Engstler ordered back into old (new) car

Franz Engstler has been forced to return to the newer specification BMW 320si, in another development of the old car/new car weight issue.

Older BMW 320si’s are running with +10kg penalty ballast this weekend, this is the heaviest they’ve been made to run since the differentiation between older and new cars was introduced at the Belgian race in June.

Newer model BMW’s however are required to run +40kg of ballast, the same as the Chevrolet Cruze and SEAT León TDI cars.

Franz Engstler attempted to run an older car to the lower weight limit this weekend, as several teams had done at Brands Hatch in July, when the controversy over the weight differentiation hit it’s peak.

At Brands Hatch, BMW Team RBM had brought two older BMW’s, to benefit from the lower weight limit. The independent teams Liqui-Moly Team Engstler and Wiechers-Sport also did the same, with West Surrey Racing and Poulsen Motorsport already running older cars. BMW Team RBM were ordered to return to the new car at that weekend, but the independent teams were allowed to compete with the lighter older car.

Liqui-Moly Engstler Motorsport Team Manager Kurt Treml told TouringCarTimes that he doesn’t understand the reason why this hasn’t been permitted at Oschersleben as well, when the dispensation was allowed at Brands Hatch.

The FIA passed a judgement on Saturday, ordering the team to return to the newer specification car with the relevant ballast.

“After hearing the competitor’s representative and having considered the following matter, decide to not allow the competitor concerned to run an old car having a new element been presented by the FIA Technical Delegate…establishing that the competitor used previously a new car in the championship”.

The regulation in question is WTCC Sporting Regulation 84 a) which states
“If a Manufacturer homologates an extension on the FIA homologation form or a new car (different FIA homologation form), a competitor can start using it at any Event during the season. However he cannot revert back for the rest of the season to the previous one.”

The FIA also made reference to Article 179 of the ISC, indicating that the protest was without foundation, highlighting the FIA growing weary of the technical manoeuvring of some of the BMW teams, and that Engstler Motorsport may not be refunded their protest fee.

Franz Engstler has qualified third in the independents’ category for the first race of the day, 13th overall.

Team mate Andrei Romanov already runs a newer specification car, fitted with a sequential gearbox which makes it the heaviest car on the grid.