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Farewell to WTCC 2017

It was action all the way during a thrilling 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship season. Here's a reminder of what happened on and off the track.

MORE LAPS, MORE POINTS FOR MAIN RACE: The event-closing Main Race was longer with more points on offer as follows: 1=30 points; 2=23; 3=19; 4=16; 5=13; 6=10; 7=7; 8=4; 9=2; 10=1.

AND MORE FOR WTCC MAC3: The winners of Manufacturers Against the Clock, the Tour de France team time trial, were also better rewarded with 12 points for a win, four more than handed out for second. Team Volvo Polestar claimed seven wins compared to Team Honda's three.

FAMOUS TRACKS WERE BACK: Legendary venues Macau and Monza both returned to the WTCC calendar for 2017, while the all-new Ningbo International Speedpark became WTCC Race of China's new home.

IT WAS NO JOKE: The WTCC's sporting regulations included the allowance for FIA World Rallycross-style ‘joker' laps, with the world premiere taking place at WTCC Race of Portugal on the streets of Vila Real in June. The ‘joker' lap required drivers to follow an alternative route in both the Opening Race and Main Race. However, it cannot be taken until the third lap of a race and its inclusion was subject to the completion of a venue safety inspection.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: To underline the wide-open nature of the 2017 season, 10 drivers won races with Mehdi Bennani, Tom Chilton, Esteban Guerrieri and Norbert Michelisz each scoring a table-topping three wins. Norbert Michelisz scored the most pole positions to earn the DHL Pole Position Award. Guerreri set more fastest laps than any other driver. Along with Rob Huff, he won the TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy three times. Meanwhile, Bennani's tally of 40 topped the list of most laps led with Monteiro out in front 36 times.

CHANGES APLENTY AT VOLVO POLESTAR: Polestar Cyan Racing recruited Nicky Catsburg and Néstor Girolami and long-term factory racer Thed Björk and also signed Yvan Muller, the quadruple World Touring Car champion who had stood down from full-time driving at the end of 2016. Muller was recruited mainly as a sporting advisor but also tested extensively before making a shock return for the season final in place of Girolami.

HONDA HAPPENINGS: While Norbert Michelisz remained a works Honda driver, Rob Huff switched to the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team for 2017 with Ryo Michigami from Japan recruited to drive the third Civic WTCC for a full campaign having contested his home event in 2016. Tiago Monteiro was leading the standings for Honda after 12 races only for injury to force him out. Gabriele Tarquini subbed for him in China before Esteban Guerrieri took on the role for the final three events of the year. Meanwhile, Zsolt Dávid Szabó joined fellow Hungarian Dániel Nagy in the privateer Honda squad Zengő Motorsport in July, replacing Aurélien Panis.

FOR LADA YOU READ RC: The factory LADA team ran as RC Motorsport in 2017 with an exciting line-up including Yann Ehrlacher, the nephew of four-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller, and American racer Kevin Gleason. Filipe de Souza, Manuel Fernandes and Mak Ka Lok made selected appearances.

FLYING THE FRENCH FLAG: Sébastien Loeb Racing re-signed Mehdi Bennani and Tom Chilton and recruited John Filippi to form its three-strong attack. And three became four in Macau when Ma Qing Hua returned to the WTCC in a fourth Citroën C-Elysée.

NON-CRUZE MODE: Campos Racing and ROAL Motorsport continued to enjoy success with the Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1. Esteban Guerrieri scored two race wins for the Barcelona-based Campos team, while Tom Coronel was a race leader (Morocco) and podium finisher (Macau) for Roberto Ravaglia's Italian squad. Po Wah Wong and Kin Pong Clerebold Chan represented formed the Campos line-up in Macau.

Zdroj: fiawtcc.com