Race of Morocco[fiawtcc]

EURODATACAR WTCC RACE OF MOROCCO PREVIEW: WTCC STREET STARS BACK IN MARRAKECH

There’s no let up in the chase for FIA World Touring Car Championship success – just ask the 19 star drivers aiming to fly through the streets of Marrakech next week (17-19 April).

Eurodatacar WTCC Race of Morocco, rounds three and four of the new season, is the first of two all-action urban spectaculars on the 2015 schedule.

And with concrete barriers lining the fast straights and tight corners, there simply is no margin for error. “If you do a mistake you go directly to the wall and can destroy your car,” said home hero Mehdi Bennani, one of five drivers racing a Citroën C-Elysée WTCC at the 4.624-kilometre Circuit Moulay El Hassan. “It’s difficult to push to the maximum and keep the car on track.” Bennani was involved in a controversial collision with Tom Coronel starting the second race in Morocco last season. “I didn’t make any mistake, the space was not there,” said Coronel of the 2014 clash. “It was good for the TV coverage although it was the worst start in my 25-year career, but the best scenario for a producer making a disaster movie.”

Two drivers who know how to get things right in Marrakech are world champion José María López and his Citroën Total WTCC team-mate Sébastien Loeb. They took a win apiece in Morocco last year and shared the victories in Argentina’s season-opener last month. However, no driver has a better record on street circuits than Rob Huff, LADA Sport Rosneft’s former WTCC champion, who has 10 wins in round-the-houses races to his name, including a solitary success in Marrakech. The Briton will pilot LADA’s all-new Vesta TC1 in Morocco. And while the car is still in its early stages of development, Huff demonstrated its potential by topping the Q1 times in Argentina, while team-mate James Thompson started the reverse-grid race two from pole. Thompson used a recent test in Portugal to work on improving braking and traction for the Marrakech streets.

Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team’s Tiago Monteiro was the only non-Citroën podium finisher in South America. Although that result demonstrated an upturn in form, team boss Alessandro Mariani is targeting MOL Group WTCC Race of Hungary for a major speed hike when the “full package” of Civic improvements hit the track. Two 14-lap races are scheduled for the Circuit Moulay El Hassan on Sunday 19 April. Qualifying and both races will be shown as they happen on the Eurosport network and on a number of other TV channels around the world. Fans in Morocco will also be able to enjoy extensive coverage with free-to-air state broadcaster 2M showing qualifying and the two races live – presented from a studio housed within the paddock in Marrakech – plus a seven-minute preview programme.

POINTERS
Dušan Borković: Car tweaks will make for a slightly more comfortable fit for the Serbian racing giant after he struggled to squeeze his 2.07-metre frame into Proteam’s Honda Civic in Argentina. Borković will be racing in memory of his father, who passed away recently.
Tom Chilton: A Marrakech podium finisher in 2013, Chilton began his 2015 WTCC bid with two solid races in Argentina. A change to an upgraded engine for Marrakech will trigger a grid penalty.
Stefano D’Aste: The WTCC’s ‘Mr Charisma’ has been keeping busy since Argentina by trying the Nürburgring Nordschleife for size ahead of WTCC Race of Germany next month. Of his record in Morocco, a brace of fifths in 2012 stand out.
Grégoire Demoustier: While his experience of Circuit Moulay El Hassan is zero, he covered more than 1000 kilometres testing his Craft-Bamboo Chevrolet in Portugal recently. John Filippi: Marrakech was the setting for Filippi’s WTCC debut in 2014. He impressed by finishing in the points in the second race in his TC2 machine.
Mikhail Kozlovskiy: LADA Sport’s young Russian makes his first start of WTCC 2015 after missing out in Argentina.
Ma Qing Hua: Apart from his illustrious Citroën team-mates Loeb and López, Ma is the only other driver to lead for a lap in this year’s WTCC, albeit fleetingly. This will be his first Marrakech outing.
Norbert Michelisz: Car preservation is the name of the game for Hungary’s Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy leader, who has one eye on his home round of the WTCC next month. The Zengő Motorsport Honda ace admits to a dismal record in Morocco.
Yvan Muller: No driver has won more than once in Marrakech. Four-time WTCC champ Muller claimed race two honours in 2012. However, he’ll be hard-pressed to add to that win tally after a race-two hit on Benanni in Argentina earned a five-place grid penalty for race one in Marrakech.
Rickard Rydell: Rydell’s Marrakech record reads one start, one crash. He returns for the first time since Morocco’s inaugural WTCC race in 2009 on a high after twice scoring points in Argentina. Gabriele Tarquini: It’s a different story for Honda’s veteran performer Tarquini, who has a win, a brace of second-place finishes and two poles to his name in Marrakech.
Hugo Valente: Valente was the only non-Citroën driver to visit the Marrakech podium in 2014 and he’ll be desperate for another strong showing following a luckless start to his 2015 season in Argentina. Like Chilton, Valente will also get an upgraded engine for Morocco – and a grid penalty.

