Drivers worried about overtaking on ‘go-kart track’

The top WTCC drivers are expecting qualifying will be even more crucial at the latest addition to the Championship calendar this weekend at the Tianma Circuit in Shanghai, China, with limited opportunities for overtaking.

Championship leader Yvan Muller stated after the first test session at the circuit today that the track “reminds me of my early years in motorsports, when I raced big go-karts in small tracks.”

“Traffic is going to be an issue here,” added Muller, “as there is literally very little space to pass and get past. It’s not fast either: we never get to put 6th gear and we are in 5th only briefly, at the end of the straight.”

“It will be hard to overtake here,” said ROAL Motorsport BMW driver Tom Coronel in his video track guide (which you can view here). “It will be special for touring cars, we’re all going to be hugging each other.”

Tianma is a stand-in circuit for the Guangdong International Circuit which was originally scheduled to host the WTCC’s first visit to mainland China.

The WTCC is sharing the schedule this weekend with the China Touring Car Championship (CTCC), where Ford and Kia are competing for the title in their season finale.