22.5.2006
Chevrolet scores historic first win at Brands Hatch WTCC race
Chevrolet WTCC Racing lived a historic day at Brands Hatch as Alain Menu scored the first victory of a Chevrolet Lacetti in the World Touring Car Championship. Less than a year and a half since the debut in the world’s top competition for touring cars, Chevrolet has managed to climb on the highest spot of the podium, Race 2 of today’s event and clinching also an excellent fourth place in Race 1 with Rob Huff.
The fifth and sixth rounds of the WTCC took place in appalling weather conditions on the treacherous track of Brands Hatch. In Race 1, Rob Huff and Alain Menu could not take advantage of their excellent positions on the grid (third and fifth, respectively), as poleman Rydell, just ahead of them, had a difficult start, slowing down drivers on the inner side. Huff ran fifth for most of the race, trying his best to overtake the Seats in front of him. He managed to pass one, crossing the line in fourth position. Menu was seventh, while the race of Nicola Larini was ruined at the start when he was hit on the side by Rangoni, which forced him to a long pit stop to repair the steering.
In Race 2, the reversed grid for the first eight finishers of Race 1, offered Alain a spot on the first row and Rob one on the third. Given that the rain became even heavier, these were certainly not bad positions to start from. Unfortunately, Rob’s race lasted only a few hundred meters. As the group arrived at Druids, the Brit was surprised by the early braking of the car preceding him and was left with no other choice than going straight into the gravel.
Menu had a strong start and took the lead on lap 5 when Priaulx made a mistake and went wide in the first corner. Despite the horrible conditions and the poor visibility, the Swiss driver was able to keep the front position, thanks to an impeccable drive and perfectly cool nerves. He controlled with no apparent problems all rivals chasing him and went unscathed through the safety car period in the middle of the race. Larini finished 12th, after having struggled with the damages incurred in the first race.
Rain and champagne welcomed him in the podium and Alain was almost moved to tears when seeing the cheering Chevrolet crew and listening to the Swiss anthem. “It is really fantastic!” he said. “I have won many times in Brands, but this is my nicest victory. The team has done a great job since Friday, we have progressed really well with the set-up of the car and we knew we could do something nice this weekend. We made some adjustments between the two races and that helped. Things went well and I was lucky to avoid any mistake and any trouble, despite the very difficult conditions. We still have some work to do to be regularly in the same pace of the leading cars but we are getting there.”
“It is really good to win!” commented Chevrolet Europe’s Motorsport Manager, Eric Nève. “It is really good for the Chevrolet brand to have beaten brands and teams that have a much longer presence and experience in the WTCC.”
Wayne Brannon, Chevrolet Europe Executive Director, said: “It is the second time I attend a race this year and both times we ended on the podium. It is really impressive to see what these drivers and the RML Team have achieved, this is great news for everybody at Chevrolet and we just need to continue progressing.”
Results:
| Race 1: | |
| 1. Y Muller (SEAT Leon) | 14 laps in 24m04s470 (129.27kph) |
| 2. P Terting (SEAT Leon) | + 0s212 |
| 3. J Thompson (SEAT Leon) | + 0s510 |
| 4. R Huff (Chevrolet Lacetti) | + 0s677 |
| 5. R Rydell (SEAT Leon) | + 1s401 |
| 9. A Menu (Chevrolet Lacetti) | + 7s490 |
| Race 2: | |
| 1. A Menu (Chevrolet Lacetti) | 16 laps in 30m02s722 (118.37kph) |
| 2. R Rydell (SEAT Leon) | + 2s410 |
| 3. J Thompson (SEAT Leon) | + 3s551 |
| 4. G Tarquini (SEAT Leon) | + 5s521 |
| 5. Y Muller (SEAT Leon) | + 9s388 |
| 12. N Larini (Chevrolet Lacetti) | + 19s866 |
| 2006 WTCC Drivers Championship standings (after race 6 of 20) |
|
| 1. Y Muller (SEAT) | 32 points |
| 2. J Thompson (SEAT) | 25 |
| 3. G Tarquini (SEAT) | 24 |
| 4. A Priaulx (BMW) | 23 |
| 5. R Rydell (SEAT) | 21 |
| 6. A Menu (Chevrolet) | 18 |
| 12 R Huff (Chevrolet) | 5 |
| 14. N Larini (Chevrolet) | 3 |
| 2006 WTCC Manufacturers Championship standings (after race 6 of 20) |
|
| 1. SEAT | 80 points |
| 2. BMW | 69 |
| 3. Chevrolet | 48 |
| 4. Alfa Romeo | 37 |