TRACK FACTS
Name: Circuit International Automobile Moulay El HassanLocation: 47, avenue Mohamed V – Guéliz, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Website: Marrakechgrandprix.com
Length: 4.545 kilometres
Race distance: 2 x 14 laps
Lap record (qualifying): Sébastien Loeb (Citroën C-Elysée), 1m43.706s (157.77kph), 12/04/14
Lap record (race): José María López (Citroën C-Elysée), 1m43.704s (157.76kph), 13/04/14
WTCC appearances: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
Time zone: GMT +1
Sunrise/sunset: 19 April, 06h00/19h03
Average temperature: 12°C-24°C

Friday 17 April
12h30: WTCC Testing

Saturday 18 April
08h15-08h45: WTCC Free Practice 1
10h15-10h45: WTCC Free Practice 2
12h30-13h00: WTCC Qualifying Q1
13h05-13h20: WTCC Qualifying Q2
13h30 (pit lane opens): WTCC Qualifying Q3

Sunday 19 April
16h15: WTCC Race 1 (14 laps)
16h55 (approx.): WTCC podium race 1
17h00: WTCC refuelling time starts
17h05: WTCC repair time starts
17h10: Pit lane open
17h20: Pit lane closed
17h25: Five-minute board displayed
17h30: WTCC Race 2 (14 laps)
18h10 (approx.): WTCC podium race 2
18h20 (approx.): WTCC post-race press conference (Media Centre)
All timings are provisional and subject to change. Additional activities may be arranged and as much notice as possible will be given.

FLASHBACK 2014 (12-13 April)
Citroën’s new boys got its 2014 WTCC campaign off to the best possible start, with Argentine José María López and nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Loeb taking a win apiece. López led home a Citroën 1-2-3 in the opening race, with Loeb and four-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller claiming second and third respectively. Citroën’s trio dominated on the Marrakech streets, making a clean getaway as the lights went out and then controlling the race from the front. Chevrolet pair Tom Chilton and WTCC newcomer Dušan Borković completed the top five on track, with Tiago Monteiro bringing the first Honda home in sixth and James Thompson doing the same for LADA in 10th. The drivers had been keen to avoid costly crashes with the next round taking place in France a week later, but race two was suspended after the start when polesitter Tom Coronel collided with fellow front-row starter Mehdi Bennani’s Honda. Coronel then hit Muller, ending his race, while Bennani was later excluded. Loeb took the lead at the restart and stayed in front to the finish, with López climbing from fifth to second to lead the standings after round one, and Hugo Valente completing the podium for Chevrolet. Franz Engstler (BMW) took two wins in the TC2T class for previous-generation cars, while Loeb and López shared the new Yokohama Performer laurels.

THE SEASON SO FAR
Sébastien Loeb and José María Lopéz claimed a victory apiece as the 2015 FIA World Touring Car Championship got off to a spectacular start with two action-packed races in Argentina. López, the national hero and reigning WTCC champion, triumphed in race one to the delight of the home crowd at a sun-drenched Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo. However, the 31-year-old was unable to prevent his Citroën team-mate Loeb from claiming top spot in the second event, which was punctuated by a safety car period to allow trackside marshals to clear debris from the track following a handful of early clashes.

Yvan Muller finished second in race one following a first-corner bump with Lopéz as Loeb made it a Citroën podium lockout.

Honda driver Tiago Monteiro completed the podium in race two with second place for Lopéz – plus the five points he scored for claiming pole position for race one – helping the Argentine to a five-point championship lead over Loeb.

Norbert Michelisz charged through from the back of the grid to win the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy in race one with Mehdi Bennani taking the class laurels in the second counter, despite contact with Muller sending him into a spin. It was an incident-filled start to 2015 for LADA drivers Rob Huff and James Thompson, who both showed promise but were ultimately out of luck.

