WTCC 2013

The irony of the WTCC is that it is possibly the most boring touring car series in the err...world

Even the ETCC makes for better viewing, but BTCC, STCC, STC2000, Superstars, Oz V8s, blah blah are far better than the Yvan Muller Wins Again show.

The irony of the WTCC is that it is possibly the most boring touring car series in the err...world

Even the ETCC makes for better viewing, but BTCC, STCC, STC2000, Superstars, Oz V8s, blah blah are far better than the Yvan Muller Wins Again show.

BTCC where Honda win everything? V8 where Whincup wins everything? I don't see any difference

That's not the BTCC I've been watching the past few years.

Edited by Yhamm, 20 May 2013 - 16:40.

Hondas is more than one guy winning though.

Honda is winning close to 50% of the races for the last 3 years, and even more in 2013
not as close as Chevrolet domination in WTCC but more than Muller

I never said it was and Muller didn't win all for Chevrolet either

Termas de Río Hondo (Argentina) replaces Curitiba in this year's calendar. Former Renault F1 test driver José María López confirmed to participate in the race. It could be with a Chevrolet or a BMW. At least other two local drivers will participate too, one of them will most likely be Marcos Vázquez, who is a midfielder in the stock car championship Top Race V6 (the fastest series in Argentina) and owns SDE Competición, a team located near the circuit. Rumours indicate the third driver would be someone with international experience (Guerrieri?)

Top Race V6 is faster than Super TC2000 an Turismo Carretera?

And the third driver for Citröen (if they are going to have one) could be José María López. http://www.corsaonli...-con-citron.php Corsa reports he will test alongside Loeb and Müller on September 9th and 10th at Valencia. He will miss a Turismo Carretera race in order to attend the test. López already clearified he didn't have the 500 thousand euros needed to do a full season in WTCC, but he could end up not needing to bring a single coin.

There was talk of Mr Kubica driving in the #3 car as well - perhaps they will do a combined season as I imagine more than one WTCC round would clash with a rally event.

Or maybe Robert will race exclusively in the WRC. If I'm not mistaken, some time ago he ruled out a chance of doing DTM after a testing session (I think it was for Mercedes). I'm not sure if he would be interested in the WTCC.

Video of López testing the new C-Elysée at Valencia.

http://youtu.be/DGEpVHNEyes

I'm fully aware that this series gets a lot of flak but I enjoy it. There a weird yet wonderful jolly camaraderie between the drivers off the track that I find refreshing, the tracks are good and I have high hopes for next year with new cars from Citroen, Lada, Seat maybe BMW, Chevys and Honda will do something too. Loeb is on board for 2014 (HYPE ) and maybe a certain mister Kubica on the horizon as well. A plucky dear little series that I dearly hope will grow and get better in the coming years.

And I have to say congrats to Muller for a dream 4th title, this one much sweeter due to the troubles his team had with the DIY budget in the start of the year. Great job

Recap of the Suzuka weekend for all y'all touring car dudes and dudettes:

You gotta love Coronel. A main dude.

Edited by OvDrone, 23 September 2013 - 19:37.

Rumour (in Spanish): http://visionauto.co...elo-de-pechito/

It seems Citröen invited José María López to test the C-Elysée once again, in the week beginning on November 4th.

those pilots from the asian championship are teribad.. could have been so dangereous for the steward on the track O_O

unbelievable

At least Maldonado will have somewhere to bring his Venezuelan bolívar next year.

Unreal.

First accident is understandable, as always in the start with a lot of cars it happens, but second is brain off drive, yellow flags, tight section. Less than half of the grid finished the race.

Edited by ArkZ, 17 November 2013 - 08:47.

Unreal.

 

I always loved the Blues Brothers movies. 

In HD

Well that race 2 was just hilarious comedy.

I don't know why anyone thinks that the Guia circuit is acceptable for motor racing?  A corner where a first lap crash is absolutely guaranteed, and a hairpin so tight that it is permanently under yellow flags and in between half a lap where overtaking is totally impossible even if the guy in front tried to help you.  Not a place for a World Championship event of any sort.

I don't know why anyone thinks that the Guia circuit is acceptable for motor racing?  A corner where a first lap crash is absolutely guaranteed, and a hairpin so tight that it is permanently under yellow flags and in between half a lap where overtaking is totally impossible even if the guy in front tried to help you.  Not a place for a World Championship event of any sort.

Yes that's why we now have racings those lovely, safe, "modern" ( ZZZzzzz... ) circuits in Bahrain, India, Abu Dhabi etc 

I don't know why anyone thinks that the Guia circuit is acceptable for motor racing?  A corner where a first lap crash is absolutely guaranteed, and a hairpin so tight that it is permanently under yellow flags and in between half a lap where overtaking is totally impossible even if the guy in front tried to help you.  Not a place for a World Championship event of any sort.

same reason Monaco is still in F1 calendar

same reason Monaco is still in F1 calendar

Well at least they can overtake at Macao!

