Photo: RRC Media

LUKOIL-Lada announcement premature

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The announcement by AvtoVAZ’s Vladislav Nezvankin at the Moscow Motor Show last week that LUKOIL and driver Aleksei Dudukalo will be joining the team next season is apparently premature, as negotiations between the two Russian companies are still ongoing.

Nezvankin told Russian motoring blog championat.com that LUKOIL and their WTCC driver of choice Aleksei Dudukalo would be joining James Thompson in a two-car programme in 2013, but TouringCarTimes has discovered that no deal has yet been finalised.

LUKOIL has previously been linked with both Lada, with which they have a strong history with in Russian motorsport, but also in a possible continuation with SEAT Sport, with which they are in their first year of competition together, after sponsoring the independent SUNRED team in 2011.

The LUKOIL/SEAT Sport combination could be one of the championship contending teams next season following the withdrawal of Chevrolet from the WTCC. Lukoil Racing Team’s Gabriele Tarquini is the top placed non-Chevrolet driver in this year’s standings, though the Italian is moving to the newly formed Honda Racing Team JAS operation for next season.

With Honda fielding a whole new car though and JAS having been absent from the grid since 2006, experienced teams such as SEAT Customer Technology and ROAL Motorsport are likely to be Honda’s closest competitors next season.

Lada Sport Team Principal Viktor Shapovalov confirmed to TouringCarTimes that no agreement is in place with LUKOIL as yet, but negotiations are still ongoing. Stating that “this information came too early.”

LUKOIL have decided not to comment on the situation.