Race one pole position (presented by DHL): José María López (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
Race one Yokohama Performer: José María López (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
Race one laps led: José María López 1-13

Race two pole position (presented by DHL): James Thompson (LADA Vesta)
Race two Yokohama Performer: Sébastien Loeb (Citroën C-Elysée WTCC)
Race two laps led: Ma Qing Hua 1, Sébastien Loeb 2-15

Drivers’ Championship (after round 2 of 24):
1 José María López 48pts; 2 Sébastien Loeb 43; 3 Tiago Monteiro 28; 4 Yvan Muller 22; 5 Gabriele Tarquini 22; 6 Ma Qing Hua 16; 7 Norbert Michelisz 14; 8 Mehdi Bennani 10; 9 Tom Chilton 8; 10 Rickard Rydell 3; etc.

Manufacturers’ Championship (after round 2 of 24):
1 Citroën 95pts; 2 Honda 59; 3 LADA 1.

Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy (after round 2 of 24): 1 Norbert Michelisz 18pts; 2 Tom Chilton 15; 3 Mehdi Bennani 15; 4 Grégoire Demoustier 9; 5 Stefano D’Aste 6; 6 Dušan Borković 5; 7 John Filippi 4; 8 Tom Coronel 2.

Yokohama Teams’ Trophy (after round 2 of 24): 1 Zengő Motorsport 18pts; 2 ROAL Motorsport 15; 3 Sébastien Loeb Racing 12; 4 NIKA International 10; 5 Craft-Bamboo 7; 6 ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 6; 7 Proteam Racing 4; 8 Campos Racing 3.

THE DRIVERS
#2 GABRIELE TARQUINI (ITA) Date of birth: 2 March 1963 Team: Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team Car: Honda Civic WTCC WTCC 2014: 6th (1 win) Career in brief: An ex-Formula One driver with 37 grand prix starts to his name, Tarquini is also the winner of 20 WTCC races. He began his touring car career in 1989 and won the British title for Alfa Romeo in 1994. He then added the European crown in 2003 before becoming WTCC champion with SEAT in 2009. WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 22 Position: 5

#3 TOM CHILTON (GBR) I Date of birth: 15 March 1985 Team: ROAL Motorsport Car: Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 WTCC 2014: 8th (1 win) Career in brief: Chilton made his touring car debut in the 2002 British series at the tender age of 17. He took his first win at Silverstone in 2004 and won the Independents’ Trophy in a Ford Focus in 2010. Since switching to the WTCC in 2012, he has scored three race wins in a Chevrolet between 2013-14. Web: Tomchilton.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 8 Position: 9

#4 TOM CORONEL (NLD) I Date of birth: 5 April 1972 Team: ROAL Motorsport Car: Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 WTCC 2014: 7th (best result 2nd) Career in brief: Coronel had a brief spell racing touring cars at home before switching to Formula 3 and winning the Japanese title in 1997. He then won the Japanese Formula Nippon series in 1999. A mainstay of the WTCC since 2005, Coronel has claimed four race wins and is a two-time winner of the Yokohama Trophy in 2006 and ’09. He contested his second Dakar Rally in January. Web: Tomcoronel.nl WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A

#5 NORBERT MICHELISZ (HUN) I Date of birth: 8 August 1984 Team: Zengő Motorsport Car: Honda Civic WTCC WTCC 2014: 4th (best result 2nd) Career in brief: Michelisz spent his formative years in SEAT Leóns, winning the SEAT León Eurocup in 2009 and the national series at home in Hungary. He made his WTCC debut in a León in 2010, scoring a win in the final round at Macau, before switching to Honda power for 2013 and triumphing at Suzuka. Web: Michelisz.hu WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 14 Position: 7

#7 HUGO VALENTE (FRA) I Date of birth: 17 June 1992 Team: Campos Racing Car: Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 WTCC 2014: 17th (best result 3rd) Career in brief: With a background in karting and Formula Renault, Valente won the French SEAT León Supercópa in 2012 before progressing to the WTCC the following season. He scored three third-place finishes last year in Morocco, Hungary and Macau, and sticks with Chevrolet power and Campos Racing for 2015. Web: Hugo-valente.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A

