RML
Team News
Back on Winning Form at Brands. (Rounds 17& 18), 22th/23rd
September 2007
Issued September 24th 2007
Fourth
Win for Alain Menu whilst Rob Huff Takes a Third
A peerless performance from Alain Menu at Brands Hatch saw
him take his fourth win in the 2007 World Touring Car Championship,
and RML Chevrolet's sixth of the season.
I
n the autumnal sunshine Menu dominated Race One (Round 17),
stamping his authority to take a lights-to-flag victory,
with James Thompson unable to find a way past. Unfortunately
his charge through the field in Race Two was stalled when
he was black flagged for pulling alongside Augusto Farfus
before the start line at the end of an early safety car
period.
Alain's
success in the weekend's first race ensured the first repeat
win at a circuit in the World Touring Car Championship for
RML Chevrolet, following his historic victory in the torrential
rain at Brands in 2006.
Racing at his 'home' track, Rob Huff put in a measured drive
for sixth place in Race One and was able to capitalise on
his starting position for the second race (left), and secured
a fine third at the flag and a well-deserved visit to the
podium in front of his British supporters.
Nicola Larini was the innocent victim of other people's
mistakes in both races, as he was barged into the gravel
at Paddock Hill bend by a BMW in the opening lap of the
first before being tagged by a spinning SEAT early on in
the second. Whilst he was forced into an extremely premature
retirement in the former, he was able to battle valiantly
on in the latter, and made his way back through the field
for 12th place at the chequered flag.
Alain
said: “What a season! It’s fantastic,
fourth pole, fourth win, I’m really happy for myself
and the team who have put in all the hard work. It’s
also great to score Chevrolet’s first repeat win."
“The (first) race was a tough one, but I knew that
if I could lead the first lap there was a good chance I
could keep James (Thompson) behind me for the rest of the
race. James had the faster car today, but it’s one
thing having the faster car and quite another being able
to overtake the guy in front of you. I pushed for the whole
race, but only as much as I had to.
There
was no need to try to go faster because I’d ruin the
front tyres. “In the second race I unfortunately didn’t
score points since I was disqualified. At the restart after
the first-lap incident, Augusto (Farfus) seemed to be unaware
the safety car had pulled in and was still going slow while
I was already accelerating for the green. Only when I was
alongside him did he realize the race was back on again,
but by then contact was unavoidable. The stewards then disqualified
me for pulling up alongside a competitor before the start
line under safety car procedure, which is forbidden by the
rules."
"Now
my position in the championship standings allows me to have
a mathematical shot at the title again, but realistically
I think a top three finish at the end of the year is what
we can go for.”
Rob said: “Race one was good solid performance,
picking up some good points with a car now heavier than
I’ve ever had before. I went as smooth as I could
through the corners, as a lot of them are long but tightening
at the end, so in a front-wheel-drive car you can ruin your
tyres if you steer in to hard. So while I lost some time
by being smooth I managed to make up for that by still having
good tyres at the end of the race, which is how I managed
to pass the SEAT. I tried to drop behind the BMW’s
for the second race, but second row is actually better than
being on the first row. The first row is on the uphill bit
of the front straight, but the second row is downhill so
the guys in front will struggle to get away."
“In the second race I had a very clean start and immediately
managed to tuck in behind Andy (Priaulx) and Felix (Porteiro).
I had the speed to stay with them, but not enough to try
and make a move. Still, I’m very happy with third!”
Nicola Larini said: “It was just another
one of those weekends. In race one, a BMW spun in front
of me in the first corner and there was no room to avoid
him so I got beached in the sand trap. Starting from the
back in the second race obviously gave me no chance to score
points, especially since I got involved again in someone
else’s accident, again on the first lap. The good
thing is that for me it can only get better at Monza in
two weeks’ time.”
Eric
Nève, motorsport manager for Chevrolet Europe,
said: “It’s a new feeling to win the same race
again for the first time; being given a second ‘winning
manufacturer’s’ cup with the same race track
name on it."
"Today’s
win and podium finish are almost the logical continuation
of the superb season we’ve been having so far. It’s
also very good for Chevrolet to be successful in a competitive
environment like the WTCC, which on top is gaining in popularity
as could be witnessed by the increasing number of spectators
today. Alain’s and Rob’s races were textbook,
but unfortunately Nicola was again the victim of others’
mistakes.”
Photographs
courtesy of the FIA
WTCC
Chevrolet
Racing Insight on the Web
Throughout
the 2007 WTCC season, Chevrolet Insight will
give you a behind-the-scenes look at the Chevrolet WTCC
racing team. On Saturday and Sunday, media and fans alike
will get the latest information and can ask their questions
via the web in Chevrolet's own web cast. Visit www.chevrolet-insight.com.
There are regular airings during the race weekend, and then
a full 15-minute review programme can be viewed at any time
after the event.
BRANDS
HATCH Race 1 Result
1.
A Menu Chevrolet Lacetti 16 laps in 26m48s377
2. J Thompson Alfa Romeo + 0s659
3. C Turkington BMW 320si + 0s955
4. Y Muller SEAT Leon TDI + 2s161
5. J Gené SEAT Leon TDI + 2s999
6. R Huff Chevrolet Lacetti + 3s217
DNF N Larini Chevrolet Lacetti Accident (0 laps)
BRANDS
HATCH Race 2 Result
1. A Priaulx BMW 320si 16 laps in 28m05s811
2. F Porteiro BMW 320si + 0s727
3. R Huff Chevrolet Lacetti + 1s160
4. C Turkington BMW 320si + 1s382
5. Y Muller SEAT Leon TDI + 5s398
12. N Larini Chevrolet Lacetti + 15s901
DQ A Menu Chevrolet Lacetti Safety Car Procedure (6 laps)
Drivers'
Points Standings after Race 16 of 22
1. A Priaulx (BMW), 81pts; 2. A Farfus (BMW), 69; 3. Y Muller
(SEAT), 67; 4. J Müller (BMW), 66; 5. J Thompson (Alfa
Romeo), 57; 6. A Menu (Chevrolet),
55;… 8. N Larini (Chevrolet),
48; 9. R Huff (Chevrolet),
44;…
Manufacturer's Points
Standings after Race 16 OF 22
1. BMW, 227pts; 2. SEAT, 195; 3. Chevrolet,
172; 4. Alfa Romeo, 96.
The
next (and penultimate) races of the 2007 World Touring Car
Championship takes place at Monza in Italy on 6th and 7th
October.
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
26 August - Oschersleben, Germany
23 September -Brands Hatch, Great
Britain
7 October - Monza, Italy
18 November - Macau, China