WTCR: Havoc in Portugal TCR Europe: Azcona Still in the Lead IMSA: Compass Racing Wins All WORLD and LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS
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2018 #5 World and life TCR Italy: a record field of 31 cars at Misano WTCR: havoc in Portugal TCR Europe: Azcona still in the lead IMSA: Compass Racing wins all WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS THE TCR 2018 SNAPSHOT World and life Editor in chief Fabio Ravaioli ([email protected]) Editors Alfredo Filippone ([email protected]) Mark James ([email protected]) Photography Photo 4 ([email protected]) Contributors Vincent Chen Yu, DPPI, Pedro Gil de Vasconcelos, Micke Fransson, Peter Freij, Cédric Henneau, Jennifer Klein, First podium for Michael Johnson Patrik Koziolek, LAT USA, Jamie O’Leary, Nuno Organista, Where: Watkins Glen Richard Rodgers, Nate Siebens, What: The paraplegic driver was classified third in the IMSA Sportscar Challenge Daniel Sporre, Salvatore Tarantino What’s next Published by WSC World Sporting Consulting Ltd in the world of TCR 22 Eastcheap, 2nd Floor, London EC3M 1EU, 13/15 July TCR Italy Mugello United Kingdom 13/15 July Pirelli World Challenge Portland Int. Raceway 14/15 July WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup Slovakia Ring 14/15 July TCR Asia & TCR Thailand Bangsaen Designed by 14/15 July TCR UK Castle Combe Inpagina s.r.l., via Giambologna 2, 14/15 July Super Taikyu Autopolis 40138 Bologna, Italy 20/21 July IMSA Continental Sportscars Challenge 2H Lime Rock [email protected] 20/22 July TCR Baltic Trophy 1006Km Palanga 21/22 July TCR China Chengdu 21/22 July TCR Russia Kazan Ring 27/29 July TCR Italy Imola 3/4 August IMSA Continental Sportscars Challenge 2H Road America 4/5 August TCR Germany Nürburgring Reproduction in whole 4/5 August TCR UK Oulton Park or part is prohibited without 10/12 August Pirelli World Challenge Utah MSTP Campus the publisher’s permission 11/12 August TCR Russia Sochi 2 www.yokohama-online.com WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 suspension: the Hondas of Esteban Guerrieri and Benjamin Lessennes and Fabrizio Giovanardi’s Alfa Romeo, just to name a few. Three more cars were repaired in time to take part in Sunday morning’s Qualifying. And the tireless efforts of the mechanics who rebuilt them overnight were rewarded by the performance of their drivers. In fact, Thed Björk, whose YMR Hyundai i30 N had been smashed by Bennani’s flying Golf and caught fire, set pole position and claimed a dominant victory in Race 3, while Yann Ehrlacher (Münnich Motorsport Honda) and Norbert Michelisz (BRC Racing Hyundai) scored points in Vila Real crash both races. And this salvaged their hopes to stay in the title fight. After finishing second in Race 1, Guerrieri is proof that TCR cars was quick to praise the Münnich Motorsport crew: “I couldn’t believe all the are very safe effort they put in. The moment they finished the car and dropped it to the floor was very emotional as I saw them hugging each other and saying: we did it! That was team spirit and I almost felt like crying.” Eventually, the incident proved once again and beyond any reasonable doubt that TCR cars are strong and easy to repair, which gives credit to the category and the manufacturers and engineering companies that have built them. It is also worth pointing out the bravery shown by some of the drivers who rushed to rescue their fellow colleagues trapped into their wrecked cars. It was one of the most shocking crashes to stay in the orbit of TCR. But not to “I saw the flames and sprinted out of my in Touring Car racing ever, involving 26 this extent. car to help Thed coming out of his and cars, the whole of the WTCR field. And However, despite the scare, the then, together we helped rescuing Mehdi,” yet, no one was seriously hurt! consequences for drivers and cars were Thompson said. The pile up at the start of Vila Real’s Race limited. And Huff echoed: "I'd like to say a huge 1 was caused by the clash between two Rob Huff and Mehdi Bennani were the thanks to Gabriele Tarquini. I was very cars, which is a normal situation in only drivers who needed medical care and winded after the crash and couldn't get Touring Car competition. However, the both escaped with bruises and out of my car, and with the engine oil narrowness of the Portuguese street concussion, while Norbert Michelisz had spilling it was on fire, and he quickly came circuit made it impossible for the rest of his right arm in a sling but was able to over and helped me get out and stayed the field to find a safe way through. Only drive on Sunday. with me before the medical teams arrived. a couple of