. Hernandez fought his way up the ranks from ninth to fifth, while Zanardi retired on the very first lap.

Muller displayed his usual fighting spirit: From 23rd on the grid he literally ploughed through the field - just like Priaulx in the first race. On lap six, Muller was running in the top eight for the first time. But this was not the end of his spectacular fight back. On lap 11 he passed Hernandez as well, securing a fourth-place finish at this home event.

Augusto Farfus (BMW Team Germany):

"This victory is a perfect birthday present for me. We knew that this track would suit our car well. But the disappointing qualifying session made things a bit more complicated for us. Therefore I'm really happy that I could was able to score my third consecutive win here in Oschersleben. After race one my car was badly damaged. The team did a great job, so I was able to push hard in the second race."

Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):

"It's been a while since I last made it to the top step of the podium. I has almost happened in many races since Pau 2008, but never worked out. Now it feels great to be there again. In the first corner I decided not to panic. It was all about keeping out of the trouble, which worked out quite well for me. Then I improved lap by lap. The car was just great. My goal for the remainder of the season is to score as many wins as possible. This one was a nice start."

Independent Teams' Championship:

1. SUNRED Engineering 182
2. Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 142
3. Liqui Moly Team Engstler 124
4. Wiechers-Sport 89
5. Colak Racing Team Ingra 27
6. Exagon Engineering 25

ROUNDS 15 & 16 - BRANDS HATCH
RACE 1 & 2 REPORT

TARQUINI AND FARFUS CLOSE THE GAP FROM MULLER

BMW driver Farfus wins in Brands Hatch and gains ground in the title fight.

Brands Hatch, 19th July 2009.

BMW Team Germany's Augusto Farfus (BR) has reduced the gap to championship leader Yvan Muller (FR) after winning the second WTCC race at Brands Hatch. The 25-year-old won the his third race of the year with his team-mate Jorg Muller (DE) finishing second giving BMW its third one-two finish of the season.

In an eventful race one Chevrolet's Alain Menu (CH) and Robert Huff (GB) made it a one-two for Chevvy with Andy Priaulx (GB) of BMW Team UK the third BMW driver on the the podium over the weekend. Farfus was eighth giving him pole for race two.

As championship front-runner Muller only managed to score two points this weekend, Farfus closed in on the SEAT driver and now lies just six points adrift in third. Between these two, Gabriele Tarquini (IT) is second on 77 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship BMW also gained ground on SEAT, and is now second with 201 points, just ten points behind the leaders.

Race 1

Moments before the start of race one's formation lap a brief rain shower hit the 3.703-kilometre circuit. Fortunately this was the only shower of the morning, and the race started without any delay. Nevertheless, it was just a matter of seconds until the first incident occurred. Farfus was hit by Muller, and dropped back to 24th. While Farfus was about to start an impressive fight back, Priaulx successfully defended his third on the grid. Muller benefited from the turmoil at the start, improving from 13th to eighth. Towards the end of lap 6 the safety car was deployed again, after another accident involving several cars had pushed Hernandez to the back of the field. At this stage, Priaulx had lost third to Tarquini, while Farfus was running in 20th. Following the re- start, the BMW drivers made up some lost ground: Priaulx gained third back from Tarquini on lap 11, then started to put Huff under pressure. But he couldn’t find a way past his fellow countryman and brought his BMW 320si WTCC home in third. . Alain Menu meanwhile gave the Chevrolet Cruze its first win on a traditional circuit ahead of team-mate Rob Huff.

Race 2

Thanks to an excellent start the BMW Team Germany pairing laid the foundation for their one-two finish in the second round. Farfus defended his lead, Muller improved from third to second. This order remained unchanged to the chequered flag. Farfus finished 2.061 seconds ahead of his team-mate and celebrated his 12^th career victory in the WTCC. Priaulx was involved in an exciting fight with SEAT's Tarquini which despite putting the Italian iunder pressure he could get by and settled for fifth. Zanardi was running in seventh, when another collision saw him losing several positions. The Italian got sandwiched by Huff and Tiago Monteiro (PT, SEAT), went off the track and ultimately finished 12th again. Huff finished 6th after a good fight, collecting more points and closing the gap with the championship leader, while Alain Menu saw his race spoiled by an off-track incident at the first corner.

