Race Preview: Oschersleben next up

The FIA World Touring Car Championship continues this weekend at Oschersleben in Germany. Oschersleben is located 30km South West of Magdeburg, which is central to North Germany. Both races are 14 laps of the 3.696 mile circuit. The championship is currently wide open with the top 10 drivers on or over 30 points. Yvan Muller currently leads the championship but it was Jörg Müller who hauled in the points in the last round at Brands Hatch to start catching the top 4.

Previously at Oschersleben
In 2007 race 1 was won by Yvan Muller in his SEAL Leon TDI. Muller started on the front row of the grid, taking the lead straight away and stayed ahead until the chequered flag. The safety car was deployed almost immediately after a collision at the start and a separate incident that took out 8 cars. Race 2 was won by Augusto Farfus in the BMW 320si.

Oschersleben has a special place in SEAT’s heart, as it was the location SEAT scored their first podium finish in 2003 during the ETCC days. Rickard Rydell scored his first win with SEAT with the SEAT Toledo Cupra in race 2 of 2004, the last year of the ETCC before becoming the WTCC in 2005.

Frank Diefenbacher won the hearts of the German crowd when he scored a podium finish in 2003.

The season so far
Yvan Muller is championship leader currently with 65 points, taking the lead from Tarquini after he scored 8 points to Tarquini’s 6 last time out at Brands Hatch. Tarquini is only 1 point behind with 64 points, Andy Priaulx is still in close contention, currently sat third with 49 points.

Schedule
Saturday 30th
09.00 – Free Practice 1
11.30 – Free Practice 2
15.00 – Qualifying

Sunday 31st
09.00 – Warm Up
12.00 – Race 1
15.45 – Race 2