2010 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal

Portugal  2010 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal
Round details
Round 5 of 11 in the 2010 World Touring Car Championship season at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal.
Date 4 July, 2010
Location Portimão, Portugal
Course Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
4.654 km
Race One
Laps 11
Pole position
Driver Portugal Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport
Time 1:55.372
Podium
First Portugal Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport
Second France Yvan Muller Chevrolet RML
Third Italy Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport
Fastest Lap
Driver Italy Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport
Time 1:56.984
Race Two
Laps 11
Podium
First Italy Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport
Second France Yvan Muller Chevrolet RML
Third Switzerland Alain Menu Chevrolet RML
Fastest Lap
Driver Spain Jordi Gené SR-Sport
Time 1:57.902

The 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal was the fifth round of the 2010 World Touring Car Championship season. It was the fourth running of the Race of Portugal, and the first time the series had visited the circuit. The race was held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão in Portugal on 4 July 2010. The two races were won by Tiago Monteiro and Gabriele Tarquini of SR-Sport.

Background

Coming into the round, Chevrolet RML driver Yvan Muller was the leading the drivers' championship by 19 points. Sergio Hernández was leading the Yokohama Independents' Trophy by 16 points over Stefano D'Aste.

eBay Motors joined the grid with driver Colin Turkington for the first of three races, it marked Turkington's first race since he claimed the 2009 British Touring Car Championship drivers' title.[1]

Report

Testing and free practice

Andy Priaulx set the fastest time in Friday's test session, with Chevrolet driver Robert Huff less than a tenth behind. Augusto Farfus was third, in the second BMW Team RBM car.[2]

SEAT driver Jordi Gené was fastest in the first practice session on Saturday morning, Muller was the fastest Chevrolet driver in fifth and Priaulx was the fastest BMW in seventh. Turkington was the top Yokohama Trophy driver in ninth.[3]

Farfus was quickest in the final practice session ahead of the leading SR-Sport car of Tom Coronel. Fourth placed Huff was the fastest Chevrolet driver while Turkington in tenth was once again the fastest independent driver.[4]

Qualifying

At the start of Q1, Tiago Monteiro and Priaulx collided at Turn 12, both cars having to return to the pits to repair the damage. Upon returning to the track, Monteiro set the fastest time in the session. Reigning British Touring Car Champion Colin Turkington made it through to Q2 as the quickest Independent runner on his season debut. SEAT drivers Michel Nykjær, Fredy Barth and Tom Coronel were the biggest names not to make it through to Q2, in 11th, 14th and 15th places.

In Q2, all ten of the drivers waited until there were four minutes remaining of the ten-minute session before setting their first flying lap times. Monteiro was fastest again, 0.053 seconds ahead of Muller, Farfus, Tarquini and Huff.[5]

Warm-Up

Priaulx was fastest in the Sunday morning warm–up session while pole sitter Monteiro was sixth.[6]

Race One

Monteiro led comfortably away from pole position in the opening laps, as Muller and Tarquini fought for second place behind him. Further back, Priaulx slid off the road at the final turn as he battled with Barth. Having suffered a puncture and damaged bodywork, Priaulx spent much of the race in the pits repairing the damage. As Nykjær and Norbert Michelisz were fighting over seventh place, they forced each other wide, allowing Alain Menu and Coronel to pass them. Huff had been running fourth early on having passed Farfus, but went off the road, running over the gravel trap and into the wall. He was able to rejoin, but finished the race a lap down in 18th place. Gené stopped out on track while running in sixth position. Having dropped back early on from his tenth-place starting position, Turkington was fighting with Barth behind, when the two made contact, putting Turkington into a spin, this gave Hernández the Independents' lead. As the race reached its conclusion, Monteiro came under pressure for the lead from Muller, Tarquini and Farfus. However he managed to keep them at bay to record a popular and emotional home victory. Having fended off Coronel, Menu finished fifth, with Michelisz and Barth finishing seventh and eighth. Hernández took the Independent victory ahead of Darryl O'Young in ninth overall.[7]

Race Two

Barth made a slow start away from pole position at the start of race two, dropping to eighth by the end of the first lap. Fellow front-row-starter Michelisz took the lead from Barth. Behind, Menu passed Coronel for second place, while Tarquini moved into fourth before passing Coronel for third. Further back, Turkington fell to the back of the pack after a spin, while fellow Independent BMW driver Kristian Poulsen retired having had a spin of his own.

On the second lap Barth lost five more places, while up front Menu began pushing Michelisz for the lead. Menu made his move at the beginning of lap four, with Tarquini also following him through before taking the lead from Menu. Michelisz meanwhile dropped out with a water pressure problem. Muller passed Coronel for third before passing his Chevrolet teammate Menu for second place.

