Chevrolet test 2012 Cruze at Valencia

Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Rickard Rydell have begun testing at Valencia ahead of the opening round of the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship next month at Monza, with Chevrolet sporting their revised livery.

Three-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller and Rob Huff were testing their new Chevrolet Cruze 1.6Ts, with reigning STCC champion Rickard Rydell joining the pair in his new Nika Racing-run Cruze 1.6T.

Alain Menu is also present at the track, though the Swiss driver had already driven his car last month, and is on hand working through the team’s data with new race engineer Phil Barker. Barker worked in the BTCC with RML last year as well as on their Le Mans Series programme as Team Manager; he takes over from John Waterman, who has been Menu’s race engineer since 2007.

The Chevrolet WTCC car was also running its new livery, based heavily on last year’s design. Chevrolet have removed the national flag of the drivers from the roof, and now the zig-zags around the side of the car effectively form a Chevrolet bow-tie shape on the car.

Also new for 2012 on all cars in the WTCC, and seen here for the first time is the removal of the large car numbers on the door, with smaller World Rally style numbers just underneath the wing mirrors.

“It’s nice to be at the wheel of a race car again and I’m happy we have good track conditions,” said Yvan Muller. “Today was mostly a day for the engineers as they wanted us to test and compare a number of things. I am anxious to get back to racing soon.”

“I think that by tomorrow evening, we will have covered considerable mileage and this is exactly what drivers need and engineers want at this time of the year,” said Huff. “Although there aren’t striking differences between this year’s and last year’s cars, the team has been working a lot during the winter and the Cruze feels very good to drive.”