#9 SÉBASTIEN LOEB (FRA) Date of birth: 26 February 1974 Team: Citroën Total WTCC Car: Citroën C-Elysée WTCC WTCC 2014: 3rd (2 wins) Career in brief: As the most successful driver in World Rally Championship history, Loeb needs little introduction, suffice to say that he won the WRC title an extraordinary nine times between 2004-12 for Citroën. And it was with the French manufacturer that Loeb made a first successful foray into the WTCC last year with two wins and third in the standings. Web: Sebastienloeb.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 1 Fastest laps: 1 Laps led: 14 Points: 43 Position: 2

#11 GRÉGOIRE DEMOUSTIER (FRA) I Date of birth: 26 January 1991 Team: Craft-Bamboo Car: Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 WTCC 2014: Did not compete Career in brief: With experience in single-seater racing, Demoustier made the jump to GT action in 2010. He also started – and finished – the 24 Hours of Spa and tackled four rounds of the FIA GT3 series. Following a brief single-seater comeback at the start of 2011, Demoustier returned to GT racing and progressed to the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012. WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 1 Position: 12

#12 ROB HUFF (GBR) Date of birth: 25 December 1979 Team: LADA Sport Rosneft Car: LADA Vesta WTCC 2014: 10th (2 wins) Career in brief: With a background in karting and Britain’s junior formulae, Huff made his British Touring Car Championship debut with SEAT in 2004, winning twice. He moved to the WTCC in 2005 and scored his first win with Chevrolet in ’06 before claiming the drivers’ title in 2012. After scoring breakthrough wins for LADA in 2014, he begins 2015 with a record 225 WTCC starts to his name. Web: Robhuff.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A

#14 MIKHAIL KOZLOVSKIY (RUS) Date of birth: 17 October 1989 Team: LADA Sport Rosneft Car: LADA Vesta WTCC 2014: 16th (best result 5th) Career in brief: Kozlovskiy has shown his touring car credentials as a winner of the Russian SEAT León Cup in 2008 and the Russian Touring Light Championship two years later, when he drove a Ford Fiesta. In 2012 he won aboard a LADA Granta in the Russian Touring Car Championship and secured a place on the works WTCC team the following season. WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A

#15 JAMES THOMPSON (GBR) Date of birth: 26 April 1974 Team: LADA Sport Rosneft Car: LADA Vesta WTCC 2014: 15th (best result 6th) Career in brief: ‘Thommo’ raced for 10 seasons in British Touring Cars, winning the Privateers’ Trophy in his first year in 1994. He steadily amassed race wins and was champion in 2002 and ’04, before making his WTCC switch and scoring a win with Alfa Romeo in 2005. He’s also a double European Touring Car Cup winner. WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 1 (R2) Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A

#18 TIAGO MONTEIRO (PRT) Date of birth: 24 July 1976 Team: Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team Car: Honda Civic WTCC WTCC 2014: 5th (best result 2nd) Career in brief: Monteiro enjoyed a fruitful single-seater career and was twice runner-up in the French F3 Championship before achieving the same result in the 2004 World Series by Nissan, having sampled life in Champ Cars the year before. Two seasons of Formula One followed, with a best result of third for Jordan. He’s raced in the WTCC since 2007. Web: Tiagomonteiro.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 28 Position: 3

#19 RICKARD RYDELL (SWE) Date of birth: 22 September 1967 Team: Nika International Car: Honda Civic WTCC WTCC 2014: Did not compete Career in brief: Following karting and significant success in Formula 3 in Europe and Asia, Rydell has been a touring car pacesetter since 1994 when he was signed to drive Volvo’s 850 estate car in the British championship. He was a regular in the series for several seasons and finally took the title in 1998. Following a stint in GT racing, Rydell returned to touring cars in 2002. Web: Rickardrydell.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 3 Position: 10

#25 MEHDI BENNANI (MAR) I Date of birth: 25 August 1983 Team: Sébastien Loeb Racing Car: Citroën C-Elysée WTCC WTCC 2014: 11th (1 win) Career in brief: Bennani sampled European karting and World Series by Renault before winning back-to-back Moroccan Circuit Racing Championships in 2008-09. He made his WTCC debut in ’09 and his persistence paid off when he became the first Moroccan to win an FIA world championship event in Shanghai last season. Web: Mehdibennani.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 10 Position: 8

