[WTCC] Race 19 & 20 - Macau (MAC), 17/19 November 2006

[Knowlesy]

Nine drivers with a title shot at Macau. How cool is that?

Who's your money on now?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Nine drivers with a title shot at Macau. How cool is that?

Who's your money on now?

Last year Farfus and Priaulx performed very well in qualifying:
http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...206230&FS=WTCC

2005 Race 1:
http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...206338&FS=WTCC

2005 Race 2:
http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...206342&FS=WTCC

Macau is not the best circuit to be a title decider. It's a difficult circuit. One small mistake can mean a DNF. Also at the first lap there's a big chance of crashes (remember last year).

So at the moment I pick Priaulx or Farfus.

[Knowlesy]

I am thinking Priaulx also. He is very strong at Macau and he kept a real calm head last year.

But I remember Jorg Muller ran well in the Macau support races in 2004.

I doubt Farfus will keep a cool head.

So for me, it's one of the two aforementioned BMW drivers.

[Craner Curves]

That Alfa's going to be very quick on the Macau home straight, ballasted or not. Hope Farfus doesn't win it though, that'd be a travesty.

[FIRE]

Priaulx is not only a quick driver but also cool in the head. Don't know if it's luck or something else but he manages to score almost every race points.


If Farfus becomes champion I will have mixed feelings. His 2nd part of the season was very good but still I have the feeling SEAT or BMW deserve it more. The fact I do not really like him is probably one of the reasons.

[Tibbett]

So let us all pray that Farfus won't be champion

[FIRE]

Will enter BMW an extra car at Macau? Last year Schnitzer entered an extra car under the RBM banner (Duncan Huisman).

@Martin Haven. Is Eurosport having a WTCC night like last year?

[Hazard]

Re: another BMW for RBM at Macau...made sense last year to ensure a BMW victory. Same would be a good plan, however, they'd need to have a 'Macau' driver to make it worthwhile. Since they've already got Huisman - unless they get Harrison or Couto, it's probably not worth it.

As for today's race...I'd expect penalties to be coming D Muller & Menu's way for the post race incident - possibly more Menu? But I only saw it once.

[Tibbett]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Will enter BMW an extra car at Macau? Last year Schnitzer entered an extra car under the RBM banner (Duncan Huisman).

@Martin Haven. Is Eurosport having a WTCC night like last year?

The eurosport commentator said today that they are going to broadcast the f3 races live too.

[Portello]

It will be a real showdown in Macau (to be honest, I'm in doubt if this is the right track for a season's final). August Farfus has won one of the races there in 2005 and he has all the abilities to do so in 2006. Forza Augusto!

[cos]

Naughty Menu has been given a 10 place grid penalty at Macau for his antics on the slowing down lap. Priaulx and Zanardi have also picked up suspended penalties, the former for the startline incident and the latter for being fast under yellow flags.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by cos

Naughty Menu has been given a 10 place grid penalty at Macau for his antics on the slowing down lap. Priaulx and Zanardi have also picked up suspended penalties, the former for the startline incident and the latter for being fast under yellow flags.

Re: Menu - saw that, want to know the story as to why he did it? Can't recall anything specific between Menu & Muller

Re: Priaulx - That's RUBBISH! (not on any fence)

[cos]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Re: Priaulx - That's RUBBISH! (not on any fence)

Agreed - Farfus gets nothing for his blatant and dangerous squeeze on Gene, and Priaulx gets a suspended ban for a racing incident??!

[redshoes]

Yet another factory SEAT, as if 6 wasn't enough

Originally Posted by SEAT PR

The SEAT Sport team has today confirmed that it will run a seventh SEAT León for the final pair of races in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Joining the Spanish team’s six regular drivers will be Macau resident André Couto. The 29 year old won the Macau F3 Grand Prix in 2000 and was leading the Macau WTCC race last year when he retired with mechanical problems. Couto’s inclusion in the SEAT Sport Squad for his home races underlines the team’s determination to secure both the 2006 Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ WTCC titles.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Yet another factory SEAT, as if 6 wasn't enough

Good catch.

Shame Seat haven't learned anything yet about the 7 car approach. But at least having Couto race for them means he isn't racing for BMW/Alfa

[FIRE]

Jan Magnussen to Macau for RBM
Previous Formula One-driver from Denmark Jan Magnussen will drive the World Touring Car Championship final at Macau. Magnussen will drive the race with along side Andy Priaulx in the RBM-team to help him for the title, according to SportAutoMoto.
...

