3.7.2006
Chevrolet scores in Brazil
Chevrolet put two cars in the top ten and scored one more point in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) thanks to the brilliant 8th place conquered by Rob Huff in the second race of the HSBC Race of Brazil. The fifth round of the season, which took place in the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba, has probably been the most competitive event so far, with teams and drivers being separated by minimal gaps in practice and qualifying and races being closer and more fought than ever.
In Race 1, Rob Huff and Alain Menu finished 18th and 19th position, although their gap with respect to the winning Seat of Jordi Gené was contained to 16 and 17.4 seconds respectively. The Swiss had been touched by D’Aste in one of the fast corners in the first lap and had to stop in the pits to change the left front tyre. Fortunately, the pace car went out at that very moment, allowing Alain to rejoin the group with a marginal lost of time. Nicola Larini took a good start and was running 14th in the initial laps before losing power and ground, eventually retiring in lap 10 with a broken drivetrain.
Race 2 saw a superb performance of Rob Huff, who brought the Lacetti from 18th on the grid to 8th under the chequered flag. The Brit explained his race: “I had an awful start, but that turned to be helpful, as I was not tangled in the confusion at the first corner. Then I managed to pass Alain in the first lap and 2-3 other cars in the initial part of the race. Later on, I was lucky when something happened in the middle group ahead of me and five cars went off. I saw a Seat spinning and turned as tight as I could into the corner and could avoid the mess. At that moment, I was eight and could catch Jörg Müller, but apparently under yellow flags, so I let him pass again but could pass overtake him a second time at the restart after the pace-car left. But as the race ended under red flag, the final result is the one of the previous lap, so I finished 8th and not 7th. It has been an exciting race, with a lot of fighting, the car was going better and I could get on battling. I am very happy of how things went”. Alain Menu did also a beautiful race and charged up until 10th position, although his race ended brutally in the last lap, as the Lacetti hit the tyre wall in the corner leading to the straight. “It happened because of the under-steering we have been suffering the whole week-end. The car just went wide into the grass and there was nothing I could do. It was a pretty big bang, but I am ok”.
The next two races of the WTCC are taking place in Puebla, Mexico on 29-30 July.
CURITIBA RACE 1 RESULTS
1. J. Gené (SEAT León) 16 laps in 25m02s194 (136.23 kmh)
2. P Terting (SEAT León) + 1s675
3. A Frafus (Alfa Romeo 156) + 2s986
4. G Tarquini (SEAT León) + 3s706
5. J Thompson (SEAT León) + 4s338
18. R Huff (Chevrolet Lacetti) + 16s047
19. A Menu (Chevrolet Lacetti) + 17s435
CURITIBA RACE 2 RESULTS
1. A Priaulx (BMW 320si) 14 laps in 25m42s910 (120.42 kmh)
2. G Morbidelli (Alfa Romeo 156) + 0s794
3. A Zanardi (BMW 320si) + 1s022
4. J Thompson (SEAT León) + 2s276
5. G Tarquini (SEAT León) + 3s041
8. R Huff (Chevrolet Lacetti) + 4s762
10. A Menu (Chevrolet Lacetti) + 6s308
2006 WTCC DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After race 10 of 20):
1. A Priaulx (BMW), 44 points; 2. J Thompson (Seat), 41; 3. G Tarquini (Seat), 40; 4. R Rydell (Seat), 34; 5. Y Muller (Seat), 33; ... 11. A Menu (Chevrolet) 18; ... 14. R Huff (Chevrolet), 6; ... 16. N Larini (Chevrolet) 3; ...
2006 WTCC MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After race 10 of 20):
1. SEAT, 127 points; 2. BMW, 126; 3. Alfa Romeo, 75; 4. Chevrolet 62.