ROUNDS 13 & 14 - PORTO
RACE 1 & 2 REPORT

SEAT AND BMW CLAIM ONE VICTORY APIECE

SEAT and BMW shared glory on Porto's Circuito da Boavista, claiming one win each.
In the first race Gabriele Tarquini converted his pole position to a lights-to-flag solo flight ahead of Chevrolet's Robert Huff and his own SEAT Sport team-mate Yvan Muller. The second race saw Augusto Farfus' deliverance after a black period, as the young Brazilian won the WTCC's 100^th race from Muller and Rickard Rydell.

Farfus wins 100th WTCC race

BMW Team Germany's Augusto Farfus (BR) claimed victory in the 14th round of the 2009 WTCC. At the "Circuito da Boavista", the 25-year-old took victory ahead of Yvan Muller, the current world champion, who shed second followed by his SEAT Sport team-mates Rickard Rydell, Jordi Gené and Tiago Monteiro.

The key moment for Muller was when he overtook Nicola Larini at turn two on the first lap. He was on the inside of the corner and while Larini edged over to take the line, Muller held strong using the wall on his left to resist Larini’s attempt to shut the door on him. This move enabled Muller to move up to second later in the race and take eight valuable points that could prove to be worth their weight in gold at the end of the season.

After clean opening laps for the entire pack, lap three spelt the end of the race for Nicola Larini and Gabriele Tarquini. The duo was battling at turn five but neither would concede the line meaning they ended up in the tyres. Seconds later Mehdi Bennani went straight at the same corner, avoided the SEAT and Chevrolet but rejoined the track directly in the path of Tom Boardman who could do nothing to avoid him. With a second crash at the same place the safety car was deployed.
The third collision came further down the field on lap nine. Franz Engstler and Félix Porteiro hit each other but both continued. As Engstler picked up his pace again, Menu was on his tail and pushing to get past. The Swiss made contact, spun and crashed into the metal barrier blocking the track to cause the race to be suspended.

For Farfus sitting on pole for the 100th race after all the incidents, including the two restarts, it must have been a tense moment . However he remained focused and got his reward for himself and his team with victory and maximum points.

Tarquini wins chaotic race 1

Gabriele Tarquini took his second win of the season in an eventful race. Robert Huff came home second and Yvan Muller third. An incident in the first lap saw a massive crash which affected seven drivers (Menu, Monteiro, Ladygin, Engstler, Puyo, Bennani and Boardman). At turn 10 on lap one Augusto Farfus missed his braking point and hit the rear left of Menu’s car. This sent Menu into the tyres and while Farfus swerved to recover he came into the path of Monteiro. Farfus continued but Monteiro was hit by Larini who too was trying to find a clear path. The pile-up behind resulted in the race being suspended and Farfus being given a drive-through penalty at the restart.

Before this pile up, Sergio Hernández and Jaap van Lagen had crashed on the straight. Hernández hit the concrete wall sideways at high pace and was taken to the local hospital for x-rays on his left ankle but returned to the track with no treatment needed.
Local driver Tiago Monteiro crossed the line fourth followed by Larini, Gené and Rydell, while Farfus recovered after he received a drive through for causing the accident at the start and inherited eighth position and the pole for Race 2.

In the recent past Gabriele Tarquini hasn’t been able to turn his pole positions into race wins. However this time he led the field all the way despite the race suspension and pressure from Huff who stayed close behind him. The experienced Italian driver defended well at the start, took control of the restart and his calm head enabled him to take the victory.

ROUNDS 11 & 12 - BRNO
RACE 1 & 2 REPORT

BMW ITALY-SPAIN TAKE ALL IN BRNO

BMW Team Italy-Spain continued its winning streak at the "Automotodrom Brno" on Sunday with Alessandro Zanardi and Sergio Hernandez winning rounds 11 and 12 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. This makes it four wins out of the last six races in Brno (CZ) for Roberto Ravaglia's squad. While Zanardi celebrated his fourth WTCC victory, it was first time Hernandez had climbed to the top step of the podium.