Source: www.touringcartimes.com

André Couto driving for SEAT at Macau
The SEAT Sport team has today confirmed that it will run a seventh SEAT León for the final pair of races in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Joining the Spanish team’s six regular drivers will be Macau resident André Couto. The 29 year old won the Macau F3 Grand Prix in 2000 and was leading the Macau WTCC race last year when he retired with mechanical problems. Couto’s inclusion in the SEAT Sport Squad for his home races underlines the team’s determination to secure both the 2006 Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ WTCC titles.

Source: SEAT PR

In de Yokohama Independents Trophy double points this event. So 20 instead of 10, 16 instead of 8, etcetera.

Race results 2005
Pole position: Andy Priaulx (BMW 320i) 2:31.712

Top 3 race 1:
1. Augusto Farfus jr. (Alfa Romeo 156)
2. Andy Priaulx (BMW 320i)
3. Rickard Rydell (SEAT León)

Top 3 race 2:
1. Duncan Huisman (BMW 320i)
2. Andy Priaulx (BMW 320i)
3. Augusto Farfus jr. (Alfa Romeo 156)

Standings after race 18
Drivers Championship
1 A. Farfus Jr 60
2 A. Priaulx 59
- J. Müller 59
4 G. Tarquini 57
5 R. Rydell 54
6 D. Müller 53
7 J. Thompson 49
8 Y. Muller 48
- P. Terting 48
10 J. Gené 36
11 A. Zanardi 26
12 N. Larini 24
13 G. Morbidelli 22
14 A. Menu 21
15 R. Huff 20
16 S. Tavano 15
17 L. Rangoni 14
- D. Huisman 14
19 T. Coronel 12
20 R. Sharp 6
21 A. Balzan 5

Manufacturer Championship
1 BMW 221
2 SEAT 211
3 Alfa Romeo 147
4 Chevrolet 122

Yokohama Independent Trophy
1 T. Coronel 138 [CHAMPION]
2 L. Rangoni 80
3 S. D'Aste 77
4 R. Sharp 75
5 P. Corthals 57
6 M. Ceresoli 53
7 D. Romanini 45
8 A. Balzan 25
9 V. Radermecker 20
10 E. O'Brien 17
11 R. Colciago 14
12 S. Iacone 13
13 R. Romagnoli 11
14 J. Edman 10
15 I. Okyay 9
16 L. Molo 5
- O. Hidalgo 5
18 E. Naspetti 4
19 R. Bastuck 3
20 D. Roda 2
- M. De Villota 2
- P. Geipel 2
- S. Valli 2
- J. Janák 2
25 J. Vonka 1

Yokohama Team Trophy
1 GR Asia 1
2 Proteam Motorsport 1
3 JAS Motorsport 1
4 Wiechers-Sport 6
5 DB Motorsport 2
- Maurer Motorsport 2
7 SEAT Sport Italia 1
8 Zerocinque Motorsport 1
9 Scuderia La Torre 1
10 Peugeot Sport Denmark 1
11 Kosifler Motorsport 9
12 Equipo TekProm 5
13 GDL Racing 4
14 Ceskoslovensky Motorsport 2
- TFS - Yaco Racing 2

Total handicap weights
A. Farfus (Alfa Romeo 156) +80 kg
J. Müller (BMW 320si) +75 kg
G. Tarquini (SEAT León) +45 kg
A. Priaulx (BMW 320si) +45 kg
L. Rangoni (BMW 320si) + 45 kg
R. Rydell (SEAT León) +35 kg
D. Müller (BMW 320si) +35 kg
P. Terting (SEAT León) +30 kg
J. Thompson (SEAT León) +20 kg
Y. Muller (SEAT León) +20 kg
N. Larini (Chevrolet Lacetti) +20 kg
A. Couto (SEAT León) +20 kg
J. Magnussen (BMW 320si) +20 kg
J. Gené (SEAT León) +15 kg
A. Zanardi (BMW 320si) +10 kg
R. Huff (Chevrolet Lacetti) +10 kg
A. Menu (Chevrolet Lacetti) +10 kg
G. Morbidelli (Alfa Romeo 156) +10 kg
S. Tavano (Alfa Romeo 156) +5 kg
T. Coronel (SEAT León) +5 kg
D. Huisman (BMW 320si) +5 kg

Other drivers have 0 kg handicap weight.

