Photo: LADA Sport Lukoil

Lada complete successful two day test at Magny-Cours

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LADA Sport Lukoil have complete a two day test session at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, at the Togliatti-based team’s development partner ORECA’s home circuit, with drivers James Thompson and Rob Huff behind the wheel.

The Russian team is heading into its second full season this year since their FIA World Touring Car Championship return in 2012, and with 2012 World champion Rob Huff joining two-time British and European champion James Thompson at the operation.

The team will run car Nos. 11, 12 and 14 for Thompson, Huff and Kozlovskiy in the 2014 WTCC season.

“The team did a great job to make a car in compliance with the WTCC’s new technical rules, said team principal Viktor Shapovalov. “The Lada Granta TC1 is a completely different to its predecessor – both in terms of new parts and elements and in terms of the whole approach to car building from the point of geometry. We widely used the experiences we gained during the previous season, but more flexible technical rules allowed us to make the car more competitive due to some innovative suspension development solutions.

“At the same time, the advantages of the Granta’s short wheelbase are still with us – in particular, its manoeuvrability. With the advent of the new regulations, we have been able to solve some problems we experienced in 2013, while retaining the core benefits of the base car.

“The new engine, made by LADA Sport Lukoil’s partner ORECA, gives the car even more potential. In particular, the acceleration at the corner exits has improved significantly. On the whole, the team is satisfied with the first shakedown. The primary objective was to ensure all of the car’s systems were working in harmony, given the enormously increased engine and braking performance. The initial runs confirmed that the team has managed to find the best balance of the car.”

The team will undertake one final test before the season opener at Marrakech, Morocco on April 13th, where Huff and Thompson will be joined by the team’s third driver, Mikhail Kozlovskiy.