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Brits On Track For World Touring Car Championship Race Off |
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Monday, 31 July 2006 |
The race for the FIA World Touring Car Championship took a new twist in Mexico this weekend as Britain's James Thompson leapfrogged countryman Andy Priaulx into the championship lead
Consistency was the key for Thompson, who finished fifth in both rounds 11 and 12 at Puebla Cirucit, as Priaulx only managed to come away with 18th and seventh-place finishes.
Both drivers were hampered by success ballast*, with Priaulx, the reigning World Champion, carrying the maximum possible - 80kgs - in his BMW and Thompson not far behind with 60kgs on his SEAT.
"This weekend has been successful in the sense that I turned a three point deficit into a three point lead in the championship," said Thompson, from Harrogate. "However, it is disappointing I can't realistically fight for the win due to the amount of weight I have on board.
"So, if you can't fight for the win or be on the podium you have to finish as close to that as you can. While it's slightly frustrating from a racing point of view, fifth place is almost like a victory because you're scoring good points."
Chevrolet's Rob Huff was forced to retire on the opening lap of the first race due to major accident with Duncan Huisman, which saw the race stopped and the Brit taken by air-ambulance to hospital.
The best British performance of the weekend was saved for Independent driver Ryan Sharp, from Scotland, who picked up his first points of the season by grabbing a final podium position after qualifying third in Puebla.
"I hoped to challenge the Alfas in the first race but that plan was soon out of the question when I badly damaged my rear suspension," said Sharp. "To be the first independent to finish on the podium this season is fantastic though.
"I am a little disappointed in the second race. To be honest I made an optimistic move on Tom (Coronel) at turn one and went wide. A few corners later I was hit by someone else and that was the end for me. Overall this has been an amazing weekend."
After the heat of Mexico, where Alfa Romeo managed a magnificent one-two in both races, focus now shifts to Bruno, Czech Republic, where the next round will take place on September 2nd / 3rd.
WTCC's Drivers' Championship
| Pos. |
Driver (Nationality) |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
James Thompson (GBR) |
SEAT Leon |
49 |
| 2 |
Andy Priaulx (GBR) |
BMW 320si |
46 |
| 3 |
Augusto Farfus Jr. (BRA) |
Alfa Romeo 156 |
46 |
| 4 |
Rickard Rydell (SWE) |
SEAT Leon |
41 |
| 5 |
Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) |
SEAT Leon |
41 |
| 6 |
Dirk Müller (GER) |
BMW 320si |
40 |
| 7 |
Yvan Muller (FRA) |
SEAT Leon |
33 |
| 8 |
Peter Terting (GER) |
SEAT Leon |
32 |
| 9 |
Jörg Müller (GER) |
BMW 320si |
30 |
| FIA WTCC Yokohama Independents' Trophy |
| 1 |
Tom Coronel (NED) |
JAS Motorsport |
96 |
| 2 |
Ryan Sharp (GBR) |
JAS Motorsport |
63 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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