Fords to continue to run weight penalty at Valencia

The two Arena Motorsport Focus Focus S2000 TCs will again run 30kg of ballast at Valencia whilst they continue to develop new suspension components to replace the ones the FIA has requested that the team change.

The British team competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for the first time this season ran the same 30kg weight penalty at the opening round at Monza for drivers Tom Chilton and James Nash, with the team not able to manufacture new components before the opening rounds of the Championship.

The team are working with the FIA in order to resolve the issue, with some of the components already adjusted to meet with the FIA’s requirements, specifically the front and rear subframes and rear camber link, though a dispute with how the regulations are meant to be interpreted in regards to the front and rear suspension axles continues, with the team not able to upgrade these components before the fourth round of the Championship at the Slovak Republic on 29th April.

The FIA Touring Car Commission has granted the team permission to race at Valencia with the disputed components, but again with the 30kg penalty as was applied at Monza, which will again be reviewed for Rounds 5 and 6 at Marrakech. The FIA TCC has also stated that no further waivers of this kind will be granted after the Marrakech race meeting.

As a result, the weights of all cars at next weekend’s race at Valencia will be the same as at Monza, with the Chevrolet Cruze 1.6Ts the heaviest cars at 1,200kg, the two Fords next on 1,180kg, the BMW 320 TCs at 1,160kg and the two models of SEAT León, the TDI and the WTCC the lightest cars on 1,150kg.

After ROAL Motorsport requested permission to fit plastic lateral and rear windows in order to allow their cars to run at the new minimum weights for the BMW 320 TC at Monza, three other BMW teams: Zengõ Motorsport, Proteam Racing and Wiechers-Sport have followed suit and have also been granted dispensation from Valencia onwards. Only Liqui Moly Team Engstler haven’t made the same request as yet.

Update: 22:59 CET 21st March:
Liqui Moly Team Engstler have now also requested to use plastic windows on their cars.

Car Weights for Valencia

Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – 1,200kg (1,160 +40kg success ballast)
Ford Focus S2000 TC – 1,180kg (1,150 + 30kg penalty ballast)
BMW 320 TC – 1,160kg (base weight)
SEAT León WTCC – 1,150kg (base weight)
SEAT León TDI – 1,150kg (base weight)