MAGNEY-COURS MAINTAINS ITS BMW-LOVING REPUTATION
For the fourth year in a row, the French of Magny-Cours race track has maintained its reputation as a BMW playground when, despite SEAT’s domination of practice and its pole position, the German car maker blasted through to win both races in the second round of the World Touring Car Championship at the weekend (30 April 2006)
Alfa Romeo, meanwhile could take nothing more than a back SEAT to domination of the Spaniards and the Germans, suffering a tough weekend whose only bright light is the fact that their result will mean a big drop in weight penalties for the next round in the UK on 20 May.
RACE ONE
Thanks to the BMW cars superb starting capabilities, Jörg Müller stormed through the front row SEATs to enter the first corner in the lead. Fellow Team BMW Germany driver, Dirk Müller also shot off the line promoting himself from 6th to 2nd within seconds.
The race was then on between them with Dirk the victor. Tarquini’s speed off the line was less successful and dropped down to fourth with SEAT Sport team-mate Rydell in front of him. At the first corner, Tavano in his N.technology Alfa Romeo and BMW Team Italy-Spain’s Costa, went off.
As the race ensued, Dirk began to close the gap between himself and Jörg. It was edged down until on lap 9 Dirk made a smooth manoeuvre at Lycée bend and managed to hold the car and defend his position to cross the line 0.436 ahead of his team-mate and fellow countryman. Rydell was always close to the action in León but couldn't quite challenge for a top 2 position.
Meanwhile, there was a contest between Britons, James Thompson and Andy Priaulx for 7th. Priaulx managed to close the gap to just 0.369 of a second but did not overtake, finishing 8th and therefore secured pole for Race 2.
Robert Huff passed the chequered place in 9th position, the best of the Chevrolet team. For most of the race Yvan Muller was sandwiched in between the Chevrolet cars of Larini and Huff but eventually finished 13th.
Independent drivers Luca Rangoni (Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si) and Tom Coronel (GR Asia SEAT Toledo) were involved in a battle from the start as the former worked his way from 14th to 9th within the first lap. Coronel overtook the Italian on lap two and stayed ahead to finish top independent and 10th overall.
RACE TWO
Reigning WTCC world champion Andy Priaulx took victory in Race 2 at Magny-Cours, taking the chequered flag from first on the grid ahead of Jörg Muller and Jordi Gene to move to the head of the leaderboard.
Andy Priaulx dominated the whole of Race 2 driving his BMW Team UK 320si from pole to the chequered flag ahead of the rest. Jörg Müller achieved 2nd place for the second time of the day moving his way up from 7th on the grid. SEAT once again finished in the top three but this time it was the Spaniard Jordi Gené who lifted the trophy.
The first corner was a catalyst of action with a few drivers retiring as a result. Dirk Müller and Rickard Rydell were the first to suffer after another SEAT hit Rydell who then collided with Dirk. Pierre-Yves Corthals also suffered impact and almost rolled his JAS Motorsport Honda Accord. In a separate series of events, Luca Rangoni hit Marcel Costa at the Adelaide hairpin; as a result the Spaniard hit his team-mate Alessandro Zanardi and both crashed into the barriers.
SEAT's James Thompson began the race from the front row but his team-mate, Gené, demoted him to 3rd on lap 4. Thompson then had to defend hard to keep Jörg at bay but BMW Germany man snuck through at the Grande Courbe on lap 5. Tension was still to come for SEAT because Terting overtook the Chevrolet of Huff on lap 7 and then chased team-mate Yvan Muller before passing him at Lycée two laps later to finish 6th.
Meanwhile, the Chevrolet drivers where in the thick of the action. Huff was challenging the SEATs and led his team-mates until the penultimate lap in which Larini moved to 8th place leaving Huff to finish in the spot behind.
Despite moving from 21st to 7th in the first lap, Augusto Farfus was overtaken by Yvan Muller and Huff on the second lap. As the race ensued, the Alfa Romeo man dropped back to 12th.