BMW Team Germany's Jorg Muller scored another podium finish by coming second in race one and increased his points' total to ten by taking seventh in race two. Andy Priaulx from BMW Team UK had to make do with eighth place in round two. His hopes for a big points weekend were destroyed at the start of race one, when BMW Team Germany's Augusto Farfus crashed into him after making a mistake. Both drivers left the first 50-kilometre sprint of the day empty- handed.

Due to the early accident Farfus missed the chance to gain further ground on SEAT's championship leader, Yvan Muller, who finished eighth and second respectively. Farfus is third in title chase12 points behind Muller.

In the Manufacturers' Championship, BMW has 153 points and successfully shortened the gap to SEAT by the results in both races. The two manufacturers are only separated by eight points.

Following the pile-up after the start the way was free for Zanardi, who was third in qualifying behind Farfus and Priaulx. After SEAT's Gabriele Tarquini initially took the lead, Zanardi easily overtook his countryman after the end of the safety-car phase on lap four. He quickly opened up a gap and controlled the field from the front.

While Hernandez improved from ninth to sixth at the start, eventually finishing fifth, it was Muller who performed the most impressive fight back. He dropped back to 11th in the turmoil at the start, but then fought his way back up lap after lap. On lap ten he passed Tarquini for second, thus collecting his third podium result of the year. Priaulx rejoined the race on lap 8 after extensive repair works on his BMW 320si WTCC and clocked the fastest lap with 2:10.622 minutes.

Race two started in a less turbulent fashion. Hernandez again started well from fourth on the grid and had passed Muller for second by the end of lap one. Three laps later he also overtook BMW privateer driver Felix Porteiro and grabbed the lead which he defended to the end to score his maiden win in his 53rd WTCC race.

Zanardi was on the move as well, but then he was put out of the race by Rickard Rydell (SEAT), who came back on the track after having an off. Muller and Priaulx, who had stormed his way up from 17th, were part of an exciting fight with the SEAT pairing Rydell/Tarquini, ultimately finishing seventh and eighth.

Félix Porteiro, of Proteam Motorsport, dominated the Independents' field, scoring a massive 44 points over the weekend and building a 26-point lead in the Trophy.

Alessandro Zanardi (BMW Team Italy-Spain):

"It's always the same in racing: Sometimes the odds are against you, sometimes they play into your hands. Today I benefited from the incident at the start. I managed to escape the pile-up without a scratch and quickly got past Gabriele Tarquini. Then it was all about controlling the race from the front. My car was simply too good to let anyone take this victory away from me. Jorg was a potential threat, but he came from too far behind to launch an attack on me. I'm really happy for Sergio Hernandez as well, he really deserves this victory."

Sergio Hernandez (BMW Team Italy-Spain):

"I'm over the moon after claiming my maiden win for BMW. It's a perfect day for me and the whole team. This success means a lot to me as it proves that we are working in the right direction. I successfully kept the reigning champion, Yvan Muller, behind me, and withstood the pressure. I'm also happy that I could help BMW to reduce the gap in the Manufacturers' Championship. Alessandro Zanardi showing me the pit board with 'P1' when I crossed the line, makes me proud."

Race 1 Result

1. Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320si
2. Jorg Muller BMW 320si +1.848
3. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Leon TDI +4.831
4. Rickard Rydell SEAT Leon TDI +5.105
5. Sergio Hernandez BMW 320si +5.303
6. Tiago Monteiro SEAT Leon TDI +7.250
7. Felix Porteiro BMW 320si +7.847
8. Yvan Muller SEAT Leon TDI +9.915
9. Tom Coronel SEAT Leon TDI +10.814
10. Vito Postiglione BMW 320si +11.022

Race 2 Result

1. Sergio Hernandez BMW 320si +145.83
2. Yvan Muller SEAT Leon TDI +2.316
3. Tiago Monteiro SEAT Leon TDI +4.114
4. Felix Porteiro BMW 320si +4.280
5. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Leon TDI +7.232
6. Rickard Rydell SEAT Leon TDI +7.857
7. Jorg Muller BMW 320si +8.092
8. Andy Priaulx BMW 320si +8.852
9. Tom Coronel SEAT Leon TDI +10.369
10. Vito Postiglione BMW 320si +10.551

SEAT AND BMW SHARE THE SPANISH GLORY

SEAT and BMW dominated one race apiece in the fifth event of the season. The turbodiesel Leon cars filled the four top positions in the first race, marking a triumphant moment for SEAT in their home race meeting. Yvan Muller scored his third victory of the season making it clear that it won't be easy for anybody (including his own team-mates) to deprive him of the World Champion's crown.

