Chevrolet not calling WTCC season easy just yet

RML are continuing their testing programme with the new 1.6 litre turbo-charged Cruze in Valencia but expect some hurdles with the new regulations.

Menu and Huff have just completed the first test of 2011 in Valencia, with 2010 champion Yvan Muller soon to shakedown his new car, but RML Chief Executive Ray Mallock doesn’t expect it to be plain sailing this year despite the team’s head start on the competition.

Speaking to TouringCarTimes, Mallock said their main concern is over the BMW runners, at this point particularly Tom Coronel and the ROAL Motorsport car (the only confirmed BMW 320 TC car so far), as the high torque and performance of the 1.6 turbo is wearing heavily on the front tyres of the front-wheel drive Chevrolet Cruze, whilst the rear-wheel drive BMW is expected to handle the new power level more evenly.

Ray Mallock also confirmed that the team’s BTCC programme will see the Cruze run as expected on the normally aspirated 2.0 litre S2000 engine which the team used last year in both championships, once the commercial deals are all in place.

The team will test the WTCC Cruze at Barcelona next week along with the Polestar Racing Volvo C30 of Robert Dahlgren.