2009 FIA WTCC Race of UK

  2009 FIA WTCC Race of UK
Round details
Round 8 of 12 in the 2009 World Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch in Kent, England.
Date July 19, 2009
Location Kent, England
Course Brands Hatch
3.703 km
Race One
Laps 16
Pole position
Driver Alain Menu Chevrolet
Time 1:33.521
Podium
First Alain Menu Chevrolet
Second Rob Huff Chevrolet
Third Andy Priaulx BMW Team UK
Fastest Lap
Driver Alain Menu Chevrolet
Time 1:34.362
Race Two
Laps 16
Podium
First Augusto Farfus BMW Team Germany
Second Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany
Third Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Sport
Fastest Lap
Driver Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany
Time 1:34.448

The FIA WTCC Marriott Race of UK 2009 was the eighth round of the 2009 World Touring Car Championship season. It was held on July 19, 2009 at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, England. The round was overshadowed by the death of Henry Surtees in the second FIA Formula Two Championship support race.

Contents

Background

Yvan Muller arrived at Brands Hatch with a 14 point lead over SEAT Sport teammate Gabriele Tarquini, with BMW's Augusto Farfus a further point behind.

The race saw four new drivers for the 2009 season. ADAC Procar Series champion Philip Geipel joined Liqui Moly Team Engstler in a third BMW 320si. Meanwhile, Swedish team Polestar Racing entered two Volvo C30s for Robert Dahlgren and WTCC newcomer Tommy Rustad, however both Volvos were ineligible to score championship points.[1] Norbert Michelisz drove the SUNRED Engineering-run SEAT Leon Eurocup prize car, as he did at Okayama in 2008.

Free Practice

Augusto Farfus went quickest in the first free practice session on the Saturday morning.[2] The Brazilian BMW Team Germany driver then went quickest in the second session later in the morning.[3]

Qualifying

Farfus went quickest in the first qualifying session. Amongst those who failed to make it through into the second session were Yvan Muller and Jordi Gene. Chevrolet's Alain Menu and Rob Huff locked out the front row of the grid after the second session, with the BMWs of Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus. Guest independent SEAT driver Norbert Michelisz qualifyed tenth, the leading independent.[4] Jorg Muller, Robert Dahlgren, Jordi Gene and Kristian Poulsen all received grid penalties ahead of the first race. Muller received a five-place penalty for driving in the fast lane of the pits before the pit lane had been opened at the beginning of the session. Dahlgren had all his times disallowed because his team worked on the car during the parc ferme conditions between Q1 and Q2. The Swede dropped from 13th to the back of the grid. Gene also had his times disallowed because the engine speed sensor of his car's data logging system was disconnected, and he also dropped to the back row of the grid. Poulsen received a 10-place grid drop after having the engine in his BMW changed, although he had only qualified 22nd anyway.[5]

Warm-Up

Andy Priaulx went fastest in the Sunday morning warm-up session. The major story though was James Thompson setting the eighth quickest time in the Lada Priora.[6]

Race 1

The first race started with a multi-car accident at the Druids hairpin as Yvan Muller and Augusto Farfus tangled. Felix Porteiro and Norbert Michelisz were also heavily involved with many others taking to the grass on the inside and outside of the corner in avoidance. The incident brought the safety car out. Huff lead Menu from the restart, although Menu re-passed Huff for the lead on lap five. The two Chevrolet drivers remained out in front until the end of the race, although Priaulx pushed Huff for second in the final laps, having passed Gabriele Tarquini for third.

The safety car made a second appearance later in the race as Sergio Hernandez, Vito Postiglione and Tommy Rustad tangled at Surtees. Farfus made his way through the field after his first lap incident to claim eighth place and pole position for Race 2.

Stefano D'Aste won the Independents Trophy from Tom Coronel and Tom Boardman. Menu set the fastest lap.[7]

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 12 Alain Menu Chevrolet 16 28:25.945 1 10
2 11 Robert Huff Chevrolet 16 +1.051 2 8
3 6 Andy Priaulx BMW Team UK 16 +1.240 3 6
4 2 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Sport 16 +2.042 6 5
5 3 Rickard Rydell SEAT Sport 16 +2.420 5 4
6 7 Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany 16 +5.815 13 3
7 5 Tiago Monteiro SEAT Sport 16 +6.300 8 2
8 8 Augusto Farfus BMW Team Germany 16 +8.307 4 1
9 27 IT Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport 16 +9.225 15
10 21 IT Tom Coronel SUNRED Engineering 16 +10.884 12
11 22 IT Tom Boardman SUNRED Engineering 16 +11.737 18
12 9 Alessandro Zanardi BMW Team Italy-Spain 16 +12.415 16
13 4 Jordi Gené SEAT Sport 16 +13.331 26
14 23 IT Félix Porteiro Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 16 +13.675 11
15 39 Robert Dahlgren Volvo Olsbergs Green Racing 16 +14.087 25
16 10 Sergio Hernández BMW Team Italy-Spain 16 +17.753 14
17 38 IT Philip Geipel Liqui Moly Team Engstler 16 +22.188 23
18 36 James Thompson LADA Sport 16 +25.447 22
19 19 Kirill Ladygin LADA Sport 16 +37.466 24
20 26 IT Kristian Poulsen Liqui Moly Team Engstler 16 +41.831 27
21 31 IT Vito Postiglione Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 16 +42.677 20
22 14 Nicola Larini Chevrolet 15 + 1 Lap 7
NC 25 IT Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler 11 + 5 Laps 21
Ret 40 Tommy Rustad Volvo Olsbergs Green Racing 6 Accident damage 19
Ret 18 Jaap van Lagen LADA Sport 5 Engine 17
Ret 37 IT Norbert Michelisz SUNRED Engineering 0 Accident 9
Ret 1 Yvan Muller SEAT Sport 0 Accident 10