However, in the second race, Augusto Farfus and Jorg Muller managed to overturn the situation. The BMW Team Germany duo claimed a 1-2 of crucial importance for the German Manufacturer, as it not only marked BMW's first victory so far this year, but also re-launched their hopes in the title fight that now sees Farfus lying second, only three points behind Muller.

Chevrolet's winning streak came to an end after four consecutive successes in Marrakech and Pau. The Spanish weekend was not positive for the drivers of the Cruze cars who all remained out of the points. As for LADA, their hope of making a step forward with the new engine were totally hindered by a number of technical issues.

In the Independents' Trophy, Stefano D'Aste obtained his first victory of the season, but the fight for the title seems to be an affair between Tom Coronel (winner of the first race), Felix Porteiro and Franz Engstler who are covered by only two points.

2009

Huff And Menu Win The Two Pau Races, Confirming Cruze's Superiority In Street Circuits

It was another glorious day for the Cruze, as the Chevrolet team obtained the second double win in a row, in the extremely demanding street circuit of Pau. Just two weeks after triumphing in Marrakech, the Cruze won both races of the Race of France, confirming its current excellent form. Rob Huff won Race 1 and Alain Menu did the same in Race 2, with Rob taking third position. With this great result, the Cruze positions itself as "Queen of the city", having won all races held so far in street circuits during this WTCC season.

Following the stewards' decision late last night to disallow all of the times per lap of nine drivers, for exceeding maximum engine revs during the lap the time was set on, Huff, Larini and Menu were respectively 4th, 7th and 8th on the grid. Rob Huff took with authority race 1, while Alain Menu finished eighth, securing pole position for Race 2. The second race was marked by an incredible incident, as the safety car was hit by the car of the early leader. When the race resumed, Alain took control to the end. Nicola Larini was this time the unlucky one among Chevrolet drivers, as he was twice an innocent victim of race incidents.

QUOTES

Rob Huff (1st/3rd): " What an incredible week-end!. I am really, really very happy, especially for the team, which has done such a good job. In race 1, I took a very good start and was right behind Farfus who was leading. In lap 2, when we arrived at turn 2 and he lost his line because of some oil on the track, which wasn't there the lap before, and went a little wide. I took the opportunity to pass him and then it was a matter of holding on, which I managed to do, but those were certainly the longest 17 laps in my career. In Race 2, I had to do a similar job, this time with Priaulx behind me and I was happy to keep third. With these results, the championship is now looking much better for me".

Alain Menu (8th/1st): "After my unlucky weekend in Marrakech, I am really happy with this success today. In race 1, I fought a lot with Priaulx, then he managed to pass me, and so did Hernandez in the following corner. After that, I lost some pace and focused on preserving a good position for race 2. At the start of Race 2, Engstler was faster but it turned out to be good for us, because of this incredible accident with the safety-car. At the re-start, I could keep the lead and just had to worry about Farfus. He was fast but I attacked a lot to create a minimum gap between us and never gave him an opportunity to attack me. It went well and I am really happy of this second win in three years in such a great and demanding track, which I love".

Nicola Larini (Ret/9th): "It was not my day today, but I am very happy for the team and of the level of competitiveness that we have reached. In race 1, I was hit from behind at least five times, which pushed me into the car in front of me, and resulted in breaking the radiator. In race 2, despite starting from the back, I had a good race and was hoping to get some points but one lap from the end Cayrolles, who was in front of me, hit the wall and bounced back into me. It is the kind of thing that can happen in street circuits".

Mark Busfield: "This weekend is a magnificent result and true testimony to the team's hard work, after Marrakech we knew it would be tough job to keep the momentum, but the whole team has worked tirelessly over the last two weeks to ensure we did everything to stay at the front. We have now a lot of data from races for the new car, and gaining valuable set up information. The Cruze seems to be as good on street tracks as it predecessor. The Championship is now warming up a bit, with BMW also having a good points weekend we have both closed the gap on the current leaders."

