[WTCC] 2010 Facts, rumours and speculation...

[stedevil]

Yes, but then they only had to pull the trick to make up for 1 team. But for 2? And is BMW confirmed for 2010? They where quite hesitant a while back.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by werner

They can pull the same trick as they did with N-tech's Alfa and Honda efforts in the last years. They were nothing more than independant teams, but they still were counted as worksteams.

Or they can convert into the M1/M2 system used in WRC, which is what they will do if both BMW and SEAT leaves. That will give pleanty of teams.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

WRC - Citroën, Ford, possibly Abarth and Volkswagen

This is not quite true. While Citroën and Ford are safe, then MINI will join via Prodrive and either Abarth og Proton (via MEM) will join as the 4th manufacturer. The VAG brands look less and less likely to join WRC. Skoda is now fully commited to IRC and VAG are not gonna support two rally brands.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by stedevil

IIRC in FIA regs for a championship to call itself a WORLD championship it requires at least 4 manufacturers. So if both Lada and Seat drops out... where does that leave us? Especially 1 year before new regulations are released.

Don't get hung up on that one.
Obviously that FIA rule is ignored.

If they stuck to that 'world championship' requirement then there wouldn't be a F1 World Championship next year. Or a World Rally Championship this year, last year or next year.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

If they stuck to that 'world championship' requirement then there wouldn't be a F1 World Championship next year. Or a World Rally Championship this year, last year or next year.

Well, all (almost) F1 teams are manufacturing their own cars so they qualify. But I guess WRC solved the issue in an "interesting" way.

[FIRE]

Zanardi retires from WTCC
Alex Zanardi has retired from the World Touring Car Championship.

The 43-year-old Italian has raced a ROAL-run BMW since 2005 and taken four race wins. While he will not race in the WTCC again, he has not ruled out competing in a different series.

"I will not be back in the WTCC," Zanardi told AUTOSPORT. "It's a shame, but when one door closes a bigger one may open. It can be cool to move when there are new challenges, but there aren't any yet."
...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80340

No Larini, no Zanardi...doesn't look good for WTCC.

[Robbe]

Italiaracing had an article that BMW will compete with two RBM works cars in 2010, driven by Priaulx and Farfus.

Tarquini's comments on his future makes me wonder if we will see any works SEAT at all, so we maybe only have 5 works cars and no italian driver in it...

I think we will be down to 10-15 cars in the south american races.

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by FIRE

No Larini, no Zanardi...doesn't look good for WTCC.

So, long live Superstars. They promise new partycipants next year, with Jaguar XF, Audi RS5, Porsche Panamera and Chevrolet Lumina. And, I hope, Larini, Zanardi and other superstars.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Valenok

So, long live Superstars. They promise new partycipants next year, with Jaguar XF, Audi RS5, Porsche Panamera

Those are interesting cars! And is that RS5 the new Sportback version?

[Valenok]

RS5 is avaliable only in coupe version. But current version of tech reg talk about all 4-seat V8 cars, not only sedans.

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by Valenok

RS5 is avaliable only in coupe version. But current version of tech reg talk about all 4-seat V8 cars, not only sedans.

Any 4-seater? V8 one of these?

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Any 4-seater? V8 one of these?

Is it V8 engined? 8)
But, indeed, you can use all V8 engines from this make, so you must talk with Flammini brothers to race this car.
They say something like that

The SUPERSTARS SERIES' technical rulebook allows four-seat touring cars with more than 500 horsepower, with limited tuning possibility and a total ban on any electronic device. Several more rules are set to limit the building and maintaining cost of racecars.

http://www.superstars.it/eng/Other-N...e-on-LA-7.aspx

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Robbe

I think we will be down to 10-15 cars in the south american races.

If it really gets that bad, perhaps they should consolidate the series back into a European-only (plus Macao, possibly) series and scrap the proposed four race ETCC. There are teams that are interested in a European campaign as evidenced by the interest in the new ETCC-format, so decent numbers of cars on the grid could probably be maintained. Nothing worse than touring car racing with miniscule fields.

