Race Preview: WTCC in the UK at Brands

The World Touring Car Championship returns to the UK and back to the superb Brands Hatch circuit in Kent. Brands Hatch kicks off the second half to the 2008 season. As reported on TouringCarTimes.com, Rob Huff will be celebrating his 100th WTCC start in Kent this weekend, and to add to the spectacle, as also reported here, STCC contenders Polestar Racing-team will field one Volvo C30.

Previously at Brands Hatch
Three different manufacturers took to the podium for race 1 in 2007. Alain Menu was first followed by James Thompson in the Alfa Romeo 156 with Colin Turkington getting the final spot after switching from BTCC to the WTCC for the weekend. Race 2 saw British hero Andy Priaulx finish top in his BMW 320si with fellow Brit Robert Huff taking third spot just behind Felix Porteiro.

The season so far
Gabriele Tarquini currently leads the championship despite not scoring a point at Estoril last time out. Yvan Muller finished on the podium in both races to move within only a point of the lead in the championship standings. Rydell and Priaulx currently sit a bit further back in the standings but are still both in full contention if they can improve in the second half of the season.

Quotes prior to the race
Rob Huff – Chevrolet
“The first of the two races will be my 100th touring car start, so it would be a delight to celebrate that with a win, especially since Brands is also the track where I scored my very first touring car victory in 2004. Realistically, of course, it will be very difficult to win with the kilos I’m carrying, as Brands is one of those tracks where it hurts to run heavy. So if I can bag another eight or nine points it will have been a very good weekend for me. Should it rain, as it sometimes does in the UK, then it will be a bit easier for me, but also for all the other heavies, so I don’t really mind what the weather does. But obviously racing at home in front of fans and family is always special, so I’m going to put on a good show.”

Alain Menu – Chevrolet
“After Estoril I will be relatively light at Brands Hatch, carrying only the 23kgs ballast resulting from my 23 points in the championship. Of course, Brands has always been quite good to me in the past, both when I was racing in the BTCC and now in the WTCC with Chevrolet. I can’t say that I will win for the third year in a row, but definitely I expect a lot from this event and I aim at being on the podium. It will all depend on how things go in qualifying. Last year, I was on the pole and I won. Would I have qualified second, I would have finished second, so qualifying will be very, very important. Regarding weather conditions, I would prefer to have dry races, but we will take what comes, and it will be the same for everybody. I spent two days testing in Pembrey this week, it was useful, but it’s clear that at this stage of the car development, we can only gain some hundredths of a second here and there. It’s more a matter of how you feel with the car rather than pure performance.”

Nicola Larini – Chevrolet
“I am very motivated after the good results we obtained in Estoril. Brands Hatch is a circuit that suits us well and it is the home track of the team, we have always been at the top there. Of course, with 50kgs of ballast I will not be in the best position, I will have the heaviest Lacetti ever seen this year, but my aim is to do well and never give up, as always! And for the rest, I personally hope it will rain!”

Gabriele Tarquini – SEAT Sport
“Brands has got to be a good circuit for our TDIs, because we competed with them last year and the experience gives us something to work with in order to improve our performance, especially in the qualifying rounds.”

Rickard Rydell – SEAT Sport
“Brands Hatch is like my second home because I competed there twice at the British championship. It’s my second favourite circuit after Macau and naturally I want to score points in both races, although I don’t know how the car will perform with so much added weight.”

Andy Priaulx – BMW Team UK
“A home track is very important as you have your own fans there. Brands is special as it is challenging but fun to drive on. Last year winning there was one of the most special moments of my career. I cannot wait to drive there at the wheel of an F1 car. I will be as thrilled as the fans, and the noise passing the pit straight will be fantastic.”

Jörg Müller – BMW Team Germany
“At Brands Hatch things can only get better for me. In 2006 I retired there twice, although last year I was at least able to score some points. I only hope I will be in a position to demonstrate the full potential of the BMW 320si WTCC. So much more would have been possible in Estoril had a little bit of luck been travelling with me.”

Augusto Farfus – BMW Team Germany
“Basically, at Brands Hatch my season will start anew. I have put the disappointing weekend I suffered at Estoril behind me, and am aiming to consistently score points as I did at Pau and Brno. In terms of the championship, I am certainly not where I would like to be, but there are still 12 races remaining – and I never ever give up.”

Félix Porteiro – BMW Team Italy-Spain
“I am satisfied with the way things have developed. Nineteen points from the last four races is a fitting reward for all the hard work the team has put in. I also feel confident about Brands Hatch, as I managed to score a podium place there last year.”

Alessandro Zanardi – BMW Team Italy-Spain
“Although I left Estoril empty-handed, I managed to take away a lot of positives from Portugal. Even with a lot of ballast we were fast. I am looking forward to Brands Hatch, where we should be able to have good results. The circuit is a lot of fun.”

Schedule
11.00 – Warm Up
13.05 – Race 1
14.20 – Race 2