Race 2

Race 2 was won by pole-sitter Augusto Farfus from BMW Team Germany teammate Jörg Müller. SEAT Sport drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Rickard Rydell finished third and fourth ahead of Andy Priaulx. Yvan Muller battled through from the back of the field to take seventh place in an otherwise uneventful race.

Tom Boardman took his first ever Independent's Trophy win in tenth overall. Jörg Müller set the fastest lap of the race.[8]

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 8 Augusto Farfus BMW Team Germany 16 28:09.979 1 10
2 7 Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany 16 +2.061 3 8
3 2 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Sport 16 +7.030 5 6
4 3 Rickard Rydell SEAT Sport 16 +7.398 4 5
5 6 Andy Priaulx BMW Team UK 16 +7.749 6 4
6 11 Robert Huff Chevrolet 16 +8.427 7 3
7 1 Yvan Muller SEAT Sport 16 +16.651 24 2
8 5 Tiago Monteiro SEAT Sport 16 +17.444 2 1
9 10 Sergio Hernández BMW Team Italy-Spain 16 +18.191 16
10 22 IT Tom Boardman SUNRED Engineering 16 +19.523 11
11 21 IT Tom Coronel SUNRED Engineering 16 +19.969 10
12 9 Alessandro Zanardi BMW Team Italy-Spain 16 +20.183 12
13 27 IT Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport 16 +21.589 9
14 39 Robert Dahlgren Volvo Olsbergs Green Racing 16 +22.255 15
15 23 IT Félix Porteiro Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 16 +22.923 14
16 4 Jordi Gené SEAT Sport 16 +23.053 13
17 14 Nicola Larini Chevrolet 16 +23.594 22
18 12 Alain Menu Chevrolet 16 +24.021 8
19 25 IT Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler 16 +28.723 26
20 38 IT Philip Geipel Liqui Moly Team Engstler 16 +29.318 17
21 18 Jaap van Lagen LADA Sport 16 +35.320 27
22 36 James Thompson LADA Sport 16 +36.187 18
23 31 IT Vito Postiglione Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 16 +36.735 21
24 19 Kirill Ladygin LADA Sport 12 + 4 Laps 19
NC 37 IT Norbert Michelisz SUNRED Engineering 6 + 10 Laps 23
Ret 40 Tommy Rustad Volvo Olsbergs Green Racing 4 Accident damage 25
Ret 26 IT Kristian Poulsen Liqui Moly Team Engstler 3 Spun off 20

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Yvan Muller 82
2 Gabriele Tarquini 77
3 Augusto Farfus 76
4 Rickard Rydell 55
5 Robert Huff 54
Independents' Trophy standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Félix Porteiro 145
2 Tom Coronel 129
3 Franz Engstler 104
4 Stefano D'Aste 89
5 Tom Boardman 54
Manufacturers' Championship standings
Pos Manufacturer Points
1 SEAT 211
2 BMW 201
3 Chevrolet 147
4 Lada 59

References

  1. ^ Beer, Matt (9 July 2009). "Volvo enters Brands WTCC rounds". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). Archived from the original on 2009-07-25. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76784. Retrieved 18 July 2009. 
  2. ^ English, Steven (18 July 2009). "Farfus quickest in first Brands practice". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77031. Retrieved 18 July 2009. 
  3. ^ English, Steven (18 July 2009). "Farfus quickest in final Brands practice". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77038. Retrieved 18 July 2009. 
  4. ^ English, Steven (18 July 2009). "Menu leads all-Chevrolet front row". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). Archived from the original on 2009-07-25. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77053. Retrieved 19 July 2009. 
  5. ^ English, Steven (19 July 2009). "Four drivers get penalties for race one". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77062. Retrieved 19 July 2009. 
  6. ^ http://www.fiawtcc.com/Read_News.asp?idnews=279 WARM UP - THOMPSON'S BIG IMPROVEMENT. Accessed 2009-07-19. Archived 2009-07-25.
  7. ^ English, Steven (19 July 2009). "Menu continues Brands winning streak". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). Archived from the original on 2009-07-25. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77066. Retrieved 19 July 2009. 
  8. ^ English, Steven (19 July 2009). "Farfus strolls to victory in race two". autosport.com (Haymarket Publishing). Archived from the original on 2009-07-25. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77080. Retrieved 19 July 2009. 

External links

World Touring Car Championship
Previous race:
2009 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal
2009 World Touring Car Championship season Next race:
2009 FIA WTCC Race of Germany
Previous race:
2008 FIA WTCC Race of UK
FIA WTCC Race of UK Next race:
2010 FIA WTCC Race of UK