drivers managed to continue, As for the cars, only three of them were Also thanks to Yvan Muller, their cars extensively damaged. All the scrapped: Huff’s and Bennani’s Golfs and who also came to help out, which shows others were caught in the fray. James Thompson’s Honda. The teams that even though we're all rivals on the Something similar had been seen before, worked hard and managed to repair some track, there's a great camaraderie Macau in 2015, Oschersleben in 2017, just of them on the grid during the between us all.” 4 Winning with us Victory and fastest lap on competitive debut TCR International Series 2017 Zhejiang Circuit, China 1-2-3 result to complete dominant WTCR opener FIA WTCR 2018 Circuit Moulay El Hassan, Morocco Back-to-back wins to start TCR Europe campaign TCR Europe 2018, Circuit Paul Ricard, France Double pole position and two wins on the Nordschleife FIA WTCR 2018, Nürburgring, Germany Third 1-2 finish in first six races of the year Pirelli Word Challenge, Lime Rock Park, USA i30 N TCR teams leading the way at half-season FIA WTCR 2018, Vila Real, Portugal Want to find out more? Andrew Johns Veronica Boni Senior Sales Associate Sales Associate [email protected] [email protected] motorsport.hyundai.com ¬Ťŧ #HMSGOfficial Customer Racing WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM Portugal smiled to Muller THE FRENCHMAN EMERGED FROM VILA REAL CARNAGE 6 STANDINGS WTCR 7 WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM Yvan Muller returned to the top of the GTI cars of Rob Huff and Mehdi WTCR Drivers’ standings after a Bennani that had started from the dramatic fifth event in Portugal that front row came together at high marked the halfway point of the speed, hit the barrier, bounced back season. and were collected by the rest of the The Vila Real street circuit proved field in a massive pile up. By a miracle to be tricky and merciless. no one was seriously hurt, but Huff Every mistake was paid dearly and not and Bennani were treated for bruises only by those who committed it. The and concussion. lack of run-off areas and the When the race restarted, seven cars narrowness of the track that allows were missing: those of Huff, Bennani, high speeds but not clear overtaking Björk, Ehrlacher, Thompson, Michelisz, manoeuvres resulted in a long Filippi and Rodrigues. sequence of safety car interventions Muller took the lead and never looked that influenced the race results in a back, as he was followed by Esteban decisive way. Guerrieri and Gabriele Tarquini. Behind The drivers who committed fewer the leading trio, Jean-Karl Vernay mistakes, or were lucky enough to tried to defend fourth position from escape the carnage, were rewarded and Pepe Oriola, but the Spaniard overtook made the title fight even closer. him on lap 8. On the last lap, Tarquini Race 1 was spoilt by a massive crash was slowed with a flat front tyre and at the start that eliminated one third lost third place, finishing behind of the field. The two Volkswagen Golf Oriola and ahead of Vernay. 8 STANDINGS WTCR 9 WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM 10 STANDINGS WTCR Mat’o Homola achieved an VILA REAL - ROUND 13, SATURDAY 23 JUNE 2018 authoritative victory in Race 2, the DRIVER CAR TEAM maiden win for him in the WTCR and the second for DG Sport Compétition 1 Yvan Muller Hyundai i30 N TCR M Racing YMR 13 laps in 2:36:58.962 and Peugeot. The young Slovak made a 2 Esteban Guerrieri Honda Civic FK7 TCR All-inkl.com Münnich Motorsport 2.060 great start from the second row of the 3 Pepe Oriola Cupra TCR Campos Racing 10.596 top ten reverse grid and squeezed into 4 Gabriele Tarquini Hyundai i30 N TCR BRC Racing Team 12.925 second position between pole sitter Gordon Shedden and Muller. 5 Jean-Karl Vernay Audi RS3 LMS Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil 13.926 An incident during the opening lap 6 Aurélien Comte Peugeot 308 TCR DG Sport Compétition 14.186 eliminated Guerrieri who was hit by 7 Benjamin Lessennes Honda Civic FK7 TCR Boutsen Ginion Racing 16.696 Frédéric Vervisch; the latter was then 8 Nathanaël Berthon Audi RS3 LMS Comtoyou Racing 19.937 given a drive-through penalty for causing the collision. 9 Gordon Shedden Audi RS3 LMS Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil 20.169 Homola took the lead when Shedden 10 Frédéric Vervisch Audi RS3 LMS Comtoyou Racing 20.678 took his joker lap and managed to resist the pressure from Muller for a Fastest lap: Gabriele Tarquini, 2:03.079, average 140.10 kph, lap 6 number of laps. When Homola took the joker lap himself, Muller inherited VILA REAL - ROUND 14, SUNDAY 24 JUNE 2018 the lead and tried to increase his DRIVER CAR TEAM leading margin.