WTCC 2010 Facts, rumours and speculation...

**FIRE** · 8 Oct 2009, 17:39 (Ref:2556802)

Quote:

WTCC: Chevrolet could expand with Muller and Giovanardi
While BMW and SEAT are considering to reduce their teams, Chevrolet is looking to expand the team for 2010.
...

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4084

Quote:

WTCC: Engstler confirms 2010 and plans to expand
The Liqui Moly Engstler team has confirmed it plans to contend the 2010 World Touring Car Championship, as well as expand it's squad.

The team hopes to add an Asian driver contingent to the team, which has a lot of links in that series after winning the 2005, 2006 and 2008 Asian Touring Car Championships.
...

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4083

Quote:

WTCC: SEAT ends co-operation with ORECA
SEAT are going to end their co-operation with ORECA for next year. This season ORECA ran the cars for Yvan Muller and Tiago Monteiro.
"I can confirm that we are stopping with SEAT: it is 100 per cent," said ORECA boss Hughes de Chaunac to Autosport.
...

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4039

Quote:

WTCC: Proteam could leave WTCC next year Privateer team Proteam Motorsport could be leaving the World Touring Car Championship for the Italian series Superstars next year.
"Superstars is very interesting, it is a series that we are looking in to seriously," said team boss Valmiro Presenzini Mattoli.
...

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4027

Speed-King · 8 Oct 2009, 17:47 (Ref:2556814)

Wiechers will be builting a lot of Chevy Cruzes for a new one make series here in Germany, which will be announced this weekend in Oschersleben.

I wonder if that will also be a factor in their WTCC-campaign, i.e. I wonder if Wiechers will switch to Chevys next year.

**FIRE** · 8 Oct 2009, 18:48 (Ref:2556876)

Didn't know that. Do you have more info on that Cruze cup? In Holland they plan to start a Cruze cup in 2011. The Dutch cars (probably diesel powered

) will be developed by Dutch company Biesheuvel Autosport.

If Wiechers is responsible for the Cruze Cup I can even imagine they will not take part in WTCC.

GroupOfOne · 8 Oct 2009, 18:56 (Ref:2556878)

http://www.racecar.com/Motorsport/Ne...many/31057.htm

Some news about the Cruze Cup, more to be announced at the weekend by the sounds of it.

Jon411 · 8 Oct 2009, 19:31 (Ref:2556902)

Back at WTCC Oschesleban, Perfection Racing were talking about looking at a WTCC campaign - don't think they said it if would be a full campaign or just a few races.

Robbe · 9 Oct 2009, 14:35 (Ref:2557528)

Wiechers is also running a Dacia cup in Germany AFAIK, so this probably doesn't mean they stop their WTCC program.

Perfection Racing has announced they pull out of DTC for 2010 so I hope they will do full season. Nykjaer is definately capable of winning the independents trophy.

**FIRE** · 13 Oct 2009, 16:46 (Ref:2560673)

Quote:

TouringCarTimes has received information that the debated Touring Car Bureau of the FIA World Touring Car Championship is going to be closed down. The Touring Car Bureau currently handles the rules, dispensations, weight changes and more for the WTCC and the S2000 regulations.
...

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4111

Dudu · 13 Oct 2009, 16:49 (Ref:2560678)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4111

Finally they understand that there is something wrong but at the end they just replace the bureau by two times more people which is completely useless.....

duke_toaster · 13 Oct 2009, 17:24 (Ref:2560692)

Surely that's papering over the cracks of the Super 2000 technical regulations rather than solving the issue properly - we don't need this 1600cc turbo business, just a fresh start with regulations with less politics. Maybe it's NGTC, perhaps for the world stage it needs something with a bit more oomph and less of the whole FWD/RWD, hatch/saloon, petrol/diesel nonsense.

NaBUru38 · 13 Oct 2009, 21:21 (Ref:2560823)

Production-based 4.6m sedans and 4.3m hatchbacks sound fine to me for a World Touring Car Championship. Engines should be all turbocharged and a bit more powerful than today. However, I feel that 1.6L is an excessively small displacement for such a high-level tournament.

Perhaps some of you would enjoy a completely different type of racing car. I believe that Europeans need some sort of stock car racing - by that I mean heavy, overpowered RWD sedans. These could be silhouettes just like DTM cars, but with little downforce and metallic brake discs to make driving more difficult and overtaking more feasable.

stedevil · 14 Oct 2009, 06:40 (Ref:2561043)

2 support classes for STCC are Porsche Carrera Cap and Camaro Cup. 1 more "heavy overpowered RWD" class might make it a bit too crowded at least here.