Entrylist (provisional)
#1 Andy Priaulx (GBR) - Racing Bart Mampaey (BMW Team UK) - BMW 320si
#2 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) - SEAT Sport Italy - SEAT León
#3 Rickard Rydell (SWE) - SEAT Sport Sweden - SEAT León
#4 Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) - ROAL Motorsport (BMW Team Italy-Spain) - BMW 320si
#6 Robert Huff (GBR) - Ray Mallock Ltd (Chevrolet Racing) - Chevrolet Lacetti
#7 Nicola Larini (ITA) - Ray Mallock Ltd (Chevrolet Racing) - Chevrolet Lacetti
#8 Alain Menu (SUI) - Ray Mallock Ltd (Chevrolet Racing) - Chevrolet Lacetti
#9 Jordi Gené (ESP) - SEAT Sport Spain - SEAT León
#10 Peter Terting (GER) - SEAT Sport Germany - SEAT León
#11 James Thompson (GBR) - Team Oreca (SEAT Sport UK) - SEAT León
#12 Yvan Muller (FRA) - Team Oreca (SEAT Sport France) - SEAT León
#15 Augusto Farfus (BRA) - N.technology - Alfa Romeo 156
#16 Gianni Morbidelli (ITA) - N.technology - Alfa Romeo 156
#18 Salvatore Tavano (ITA) - N.technology - Alfa Romeo 156
#19 Maurizio Ceresoli (ITA)* - GR Asia - SEAT León
#20 Tom Coronel (NED)* - GR Asia (SEAT Team Holland) - SEAT León
#23 Pierre-Yves Corthals (BEL)* - JAS Motorsport - Honda Accord Euro R
#30 Luca Rangoni (ITA)* - Proteam Motorsport - BMW 320si
#31 Stefano D´Aste (ITA)* - Proteam Motorsport - BMW 320i
#34 Diego Romanini (ITA)* - Wiechers Sport - BMW 320i
#41 Duncan Huisman (NED) - ROAL Motorsport (BMW Team Italy-Spain) - BMW 320si
#42 Jörg Müller (GER) - Schnitzer Motorsport (BMW Team Germany) - BMW 320si
#43 Dirk Müller (GER) - Schnitzer Motorsport (BMW Team Germany) - BMW 320si
#?? André Couto (MAC) - SEAT Sport - SEAT León
#?? Jan Magnussen (DEN) - Racing Bart Mampaey - BMW 320si
* drivers eligible for the Yokohama Independents' Trophy

[redshoes]

Already mentioned at the end of the Valencia thread but just to keep all the Macau news together...

Menu will drop 10 places on the grid due to the incident at Valencia.

Zanardi and Priaulx have a similar penalty but suspended. It will only be applied if they do something wrong in free practice/qualifying.

[FIRE]

Ten-Tenths Predictions Competition
Enter Here

Previous Ten-Tenths WTCC 2006 topics
Race 1 & 2 - Monza (ITA), 1/2 April 2006
Race 3 & 4 - Magny Cours (FRA), 29/30 April 2006
Race 5 & 6 - Brands Hatch (GBR), 20/21 May 2006
Race 7 & 8 - Oschersleben (GER), 3/4 June 2006
Race 9 & 10 - Curitiba (BRA), 1/2 July 2006
Race 11 & 12 - Puebla (MEX), 29/30 July 2006
Race 13 & 14 - Brno (CZE), 2/3 September 2006
Race 15 & 16 - Istanbul (TUR), 23/24 September 2006
Race 17 & 18 - Valencia (ESP), 7/8 October 2006

[E46]

Who is paying the Magnussen´s adventure? BMW Denmark?

A big new Couto signing up with SEAT, a fantastic driver to score points for manufacturers championship and to protect Tarquini and Rydell.

[Matski]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Yet another factory SEAT, as if 6 wasn't enough

This is just getting stupid now. 7 seats! I hope BMW unveils a second RBM car to race next to Priaulx, and also unveils BMW Team France with two extra 320si's!!!.

7 Seats,... 8 BMW's

[Matski]

.. or BMW Team Austria

Dieter Quester and Nikki Lauda

(a.k.a. BMW Team "Experience over Youth")

or... how's about giving Ravaglia his own car to drive, and then inviting Johnny Cecotto along as well...



How about BMW team Canada... and give Villeneuve one last drive in a BMW

okay now I'm just being silly

[JMeissner]

Originally Posted by Matski

This is just getting stupid now. 7 seats! I hope BMW unveils a second RBM car to race next to Priaulx.

Second RBM BMW for Macau

[Matski]

Woo-hoo. 6 BMW's...

Now - just one more...

[Frederich]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Source: www.touringcartimes.com

#?? Jan Magnussen (DEN) - Racing Bart Mampaey - BMW 320si

Jan Magnussen: I have no knowlege of any deal to drive in Macau

From an interview on www.dtc-net.dk

[JMeissner]

The source regarding Macau & Magnussen is SportAutoMoto.