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RML Team News
RML wins again in WTCC. Pau (Rounds 7 & 8), 3 June 2007. Issued June 6th 2007

Another Win for Menu

Alain Menu took an emphatic win in Race One of the World Touring Car Championship event at Pau, France, last weekend. The Chevrolet Lacceti's success was rounded off by pair of fourth places for Rob Huff, while Nicola Larini did enough to maintain his fifth position in the Championship standings.

It was another great day for the Chevrolet colours, a jour de gloire in fact, as Alain Menu scored the second victory of the season in Race 1 of the French event of the WTCC. The Swiss driver and the Chevrolet Lacceti were absolutely sovereign in the morning race. Starting from pole, Menu led from lights to flag, leaving no openings for the competition and also setting the fastest lap time. In the weekend's second race. Menu started eighth, and finished eighth - his starting position on the grid.

At last Rob Huff had a trouble-free weekend and was able to put together two solid races, taking two fourth places. Nicola Larini had a more difficult Sunday: handicapped by the 45 kg success ballast he was carrying, he lost fourth place in Race 1 when he hit the armco and broke the front left wheel. The retirement took away any real chance of a strong result in Race 2, although he still worked through the field to finish 11th.

All in all, this was an excellent weekend for the team and a good reason to celebrate for the hundreds of Chevrolet guests who have definitely brought a lively blue touch to the paddock and the grandstands throughout the week-end.

Quotes . . .

Alain Menu (1st/8th):
"Things went according to the best scenario and I am very happy that the entire team can celebrate another victory after the hard and excellent work everybody has done. I had to fight a little bit with Yvan Muller during the rolling start of Race 1. Obviously, he tried to overtake me. He first tried to squeeze me a little bit, we even touched, but I managed to keep the advantage in corner one. Then, for me it was a matter of trying to pull away as fast as I could in the initial laps and avoid any mistake in the second part of the race. That is exactly what happened and I was able to secure an important win. In Race 2 I had a good and clean fight with Yvan but there was nothing to do to pass him. In the last lap I had to lift off to save the engine, as the water temperature was very high, and I lost one place."

Rob Huff (4th/4th):
"Race 1 was relatively quiet and uneventful for me. I was behind Nicola, trying to protect him. Towards mid-race, he started having problems and going slower, so we lost contact with the front-runners. Once Nicola was out of the race, I could increase the pace and did some good lap times but it was too late to hope of catching up with third position. In Race 2, I tried throughout the entire race to overtake Monteiro but I couldn’t. It was a good fight and I am very happy with my two fourth places. My championship is really starting now."

Nicola Larini (Retired/11th):
"In Race 1, I tried to keep my fourth position and secure some heavy points, but because of the effect of the ballast, it became progressively more and more difficult to keep the race pace. I started having problems with the tyres and the brakes. Then, at the chicane before the straight, I made a little mistake touching the right armco. The car bounced to the other side and I could not avoid a more serious contact with the left armco, breaking the left front wheel. Starting from the back, there is not much I could do in Race 2. It is a pity I did not score any points for the Championship today but I look forward to correct this situation as from the next race."

Eric Neve:
"One could think that we will have to start getting used to winning races! But it does not work like that, of course. The joy is always tremendous because the work and the stress behind every victory is immense. It has been an excellent week-end and a strong performance. As from tomorrow, we will focus on the next race; now that everybody starts to have significant success ballast, the way you manage this variable becomes critical."

PAU Race 1 Results
1. A Menu Chevrolet Lacetti 19 laps in 26m42s140 (at 117.94 kph)
2. Y Muller SEAT Leon + 2s260
3. T Monteiro SEAT Leon + 3s808
4.. R Huff Chevrolet Lacetti + 9s194
5. F Porteiro BMW 320si + 11s375
DNF N Larini Chevrolet Lacetti 12 laps (Accident)

PAU Race 2 Results
1. A Farfus BMW 320si 21 laps in 31m54s553 (at 109.07 kph)
2. A Priaulx BMW 320si + 0s464
3. T Monteiro Seat Leon + 5s185
4. R Huff Chevrolet Lacetti + 9s625
5. J Gen Seat Leon + 13s018
8. A Menu Chevrolet Lacetti + 21s160
11. N Larini Chevrolet Lacetti + 25s130

Drivers' Points Standings after Race 8of 22
1. A Priaulx (BMW), 42 pts; 2. A Frafus (BMW), 40; 3. J Mller (BMW) 31; 4. Y Muller (SEAT), 28; 5. N Larini (Chevrolet) 25; ... 7. A Menu (Chevrolet), 21 ...11. R Huff (Chevrolet), 14, etc

Manufacturer's Points Standings after Race 8of 22
1. BMW, 106 pts; 2. SEAT, 86; 3. Chevrolet, 71; 4. Alfa Romeo, 39.

The next race of the 2007 World Touring Car Championship takes place in Brno, Czech Republic, on 17th June , just as RML's MG EX264 is racing at Le Mans in France.

The full calendar for the year is:

2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship
11 March - Curitiba, Brazil - raced
6 May - Zandvoort, Netherlands - raced

20 May - Valencia, Spain
3 June - Pau, France

17 June - Brno, Czech Republic
8 July - Porto, Portugal
29 July - Anderstorp, Sweden
2 September - Oschersleben, Germany
23 September -Brands Hatch, Great Britain
7 October - Monza, Italy
18 November - Macau, China

More information on RML is available at www.rmlmallock.co.uk.
More information on Team Chevrolet is available at www.chevroleteurope.com