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WTCC: Newsletter #25

ROUTE TO: PORTO, PORTUGAL

The 13th and 14th rounds of the FIA WTCC will take place next weekend on Porto's Circuito da Boavista. This is the fourth visit the championship pays to this racetrack that winds up along the streets of the Portuguese city and was revived in 2005 after half-a-century since it hosted the Portuguese Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The WTCC Race of Portugal returns to Porto every two years since 2007. On the last time, in 2011, Rob Huff and Yvan Muller - who were team-mates at Chevrolet - put in a great fight in the second race that culminated in Huff overtaking Muller with a much debated manoeuvre in a chicane.

Portuguese fans packed the grandstands and were excited by Tiago Monteiro's podium finish. Official figures released by the Municipality of Porto spoke of 80,000 spectators on Sunday and 140,000 over the weekend.

In Porto the WTCC competitors will benefit from an extended qualifying session (30-minute Q1 and 15-minute Q2), as it usually happens during the events hosted on street circuits.

THE SEASON ENTERS ITS SECOND HALF

The Porto event marks the beginning of the second half of the 2013 WTCC season. Six of the twelve race meetings have gone - Italy, Morocco, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Russia - and Portugal will also close the championship's European leg. After Porto the WTCC will be heading for its five overseas events: Argentina, USA, Japan, China and Macau.

The Drivers' Championship looks comfortably controlled by Yvan Muller. At the wheel of his RML Chevrolet Cruze the Frenchman has collected nearly twice the points of his closest chasers, and is heading for a fourth world title.

The fight for the Yokohama Trophy is much more uncertain, with Michel Nykjær leading the standings just one point ahead of James Nash. Racing Team.

Alex MacDowall currently plays the role of the third pretender, as he lies a further 17 points adrift. However, with 138 points still at stake a number of other drivers might come back into the title fight.

A FIELD OF 25 CARS TO RACE IN PORTO
The WTCC field will be up to 25 cars for the race at Porto's Circuito da Boavista.

For the first time Campos Racing will run three SEAT cars, as Hugo Valente (who missed Russia) and Nikolay Karamyshev (who made his first appearance in Russia) join Fernando Monje. Tom Boardman and his Special Tuning Racing SEAT León are due to rejoin the championship after skipping the previous events in Austria and Russia.

And finally, Pepe Oriola faces his first race in the RML-built Chevrolet Cruze run by the Tuenti Racing Team.

Ron Hartvelt, WTCC Project Manager at RML said: "We are delighted that Tuenti Racing has decided to run one of our Cruze cars for the remainder of the season. Pepe Oriola is a very talented young driver and this gives us a great opportunity to watch his development even more closely for the future. We look forward to supporting them in the same way as we do with our other customer teams. The team is very professional and motivated and we are confident that they will run a strong car."

MONTEIRO: MY GOAL IS A PODIUM RESULT
During the WTCC event in Porto everybody's attention will be pointed on Tiago Monteiro, a true local hero as he actually leaves in this charming city. Portuguese fans are especially excited, because Tiago arrives at his home race at the wheel of a Honda Civic car run by the factory-backed Honda Castrol Racing. A package with great potential.

"Home race is always important and I'm lucky to be in a World Championship that comes to my home place. I think it's great and I should take advantage of it. It is always special to race with fans, friends and family who give a lot of support. I'm looking forward to the event."

WTCC always had good crowds at Porto. Do you think that because this year you race with a factory team, the fans' enthusiasm will be boosted even more?

"I think so. Everybody knows I'm now in a works team, with a competitive car. And everybody expects to see me fighting for the lead. And on top of this I have won WTCC races in Estoril and Algarve, but not in Porto. Everybody expects me to win here. Expectations are high, no doubt about it. I would like to do something good. I do my best every weekend. I'll push very hard, but we have to be careful with the expectations because it's very easy to let people down... But we know what we can do and if we see an opportunity we'll get it."

All street circuits are very special. What are Porto's special features?
"Porto is a mix between the narrow streets of Pau and the long straights of Macau. We have some very technical parts and some fast parts, and the chicanes that are quite difficult but important because if you lose speed there, then you have a problem on the long straight that follows. We have that long straight downhill before the pits. I would say that the circuit's main features is to be a big challenge itself. This is one of those tracks where you need to be very confident with yourself and the car to set good lap times. Otherwise if you drive too much in control you won't be fast enough."

Are you happy for how the first full season with Honda is going so far?
"We are happy in general, with the way we are evolving. We had a few podium results, one win. I would say that we have achieved our goals at this stage. It's really a work in progress. Every weekend we discover new things about the car and make changes. It's quite interesting on a technical level to discover something new and remember what you have done in the past. Of course we want more. We are here to fight and win. In the first half of the season I had some tough times, lost a lot of points in accidents and problems. But I think this is part of racing. I focus on evolving as a driver and with the team."

Considering the potential of the car you have exploited so far, do you think Porto is a track that suits the Civic?
"On paper yes. However, since we have this extra compensation weight on board the car is a lot more difficult to drive. A lot different in sense of reactions. We are now again discovering how to use the car with this extra weight. Now we were quite confident on technical tracks, like Porto. But I would say that we are a bit concerned and wondering how to make the car as performing as it should on handling."

In conclusion, what are your expectations for Porto?
"Podium would be my goal. Of course if we have a win is a dream come true. I know it will be tough anyway. I want to give a good show for the fans and have fun myself. If I have fun, I think it will result in a good place."

MISS YOKOHAMA TO VISIT WTCC IN PORTO
The WTCC paddock in Porto will welcome a very special guest: Debora Cordeiro, the reigning Miss Yokohama. Born in Switzerland from a family of Portuguese origins, Debora has been invited by Yokohama Switzerland to join her fellow Swiss countryman Fredy Barth and the Wiechers-Sport team for the event. The daughter of a garage owner, she has enough experience in motoring to support the team. Furthermore, during her year as Miss Yokohama, she has learned all about tyres so that she might be asked to perform some tyre fitting duties at the Yokohama service area.

EUROSPORT TV PROGRAMMES *
Saturday, 29 June : 16.00/17.00 - Qualifying LIVE on Eurosport 2
Sunday, 30 June : 10.00/10.30 - Warm Up LIVE on Eurosport 2
Sunday, 30 June : 12.00/13.00 - Race 1 LIVE on Eurosport 1
Sunday, 30 June : 17.45/18.45 - Race 2 LIVE on Eurosport 1
Tuesday, 2 July : 00.30 - Inside WTCC on Eurosport 1

* all times CET

NEW WTCC IPHONE APPLICATION
The new WTCC application for iPhone is now available. The application works on Apple's iOS mobile operating system for iPhone and iPad, but also on the Linux-based Android system. The enhanced application, that is quicker and more ergonomic, enables users to follow live timing and commentar.