Stefano D'Aste had a successful race and was among the works drivers in 5th position overall after the first lap. He eventually finished 10th overall and won the independents race with Roberto Colciago behind him in 11th.
(ENDS)
2006-Magny Cours-Race 1-Results
N° / Driver / Laps / Time / GAP1 / 43 / Dirk MULLER (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:22.141
2 / 42 / Jorg MULLER (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:22.577 / + 0.436
3 / 3 / Rickard RYDELL (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:23.219 / + 1.078
4 / 2 / Gabriele TARQUINI (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:23.655 / + 1.514
5 / 9 / Jordi GENE (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:26.216 / + 4.075
6 / 10 / Peter TERTING (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:26.814 / + 4.673
7 / 11 / James THOMPSON (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:29.674 / + 7.533
8 / 1 / Andy PRIAULX (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:30.081 / + 7.940
9 / 6 / Robert HUFF (Chevrolet Lacetti ) / 12 / 00:22:36.586 / + 14.445
10 / 20 / Tom CORONEL (SEAT Toledo Cupra ) / 12 / 00:22:37.587 / + 15.446
11 / 7 / Nicola LARINI (Chevrolet Lacetti ) / 12 / 00:22:38.287 / + 16.146
12 / 30 / Luca RANGONI (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:39.273 / + 17.132
13 / 12 / Yvan MULLER (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:40.260 / + 18.119
14 / 4 / Alessandro ZANARDI (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:41.289 / + 19.148
15 / 58 / Roberto COLCIAGO (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:42.571 / + 20.430
16 / 23 / Pierre-Yves CORTHALS (Honda Accord Euro R ) / 12 / 00:22:46.206 / + 24.065
17 / 54 / Emanuele NASPETTI (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:22:48.101 / + 25.960
18 / 31 / Stefano D'ASTE (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:22:48.569 / + 26.428
19 / 8 / Alain MENU (Chevrolet Lacetti ) / 12 / 00:22:48.825 / + 26.684
20 / 16 / Gianni MORBIDELLI (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:22:51.537 / + 29.396
21 / 15 / Augusto FARFUS (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:22:57.677 / + 35.536
22 / 24 / Ryan SHARP (Honda Accord Euro R ) / 12 / 00:22:59.033 / + 36.892
23 / 33 / Emmet O'BRIEN (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:23:06.594 / + 44.453
24 / 52 / Elio MARCHETTI (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:23:09.824 / + 47.683
25 / 56 / Simone IACONE (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:23:10.159 / + 48.018
26 / 53 / Riccardo ROMAGNOLI (Alfa Romeo 156 Gta ) / 12 / 00:23:15.144 / + 53.003
27 / 34 / Diego ROMANINI (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:23:17.170 / + 55.029
28 / 57 / Davide RODA (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:23:46.837 / + 1:24.696
- / 19 / Maurizio CERESOLI (SEAT Toledo Cupra ) / 7 / 00:23:48.775 / N.C.F.
- / 18 / Salvatore TAVANO (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 6 / 00:22:54.538 / N.C.F.
- / 51 / Alessandro BALZAN (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 4 / 00:07:44.602 / D.N.F.
- / 55 / Stefano VALLI (BMW 320i ) / 2 / 00:04:16.192 / D.N.F.
- / 5 / Marcel COSTA (BMW 320si ) / 0 / 00:00:00.000 / D.N.F.