V8 Fireworks · 14 Oct 2009, 07:31 (Ref:2561064)

Those are low, sleek fast sportscars, hardly heavy and over-powered?!

Touring cars are the expression of ordinary sedans in tricked out form however.

stedevil · 14 Oct 2009, 12:34 (Ref:2561235)

Quote:

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Those are low, sleek fast sportscars, hardly heavy and over-powered?!

Well, for the tracks we have here I think you would agree. Something clumsier and even more powerful would just look ridiculous on the Swedish small tracks.

Craner Curves · 21 Oct 2009, 20:49 (Ref:2566614)

News which would affect Lada's participation as a works concern: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8272328.stm

Dead-Eye · 21 Oct 2009, 23:43 (Ref:2566731)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbe

Wiechers is also running a Dacia cup in Germany AFAIK, so this probably doesn't mean they stop their WTCC program.

Actually the Cruze Cup is the Dacia Cup, they're switching cars for next year.

stedevil · 30 Oct 2009, 23:53 (Ref:2572771)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

News which would affect Lada's participation as a works concern: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8272328.stm

My guess, being part of WTCC and compeating against western brands while beeing at least on par in performance would be the only way to stop the company from going belly up. In short they need to make it more status to own a Lada and success in WTCC is a good way to acchive that.

**FIRE** · 4 Nov 2009, 18:40 (Ref:2575776)

Quote:

Rickard Rydell is not likely to continue with SEAT in the World Touring Car Championship next year. The Swede also indicates that SEAT might not even be on track next year.
"SEAT has not decided what to do next year yet. Right now it is not looking good, but it is not confirmed yet," said Rydell to Eurosport.
According to Rydell, the reason for SEAT looking at leaving WTCC is not only the rule debacle, but also that the Spanish manufacturer is struggling financially.
...

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4185

MikeD · 4 Nov 2009, 22:57 (Ref:2575970)

Off topic question: Does any of you know how long the contract is for Yokohama to supply tyres for the WTCC?

Valker · 5 Nov 2009, 07:23 (Ref:2576141)

Current deal is till the end of 2012 season.

Speed-King · 8 Nov 2009, 10:46 (Ref:2578166)

So what happens if Seat pulls indeed out?

Wouldn't BMW follow suit? Seat is the only of their WTCC competitors that's even remotely close to their price range - I just can't see them racing against Chevy and Lada only.

I think, if Seat walks away, there might pretty well be no 2010 WTCC season.

**FIRE** · 8 Nov 2009, 13:27 (Ref:2578254)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speed-King

So what happens if Seat pulls indeed out?

Wouldn't BMW follow suit? Seat is the only of their WTCC competitors that's even remotely close to their price range - I just can't see them racing against Chevy and Lada only.

I think, if Seat walks away, there might pretty well be no 2010 WTCC season.

I am also not very positive on the future of WTCC. If 2011 DTM gets a good set of rules and a 3rd or even 4th manufacturer and BTCC's NGTC will become a success and gets a foot on the ground outside the UK I will not miss WTCC.

duke_toaster · 8 Nov 2009, 19:11 (Ref:2578383)

Then again, perhaps the WTCC needs something that puts it above the national series? Would a better new set of rules be a good idea rather than 1600cc turbos in S2000 chassis - what about something at DTM pace or so without all the problems of the DTM? In that way the DTM would become what it was before the mission creep set in, the German national championship.

Speed-King · 8 Nov 2009, 23:35 (Ref:2578532)

Right now, I am not that much interested in hypothetic future reglements, but rather in possible contingency plans for a Seat and BMW pull-out. Would (could?) they run the world championship with only two manufacturers?
Or perhaps revert to a cheaper Europe only format with BMW and Seat privateers taking on Chevy (and to a lesser degree Lada)?

duke_toaster · 9 Nov 2009, 15:09 (Ref:2578969)

Surely it's far too late to switch it to a Europe-only series now - and cancelling it entirely would mean that many series would have to redo their schedules such as FIA F2.

V8 Fireworks · 10 Nov 2009, 23:28 (Ref:2579824)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Right now, I am not that much interested in hypothetic future reglements, but rather in possible contingency plans for a Seat and BMW pull-out. Would (could?) they run the world championship with only two manufacturers?
Or perhaps revert to a cheaper Europe only format with BMW and Seat privateers taking on Chevy (and to a lesser degree Lada)?

It should be viable for private sponsors though not just auto makers...

The "world championship for touring cars" should be a drawcard for richly backed Mobil, Castrol, Jim Beam, Vodafone, Santander, Emirates, Ethihad, Kingfisher, Pepsi, Dupont etc squads with massive profile very similar to F1 if it was run properly.......

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