#26 STEFANO D’ASTE (ITA) I Date of birth: 26 February 1976 Team: ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Car: Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 WTCC 2014: Did not compete Career in brief: Big on experience and big on charisma, D’Aste is also more than capable behind the wheel and returns to WTCC duty after a year out in 2014. With a background in bike racing, D’Aste made the move to four wheels in 1998, albeit in rallying. His first season of car racing was in 2002, three years prior to his step up to the WTCC. Web: Stefanodaste.it WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 2 Position: 11

#27 JOHN FILIPPI (FRA) I Date of birth: 27 February 1995 Team: Campos Racing Car: Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 WTCC 2014: 18th (best result 8th) Career in brief: Promising Corsican Filippi’s background is in karting, where he competed from 2007-11 before racing in the VdeV Single-Seater Challenge – a series he won in 2013. He made his WTCC debut last year with Campos Racing in a SEAT León and showed his potential by finishing second in the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy. He steps up to TC1 power in 2015. Web: Johnfilippi.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A

#33 MA QING HUA (CHN) Date of birth: 25 December 1987 Team: Citroën Total WTCC Car: Citroën C-Elysée WTCC WTCC 2014: 13th (1 win) Career in brief: Ma Qing Hua spent five years racing single-seaters before taking the China Touring Car Championship by storm in 2011, winning the series on his debut. Two years as a Formula One test driver for the HRT and Caterham teams followed, before he drove a fourth works Citroën on occasion in the WTCC last season, triumphing on his debut at Moscow Raceway. WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 1 Points: 16 Position: 6

#37 JOSÉ MARÍA LÓPEZ (ARG) Date of birth: 26 April 1983 Team: Citroën Total WTCC Car: Citroën C-Elysée WTCC WTCC 2014: 1st (10 wins) Career in brief: Reigning WTCC champion López showed early promise in single-seaters, winning in Formula Renault and GP2. In 2007 he returned to race in Argentina and the following year took the first of three national TC2000 titles. That led to a race-winning WTCC debut in Argentina in 2013 and resulted in a factory drive with Citroën for last season. WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 1 Wins: 1 Fastest laps: 1 Laps led: 13 Points: 48 Position: 1

#68 YVAN MULLER (FRA) Date of birth: 16 August 1969 Team: Citroën Total WTCC Car: Citroën C-Elysée WTCC WTCC 2014: 2nd (4 wins) Career in brief: With four titles and more than 40 race wins to his name, Muller is one of the WTCC’s most experienced and successful drivers. Starting out in single-seater racing, Muller won the 1992 British F2 Championship before making his move to touring cars. He was British Touring Car runner-up four times and took the title with Vauxhall in 2003. Web: Yvanmuller.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 22 Position: 4

#98 DUŠAN BORKOVIĆ (SRB) I Date of birth: 16 September 1984 Team: Proteam Racing Car: Honda Civic WTCC WTCC 2014: 14th (best result 2nd) Career in brief: Having achieved significant success in karting, Borković moved to hill climbing and won the Serbian national title in 2010 and the European title in 2012, both times in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. A racing giant at 207cm, Borković made his WTCC debut in 2014 and scored his first podium in Japan. Web: Dusanborkovic.com WTCC 2015: Pole positions: 0 Wins: 0 Fastest laps: 0 Laps led: 0 Points: 0 Position: N/A I

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2015?
With TC2 cars outlawed from the WTCC for 2015, a full grid of TC1 cars will be the norm this season. There are five new venues on the calendar (Nürburgring Nordschleife, Vila Real, Motegi, Buriram and Loseil) with two countries hosting the WTCC for the first time (Thailand and Qatar). Qatar will stage the WTCC’s first night race, there’s an all-new car from LADA, more cars from Citroën and Honda, new and returning drivers and teams, innovations to the TV product and the strong prospect of increased television figures after 649.70 million viewers watched the WTCC in 2014 on 148 television channels across 188 countries. A revamped website plus a greater emphasis on the digital offering with exclusive content for online and social media, including the new WTCC Over the Line interactive show, which will be broadcast live from the paddock after each race, are all in store for 2015.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Eurosport will broadcast extensive live coverage of Eurodatacar WTCC Race of Morocco with qualifying and both races shown as they happen on the Eurosport network, Eurosport Player and on a number of other TV channels around the world. Fans in Morocco will be able to enjoy extensive domestic coverage with free-to-air state broadcaster 2M showing qualifying and both races live – presented from a studio housed within the paddock in Marrakech – plus a seven-minute preview programme. Free practice, qualifying and both races will be streamed on the championship’s official website, Fiawtcc.com, which will also provide live timing, regular news updates, videos and photo galleries, driver and background information, plus links to the WTCC’s social media channels. The WTCC app is available to download free from the App store, while a new media section at Fiawtcc.com will provide an essential resource for journalists. Eurosport’s coverage will also incorporate social media integration with driver Twitter and Instagram activity featuring on a split-screen view before each race and during the repair time.

