Photo: BMW Motorsport

Penalty rain after Oschersleben

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The World Touring Car Championship saw two spectacular and dramatic races with two victories for BMW with Augusto Farfus and Felix Porteiro. Especially after the crash between Gabriele Tarquini and Andy Priaulx in race 1 the eyes were on the race officials. Here’s a complete overview of all the penalty action of this weekend.

All drama started after qualifying with Tom Coronel. After qualifying in 4th, the est starting position for the Dutchman this year, his best time was
cancelled because he failed to restart his SEAT Léon after weighing in scruteneering. After the team protested against the hard penalty, the race officials changed their decision into a five places down the grid penalty. Coronel had to start from 9th on the grid now.

Newcomer George Tanev also lost his starting positions after the stewards
found a GPS system in his BMW. He lost all times and started from the back
of the grid.

The first race saw trouble as well after Andy Priaulx was pushed of the track in
turn 6 by Gabriele Tarquini. The world champion had to start the second race from the back of the grid because his RBM Team couldn’t fix the damage (three wheels broken of the car) in time. After the race the officials stated that they were investigating the incident.

Tarquini received a 30 seconds penalty after jumping the start in race one. After race two the officials had a meeting with Gabriele Tarquini and Andy Priaulx. The FIA officials gave Tarquini a drive through penalty and a 10 grid positions dropping suspended to the commitment of the same infringement during the next two events. This means the total penalty of Tarquini was a 1 minute penalty added to his finish time and if the Italian makes a foul like this again in Imola or Monza, he will be dropped 10 places on the grid of the following race.

Wiechers driver Olivier Tielemans received a 30 seconds penalty for pushing Honda-driver James Thompson into the gravel. This meant he dropped back from his 13th finishing position to 22nd.

After the race, the SUNRED team was fined with 250 Euros after they forgot to place the steering wheel back in Parc Ferme. For the same incident the Russian Bears Team had to pay 500 Euros because it was already the second time the team made this error.