Now WTCC seems to be doing something right...

Image source: http://www.marcamoto...1386061431.html

Seriously expect Citroen to utterly dominate this in 2014, they are testing already, will throw countless millions at it, and unless anyone steals a amarch on them, will be the only team taking touring car racing really seriously in 2014, apart from honda maybe.

the rest of teh gris is largely made up of old cars, two bit drivers and pay drivers.

Which is why no on watches it! lol

maybe it's time to make WTCC 2014?

Citroen as confirmed Lopez as the 3rd driver. really good choice I think, he was really impressive when he drove the bmw for the first time. Citroen also confirmed a 4th car in the Asian races

in other news, it was announced that ROAL will switch from BMW to two Chevrolet built by RML (who will only do that now). The pilots are Chilton and Coronel

José María López joins Muller and Loeb at Citroën WTCC

30-year-old José María López will race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for the 2014 season, joining four-time champion Yvan Muller and nine-time World Rally champion Sébastien Loeb at Citroën Racing, as the French marque makes its debut in the WTCC.

López has been racing in the national championships of Argentina in recent years since leaving the European racing scene, competing in the Turismo Carretera, the Top Race V6 series and the (Super) TC 2000 Championships.

López won the Argentinian Top Race V6 series in 2009, and also won the country’s top tier for modern touring cars, the Super TC 2000 Championship, claiming the titles in 2008 and 2009 with Honda, and in 2012 with the PSG16 Team while driving a Ford Focus.

López finished fifth in this year’s Super TC 2000 Championship while driving for PSG16, now running Fiats, but had already announced his departure from the series and will instead compete only in the Turismo Carretera stock car series next season when his new WTCC duties permit him.

In 2013, López became the second Argentinian driver to take part in a WTCC race. López filled in for Fredy Barth at Wiechers-Sport for his home race at Termas de Río Hondo, on the Championship’s first visit to the country, driving the German team’s unfancied BMW 320 TC, which had been struggling against the newer and faster Chevrolets and Hondas all season.

López impressed from the off, running in the top ten throughout both of the free practice sessions and setting the fastest time in the warm-up. He finished in fifth position in the first race and won only his second ever career race from pole position, finishing ahead of 2009 champion Gabriele Tarquini’s Honda Civic.

Following low-key tests at Valencia and Monza in the prototype of Citroën’s new C-Elysée World Touring Car, López has been signed to join the French duo of Sébastien Loeb and Yvan Muller, as the WTCC transitions to new technical regulations for 2014, with Citroën looking set to compete for the title in their first season against rival manufacturers Honda and Lada.

http://www.touringca...oeb-at-citroen/

He's a brave boy then, to take a seat with Muller and Loeb already on board!  But maybe he figures that if he beats them, he will be a real star & if he is beaten, then it is by Mr WTCC and Mr WRC, so no shame.....

López impressed from the off, running in the top ten throughout both of the free practice sessions and setting the fastest time in the warm-up. He finished in fifth position in the first race and won only his second ever career race from pole position, finishing ahead of 2009 champion Gabriele Tarquini’s Honda Civic.

VIDEO: Introducing Pechito López in Paris, team Citröen:

kind regards

Good luck to him... first tilt at an FIA world title since USF1 had him signed up

Citroen should pick up where the works Chevrolets left off...

Good luck to him... first tilt at an FIA world title since USF1 had him signed up

I kinda feel sorry for him and it's nice he's getting this break, even if he wasn't going to set the world alight in F1... he was a decent-ish upper midfielder/front-runner in the early days of GP2, would possibly be the equivalent of a Pic or a van der Garde in talent. But that USF1 deal was a shambles, to be signed up for your F1 debut and then to not make it, ouch. That reminds me of Luis Razia too but somehow I sympathize more with this bloke.

But that USF1 deal was a shambles, to be signed up for your F1 debut and then to not make it, ouch.

 

Oliver Gavin's story @ certain Adelaide GP was way sadder...

recommend listening this http://audio.rpix.or...liver_gavin.mp3

Of course on a flipside it was better that he didn't join F1, GT racing got a superstar instead

Oliver Gavin's story @ certain Adelaide GP was way sadder...

recommend listening this http://audio.rpix.or...liver_gavin.mp3

 

Of course on a flipside it was better that he didn't join F1, GT racing got a superstar instead

Well, he did do... well over 200 days of Benetton/Renault testing and work from 1997 to 2006. While he never got to race he got a lot of F1 mileage

Meanwhile, in Citröen...,
 

Huff will be driving for Starwork's LMPC programme next year in USCC! Partial season only but very very cool.

Sebastien Löeb  testing coming soon a Peugeot V8 of Super TC2000 in Termas de Río Hondo FIA Racetrack:

http://www.largaron....ticulo_id=14442

Also in Italiaracing.net:

http://www.italiarac...id=42907&cat=18

Here is a video from the hotel of the Citroen, nice sound!

http://instagram.com/p/ixoJu4O3fl/