Eric Nève: "It is just terrific to give the Cruze this kind of debut in Europe, and right at the time when it starts to be sold in European markets! Today's success is, of course, the result of a great team effort, and I hope we can have other satisfactions in the future. I am very pleased also for Stewart Bill, who is a student of one of Pau's technical schools and has spent the week-end working in our mechanics' team, as part of a corporate educational program which also included providing three Chevrolets to local technical schools. Maybe, seeing today's result, we should have Stewart with us at all the other races too!"

FINAL UPDATE- After the technical checks, the following cars were found not complying with the engine speed limit and /or the supercharged air pressure: n. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 29, 30 and 33. The Stewards, taking into account the exceptional circumstances and confusion, decided to impose a reprimand to the competitors concerned, who were reminded that their cars must comply with all the technical regulations for the remaining events of the season

Race 2 - 18 Laps

1. Alain Menu CH Chevrolet Cruze 56.98
2. Augusto Farfus BR BMW 320si 0.351
3. Robert Huff GB Chevrolet Cruze 3.066
4. Andy Priaulx GB BMW 320si 3.325
5. Alessandro Zanardi I BMW 320si 16.153
6. Gabriele Tarquini I SEAT Leon TDI 17.728
7. Yvan Muller F SEAT Leon TDI 19.686
8. Eric Cayrolle F SEAT Leon TDI 22.425
9. Nicola Larini I Chevrolet Cruze 22.581
10. Kristian Poulsen DK BMW 320si 23.297

Race 1 - 19 laps

1. 11 Robert Huff GB Chevrolet Cruze 115.90
2. 8 Augusto Farfus BR BMW 320si 0.261
3. 7 Jorg Muller D BMW 320si 0.892
4. 6 Andy Priaulx GB BMW 320si 1.105
5. 10 Sergio Hernandez E BMW 320si 1.943
6. 23 Felix Porteiro E BMW 320si 9.241
7. 25 Franz Engstler D BMW 320si 9.544
8. 12 Alain Menu CH Chevrolet Cruze 9.550
9. 21 Tom Coronel NL SEAT Leon TDI 11.050
10. 22 Tom Boardman GB SEAT Leon TDI 23.983
11. 29 Eric Cayrolle F SEAT Leon TDI 31.504
12. 1 Yvan Muller F SEAT Leon TDI 32.037
13. 2 Gabriele Tarquini I SEAT Leon TDI 32.485
14. 3 Rickard Rydell S SEAT Leon TDI 33.322
15. 5 Tiago Monteiro P SEAT Leon TDI 34.067
16. 26 Kristian Poulsen DK BMW 320si 34.823
17. 4 Jordi Gene E SEAT Leon TDI 36.815
18. 20 Viktor Shapovalov RUS LADA 110 54.020
19. 30 Mehdi Bennani MAR SEAT Leon TDI 54.870
20. 28 Marin Colak HR SEAT Leon TDI 1 lap
DNF 18 Jaap Van Lagen NL LADA 110
DNF 27 Stefano D'aste I BMW 320si
NC 9 Alessandro Zanardi I BMW 320si
DNF 33 Laurent Cazenave F BMW 320si
NC 14 Nicola Larini I Chevrolet Cruze

Larini wins first WTCC race

The second race saw Nicola Larini of Chevrolet celebrate his first ever WTCC win. Yvan Muller took second place ahead of Race 1 winner Robert Huff.

Nicola Larini has come nail-bitingly close to winning many a race in the WTCC’s five year history but. this was his first taste of victor done with a mixture of determination and control

Jörg Müller, who had led for the first 8 laps, made a mistake giving Larini a chance to pounce and take the lead. With the chequered flag in his sights he didn’t falter over the final five laps.
The BMW Team Germany driver eventually finished fourth ahead of Tarquini, Farfus and Monteiro. Franz Engstler took the final point in eighth as well as the Independent win.
Andy Priaulx was in contention for points until lap 11 where he missed the braking point at turn 7 – he retired to the pits on the next lap. Mehdi Bennani also went straight at the same point on lap 11 but continued to finish 10th and third independent .