[RickP:Clio51]

Had heard the 2 * BMW for Farfus and Priaulx and 2 * SEAT works to match them plus the 3 Chevy's... so thats 7 works... but don't rule out new marques and new privateers coming in... commentators were alluding as much in the Macau coverage and it seems possible with a few ex-works cars floating around after this year!
Only thing that strikes me is there is a much bigger gap between the Brazil and Mexico rounds in the 2010 schedule than 2009... can't see that they are going to really bother shipping all the cars back to Europe in between are they?

[touringlegend]

Are the BMW entries still going to be funded from Munich?

Does it mean that it is really the UK, Italian and Spanish importers who have called a day on their backing?

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by Valenok

Is it V8 engined? 8)
But, indeed, you can use all V8 engines from this make, so you must talk with Flammini brothers to race this car.

No, but there are other V8 estates. Might be an aero advantage, who knows.

(The pictured car is a BTCC Volvo)

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

No, but there are other V8 estates. Might be an aero advantage, who knows.

ORAL Engineering tech policy equalize all cars by mimnimal weight. They allow tubo-Jags, AWD-Audi, BMW coupes, Porsche's hatches, so they can allow wagons too.

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

(The pictured car is a BTCC Volvo)

Yeah!! It's joint between the estate Volvos and the '94 Alfas as my favourite cars. They're the reason I started watching the BTCC when I was a fresh faced 9yr old

[E46]

www.sportmotores.es reveals that Sunred would be in negotiations with SEAT Sport to use TDI Engines in 2010. Interesting if it´s finally confirmed.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I perhaps they should consolidate the series back into a European-only (plus Macao, possibly) series and scrap the proposed four race ETCC. There are teams that are interested in a European campaign as evidenced by the interest in the new ETCC-format

How about splitting the World Championship into a European Championship and a World Cup? In addition to that, Asian and North American teams may be attracted to the new WTCC.

2010-2011 FIA World Touring Car Cup calendar proposal:

September 2010 - Race of Germany, Oschersleben (BMW rules)
September 2010 - Race of Spain, Cheste (Seat rules)
October 2010 - Race of Japan, Okayama
November 2010 - Race of Macau, Guia
March 2011 - Race of Brazil, Curitiba
March 2011 - Race of Mexico, Puebla
April 2011 - Race of Italy, Imola / Monza (Alfa rules)
May 2011 - Race of Morocco, Marrakech

The ACO Int'l Trophy could join them at Okayama and Monza. Possible future venues: Shanghai, Australia, United States, South Africa, Middle East.

2011 FIA European Touring Car Championship calendar proposal:

April 2011 - Race of Italy, Imola / Monza
May 2011 - Race of Morocco, Marrakech
June 2011 - Race of Belgium, Zolder
July 2011 - Race of Portugal, Boavista
July 2011 - Race of UK, Brands Hatch
August 2011 - Race of the Czech Republic, Brno
September 2011 - Race of Germany, Oschersleben
September 2011 - Race of Spain, Cheste

Possible future venues: France, Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, Middle East.

[Speed-King]

In addition to that, Asian and North American teams may be attracted to the new WTCC.

That's basically what has been WTCC's problem all along: It's (almost?) complete reliance on European teams. All is well if there are enough manufacturer cars to make up for the smaller numbers of European privatiers who are willing to travel to all the oversea rounds. But when the manufacturer numbers drop, fields will soon be anaemic.

They haven't managed to recruit any Non-European teams in the last five years, and somehow I doubt that they'll be able to do so in the future: The oversea races are mainly a means to get the right to call the series a world championship and don't equal a true presence in those markets. So it is still a European series with some "alibi" rounds abroad and that's just not all that attractive for American or Asian teams.
The only way out of that would be strong regional S2000 series, but with the current trend of moving away from S2000 that seems hardly feasible.

[brucelok2003]

Anyone know why did BMW and Seat still not to announce their plans in 2010?

[privateer]

Indeed the Seat Diesel is available to any drivers in 2010 if you can afford it the deal includes 2 engineers??

[Dudu]

Originally Posted by privateer

Indeed the Seat Diesel is available to any drivers in 2010 if you can afford it the deal includes 2 engineers??

Is it a question or something true ?

[privateer]

Sorry ! Yes its true that is the deal.