RULES AND REGULATIONS
Qualifying: One session split into three sections: Q1: 20 minutes open to all competitors; Q2: 10 minutes open to the top 12 from Q1; Q3: Open to the top five from Q2, one timed lap each. For the WTCC Race of Germany at Nürburgring there will be one hour-long open session. DHL is the official Pole Position Partner of the WTCC.

Grid: Race one based on the combined (Q1 and Q2) qualifying results. Race two based on the combined (Q1 and Q2) qualifying results with the fastest 10 drivers of Q2 starting in reverse order.

Race: Two 60-kilometre races from standing starts.

Qualifying points: Drivers: Awarded to the fastest five drivers classified in qualifying on a scale of 5-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers: Awarded to the best two cars from each brand classified in qualifying on the same scale as above.

Race points: Drivers: The top 10 classified drivers in both races score points on a scale of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. Manufacturers: Awarded to the best two cars from each brand classified in each race on the same scale as above.

Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy: Presented by the championship’s long-term tyre partner Yokohama to non-factory drivers, the following are eligible: #3 Tom Chilton, #4 Tom Coronel, #5 Norbert Michelisz, #7 Hugo Valente, #11 Grégoire Demoustier, #25 Mehdi Bennani, #26 Sandro D’Aste, #27 John Filippi, #98 Dušan Borković. Points are awarded to the first eight drivers classified in each race on the following scale: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. One additional point is awarded to the fastest Yokohama Trophy competitor in each qualifying session and race. A special Trophy is also awarded to the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy winner at each round.

Yokohama Teams’ Trophy: For non-factory teams competing in the WTCC, the Yokohama Teams’ Trophy is presented by the championship’s long-term tyre partner, Yokohama. The following teams are eligible: ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, Campos Racing, Craft-Bamboo, Sébastien Loeb Racing, NIKA International, Proteam Racing, ROAL Motorsport, Zengő Motorsport. The first two cars of each eligible team score points in each race on the following scale: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. Yokohama Performer of the Year: The fastest driver in the 2015 WTCC will receive the WTCC

Yokohama Performer of the Year award. It goes to the driver setting the most fastest laps during the season. All registered drivers are eligible. There will be a Yokohama Performer for each race.

Tires: Yokohama control tyre. Dry-weather slick tyres: A maximum of 20 tyres can be used by each driver in their first appearance of the season. From their second participation onwards, a maximum of 24 tyres can be used of which only 16 can be new. Of these tyres, four are for Q3 only. Wet-weather grooved tyres: A maximum of 16 can be used during each race weekend.

Engine limits: Two engines and six turbos are allowed for the entire season. Drivers will be demoted to the back of the grid if they exceed this limit.

Compensation weight: Applied to cars according to lap-time calculation. A maximum additional 60kg will be added to maximum car weight as per Appendix 1.

WTCC CALENDAR 2015
Round 1: WTCC Race of Argentina (Termas de Río Hondo), 6-8 March
Round 2: Eurodatacar WTCC Race of Morocco (Moulay El Hassan), 17-19 April
Round 3: MOL Group WTCC Race of Hungary (Hungaroring), 1-3 May
Round 4: WTCC Race of Germany (Nürburgring Nordschleife), 15-16 May
Round 5: WTCC Race of Russia (Moscow Raceway), 5-7 June
Round 6: WTCC Race of Slovakia (Slovakia Ring), 19-21 June*
Round 7: JVCKENWOOD WTCC Race of France (Paul Ricard), 26-28 June
Round 8: WTCC Race of Portugal (Vila Real), 10-12 July
Round 9: JVCKENWOOD WTCC Race of Japan (Motegi), 11-13 September
Round 10: WTCC Race of China (Shanghai), 25-27 September
Round 11: WTCC Race of Thailand (Buriram), 30 October-1 November
Round 12: WTCC Race of Qatar (Losail), 20-22 November* (NIGHT RACE)
*Subject to the signing of event promoter agreement