Cruze crusies to first win

Robert Huff converted pole into a win for Chevrolet, the first for the new Cruze cars only on its fifth race. Huff led the field from the start to finish with Gabriele Tarquini behind him the whole way to take second. Jordi Gené overtook Yvan Muller on the penultimate lap to secure third. The start was pivotal to Huff’s success. He managed to keep the SEAT Sport cars of Tarquini, Muller and Gené at bay and by the end of the first lap had opened a slight gap. The appearance of the safety car at the end of the first lap after an incident involving Müller, Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell, when the latter was squeezed into the wall at turn two and incurring race-ending damage to his car. The meant that Huff had it all to do again which he did,, managing to keep the chasing pack at bay at the restart.
Augusto Farfus was challenged hard by Tom Coronel for 12th position but in the end the Dutchman made a mistake at turn 11 on lap 10 and lost the battle. Farfus’ team-mate Jörg Müller was the fastest BMW and his eighth place finish meant pole for Race 2. Fellow BMW driver Alessandro Zanardi retired from the race on lap four.
Moroccan driver Mehdi Bennani achieved a fantastic start from 14th and stormed home ninth overall to take the Independents trophy with some style. He also gave a great deal of pleasure of the cheering crowd.

SEAT WIN AGAIN BUT BMW CLOSE THE GAP

The SEAT team have accomplished their mission: completing the American part of the season with four victories.
A couple of SEAT wins in Puebla - where the altitude played in favour of turbo engines - were expected. However the way Rickard Rydell, Yvan Muller and company were threatened by the BMW cars of Augusto Farfus, Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller, proved that the German cars have closed the gap and, from now on, will make the champions' life very hard.
Muller and Rydell are co-leading the drivers' championship, but Farfus is only ten points away and when the championship will restart after one month break, on the streets of Marrakech, the battle will be more interesting than ever,
The Mexican races were also encouraging for the other two Manufacturers. Chevrolet scored the first point with the new Cruze, and started on pole position in the second race. LADA seemed to have solved their reliability problems and now they can focus on the performance.
The championship will resume in Marrakech, Morocco, on May 3rd, for rounds 5 and 6.

SEAT back to front

SEAT Sport and their León TDI cars annihilated the opposition in Brazil, saying loud and clear that they are determined to retain the Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles they claimed last year.

Five SEAT drivers on top in the qualifying session, four ahead of the rest in both races: the turbo diesel power is stronger than ever in the WTCC.

The BMW men did their best, but even the weather played against them, providing what are the worst racing conditions for the rear-wheel drive.

The new Chevrolet Cruze has shown flashes of competitiveness, like Menu's second place in Q1 or Larini's fourth in Race 1 that was vanished by a penalty.

The LADA cars are not on the pace so far; however they have started reducing their gap from the top and managed to score the first points of a Russian manufacturer in a World Championship.

The championship will resume in Puebla, Mexico, on March 22nd for rounds 3 and 4.

RACE 1 - MULLER BEGINS ON A HIGH NOTE

Reigning champions Yvan Muller and SEAT Sport began the new season in the best way as they dominated the race. Muller led from lights to flag, followed by a trio of team-mates: Jordi Gené, Rickard Rydell and Gabriele Tarquini who finished in the order.

Nicola Larini crossed the line fifth and scored the first points for the new Chevrolet Cruze, while Augusto Farfus and Sergio Hernández were the best of the BMW men. They were classified sixth and seventh, ahead of Tiago Monteiro who claimed pole position for Race 2.

Félix Porteiro won the Independents' class after resisting pressure from Tom Coronel in the early stages.

The race was disrupted by the safety car from lap 6 to 9, after Stefano D'Aste crashed at the Esse de Alta.

RACE 2 - TARQUINI LEADS ANOTHER SEAT QUARTET

SEAT encored in Race 2, placing again four drivers in the top four positions.

The race started behind the safety car on a track flooded by a violent thunderstorm, with Félix Porteiro who had inherited pole position after Tiago Monteiro 's penalty.

In the early stages the BMW drivers - Porteiro, Andy Priaulx , Sergio Hernández and Augusto Farfus - set the pace, but soon the SEAT tide became unstoppable.

Gabriele Tarquini, Rickard Rydell , Jordi Gené and Yvan Muller jumped on top to stay, while Porteiro repeated his success in the Independents' class.

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