2006-Magny Cours-Race 2-Results
N° / Driver / Laps / Time / GAP1 / 1 / Andy PRIAULX (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:19.166
2 / 42 / Jorg MULLER (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:22:20.072 / + 0.906
3 / 9 / Jordi GENE (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:22.769 / + 3.603
4 / 11 / James THOMPSON (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:27.246 / + 8.080
5 / 2 / Gabriele TARQUINI (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:30.866 / + 11.700
6 / 10 / Peter TERTING (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:34.363 / + 15.197
7 / 12 / Yvan MULLER (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:36.067 / + 16.901
8 / 7 / Nicola LARINI (Chevrolet Lacetti ) / 12 / 00:22:36.607 / + 17.441
9 / 6 / Robert HUFF (Chevrolet Lacetti ) / 12 / 00:22:40.433 / + 21.267
10 / 31 / Stefano D'ASTE (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:22:41.042 / + 21.876
11 / 58 / Roberto COLCIAGO (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:22:43.307 / + 24.141
12 / 15 / Augusto FARFUS (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:22:50.820 / + 31.654
13 / 8 / Alain MENU (Chevrolet Lacetti ) / 12 / 00:22:51.556 / + 32.390
14 / 16 / Gianni MORBIDELLI (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:22:53.531 / + 34.365
15 / 18 / Salvatore TAVANO (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:22:55.865 / + 36.699
16 / 20 / Tom CORONEL (SEAT Toledo Cupra ) / 12 / 00:22:58.828 / + 39.662
17 / 51 / Alessandro BALZAN (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 12 / 00:22:59.722 / + 40.556
18 / 53 / Riccardo ROMAGNOLI (Alfa Romeo 156 Gta ) / 12 / 00:23:18.737 / + 59.571
19 / 19 / Maurizio CERESOLI (SEAT Toledo Cupra ) / 12 / 00:23:26.186 / + 1:07.020
20 / 57 / Davide RODA (SEAT Leon ) / 12 / 00:23:27.440 / + 1:08.274
21 / 30 / Luca RANGONI (BMW 320si ) / 12 / 00:23:28.320 / + 1:09.154
22 / 34 / Diego ROMANINI (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:23:33.846 / + 1:14.680
23 / 33 / Emmet O'BRIEN (BMW 320i ) / 12 / 00:23:45.980 / + 1:26.814
- / 24 / Ryan SHARP (Honda Accord Euro R ) / 5 / 00:09:41.259 / D.N.F.
- / 52 / Elio MARCHETTI (Alfa Romeo 156 ) / 4 / 00:07:51.404 / D.N.F.
- / 54 / Emanuele NASPETTI (BMW 320i ) / 3 / 00:05:53.211 / D.N.F.
- / 5 / Marcel COSTA (BMW 320si ) / 1 / 00:02:07.524 / D.N.F.
- / 4 / Alessandro ZANARDI (BMW 320si ) / 1 / 00:02:08.660 / D.N.F.
- / 3 / Rickard RYDELL (SEAT Leon ) / 1 / 00:02:39.913 / D.N.F.
- / 23 / Pierre-Yves CORTHALS (Honda Accord Euro R ) / 1 / 00:02:54.263 / D.N.F.
WTCC Drivers’ Standings
Drivers / Total / / / /1 / A.Priaulx / 21 / 10 / 0 / 1 / 10
2 / Y.Muller / 18 / 8 / 8 / 0 / 2
3 / J.Müller / 16 / 5 / 0 / 10 / 8
4 / G.Tarquini / 16 / 4 / 3 / 5 / 4
5 / D.Müller / 15 / 5 / 0 / 10 / 8
6 / J.Gené / 14 / 0 / 4 / 4 / 6
7 / J.Thompson / 13 / 6 / 0 / 2 / 5
8 / A.Farfus Jr / 11 / 1 / 10 / 0 / 0
9 / R.Rydell / 9 / 3 / 0 / 6 / 0
10 / P.Terting / 7 / 0 / 1 / 3 / 3
11 / A.Menu / 6 / 0 / 6 / 0 / 0
12 / A.Balzan * / 5 / 0 / 5 / 0 / 0
13 / N.Larini / 3 / 0 / 2 / 0 / 1
14 / A.Zanardi / 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0
WTCC manufacturers’ Standings
Teams / Total / / / /1 / BMW / 54 / 15 / 3 / 18 / 18
2 / SEAT / 48 / 14 / 12 / 11 / 11
3 / Alfa Romeo / 28 / 7 / 15 / 3 / 3
4 / Chevrolet / 26 / 3 / 9 / 7 / 7
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Release Number: 519-alfa-AU
Date of Issue: 20 October 2018. Time of Issue: 07:45:42