Photo: WTCC Media

25 cars entered for 2012 WTCC season opener

25 cars have been entered for the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship, with SUNRED confirming Andrea Barlesi and Fernando Monje today.

Spanish driver Monje tested with SUNRED recently at Valencia, whilst Belgian-Italian Barlesi was confirmed at SUNRED earlier today. Although Monje appears on the entry list for the season, he will miss the opening round of the WTCC however and instead will compete in the FIA European Touring Car for SUNRED in a non-1.6 turbo SEAT León.

Rickard Rydell is also on the entry list for the opening round of the Championship in a Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden-run Cruze 1.6T.

Although they are entering in independent teams, a few drivers have been ruled out by the organisers from competing in the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy due to their caree rrecords.

This includes 2009 Champion Gabriele Tarquini, reigning STCC champion Rickard Rydell, former Formula 1 driver Tiago Monteiro, 2009 WTCC independents’ champion Tom Coronel, and perhaps quite interestingly, 2010 BTCC independents’ champion Tom Chilton, who will be new to the WTCC with Arena/Ford.

2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship Entry List – Monza

No – Driver – NAT – Team – Car
1 – Yvan Muller – FRA – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
2 – Rob Huff – GBR – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
3 – Gabriele Tarquini – ITA – Lukoil Racing Team – SEAT León WTCC
4 – Aleksei Dudukalo – RUS – Lukoil Racing Team – SEAT León WTCC
5 – Norbert Michelisz – HUN – Zengõ Motorsport – BMW 320 TC
6 – Franz Engstler – GER – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320 TC
7 – Charles Ng – HKG – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320 TC
8 – Alain Menu – SWI – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
9 – Rickard Rydell – SWE – Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
11 – Alex MacDowall – GBR – Bamboo Engineering – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
12 – Pasquale Di Sabatino – ITA – Bamboo Engineering – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
14 – James Nash – GBR – Arena International Motorsport – Ford Focus S2000 TC
15 – Tom Coronel – NED – ROAL Motorsport – BMW 320 TC
16 – Alberto Cerqui – ITA – ROAL Motorsport – BMW 320 TC
18 – Tiago Monteiro – POR – Tuenti Racing Team – SEAT León WTCC
20 – Darryl O’Young – HKG – Special Tuning Racing – SEAT León WTCC
22 – Tom Boardman – GBR – Special Tuning Racing – SEAT León WTCC
23 – Tom Chilton – GBR – Arena International Motorsport – Ford Focus S2000 TC
24 – Isaac Tutumlu – SPN – Proteam Racing – BMW 320 TC
25 – Mehdi Bennani – MOR – Proteam Racing – BMW 320 TC
26 – Stefano D’Aste – ITA – Wiechers-Sport – BMW 320 TC
27 – Gábor Wéber – HUN – Zengõ Motorsport – BMW 320 TC
40 – Andrea Barlesi – BEL – SUNRED Engineering – SEAT León WTCC
74 – Pepe Oriola – SPN – Tuenti Racing Team – SEAT León WTCC
88 – Fernando Monje – SPN – SUNRED Engineering – SEAT León WTCC