On lap eight, Huff passed Monteiro and Coronel, before the BMW pair of Priaulx and Farfus also passed the two SEAT drivers. Two laps before the finish, Gené stopped once again due to a puncture. On the final lap, Huff passed Chevrolet teammate Menu for third position. Tarquini held on to take the victory ahead of Muller, Huff, Menu, Priaulx and Farfus. Coronel was seventh, ahead of Monteiro and Barth. O'Young took the final point in tenth and his first win in the Independents' Trophy. He had to hold off Turkington, who had recovered well from his early spin to pass Vaulkhard for 11th on the final lap.[8]

After the race, Huff was given a 30-second penalty for an incident with Farfus, dropping him from third place to 15th. He was also given a reprimand for another incident with Farfus in the first race.[9]

Results

Qualifying

Pos. No. Name Team Car C Q1 Q2
1 3 Portugal Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:55.931 1:55.372
2 6 France Yvan Muller Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 1:56.112 1:55.425
3 10 Brazil Augusto Farfus BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 1:56.200 1:55.675
4 1 Italy Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:56.097 1:55.709
5 7 United Kingdom Robert Huff Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 1:56.183 1:55.934
6 5 Hungary Norbert Michelisz Zengő-Dension Team SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:56.479 1:55.991
7 4 Spain Jordi Gené SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:56.302 1:56.104
8 11 United Kingdom Andy Priaulx BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 1:56.258 1:56.141
9 8 Switzerland Alain Menu Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 1:56.261 1:56.246
10 29 United Kingdom Colin Turkington eBay Motors BMW 320si Y 1:56.513 1:56.696
11 17 Denmark Michel Nykjær SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:56.517
12 20 Hong Kong Darryl O'Young bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Lacetti Y 1:56.766
13 18 Switzerland Fredy Barth SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:56.905
14 2 Netherlands Tom Coronel SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 1:56.946
15 25 Spain Sergio Hernández Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si Y 1:57.502
16 24 Denmark Kristian Poulsen Poulsen Motorsport BMW 320si Y 1:57.578
17 19 United Kingdom Harry Vaulkhard bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Lacetti Y 1:57.628
18 15 Germany Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 1:57.803
19 21 Morocco Mehdi Bennani Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si Y 1:57.887
20 26 Italy Stefano D'Aste Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si Y 1:58.008
21 16 Russia Andrei Romanov Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 2:00.413

Race 1

Pos. No. Name Team Car C Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 3 Portugal Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 21:38.194 1 25
2 6 France Yvan Muller Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 11 +1.032 2 18
3 1 Italy Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +1.587 4 15
4 10 Brazil Augusto Farfus BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 11 +1.826 3 12
5 8 Switzerland Alain Menu Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 11 +8.807 9 10
6 2 Netherlands Tom Coronel SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +11.723 14 8
7 5 Hungary Norbert Michelisz Zengő-Dension Team SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +12.562 6 6
8 18 Switzerland Fredy Barth SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +20.173 13 4
9 25 Spain Sergio Hernández Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si Y 11 +23.113 15 2
10 20 Hong Kong Darryl O'Young bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Lacetti Y 11 +23.245 12 1
11 24 Denmark Kristian Poulsen Poulsen Motorsport BMW 320si Y 11 +23.642 16
12 29 United Kingdom Colin Turkington eBay Motors BMW 320si Y 11 +25.738 10
13 15 Germany Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 11 +26.845 18
14 26 Italy Stefano D'Aste Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si Y 11 +27.248 20
15 19 United Kingdom Harry Vaulkhard bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Lacetti Y 11 +29.295 17
16 16 Russia Andrei Romanov Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 11 +44.117 21
17 17 Denmark Michel Nykjær SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +49.343 11
18 7 United Kingdom Robert Huff Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 10 +1 Lap 5
Ret 4 Spain Jordi Gené SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 7 Puncture 7
Ret 21 Morocco Mehdi Bennani Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si Y 4 Differential 19
Ret 11 United Kingdom Andy Priaulx BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 3 Race incident 8

Race 2

Pos. No. Name Team Car C Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 1 Italy Gabriele Tarquini SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 21:49.935 6 25
2 6 France Yvan Muller Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 11 +1.736 7 18
3 8 Switzerland Alain Menu Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 11 +3.244 4 15
4 11 United Kingdom Andy Priaulx BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 11 +3.570 19 12
5 10 Brazil Augusto Farfus BMW Team RBM BMW 320si 11 +4.094 5 10
6 2 Netherlands Tom Coronel SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +6.201 3 8
7 3 Portugal Tiago Monteiro SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +6.513 8 6
8 18 Switzerland Fredy Barth SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED SEAT León 2.0 TDI 11 +10.207 1 4
9 20 Hong Kong Darryl O'Young bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Lacetti Y 11 +12.751 10 2
10 29 United Kingdom Colin Turkington eBay Motors BMW 320si Y 11 +13.609 12 1
11 19 United Kingdom Harry Vaulkhard bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Lacetti Y 11 +14.857 20
12 21 Morocco Mehdi Bennani Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si Y 11 +18.100 21
13 26 Italy Stefano D'Aste Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si Y 11 +19.125 14
14 15 Germany Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 11 +21.271 13
151 7 United Kingdom Robert Huff Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Cruze LT 11 +32.587 18
16 16 Russia Andrei Romanov Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 11 +35.977 15
17 25 Spain Sergio Hernández Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si Y 10 +1 Lap 9
18 4 Spain Jordi Gené SR-Sport SEAT León 2.0 TDI 9 +2 Laps 17
Ret 5 Hungary Norbert Michelisz Zengő-Dension Team SEAT León 2.0 TDI 5 Water pressure 2
Ret 17 Denmark Michel Nykjær SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 2.0 TDI 3 Pierced radiator 16
Ret 24 Denmark Kristian Poulsen Poulsen Motorsport BMW 320si Y 1 Race incident 11
^1  — Huff originally finished third, but was given a 30-second penalty after the race for causing a collision.[10]

Standings after the event

Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 France Yvan Muller 164
2 Italy Gabriele Tarquini 149
3 United Kingdom Andy Priaulx 117
4 United Kingdom Robert Huff 104
5 Portugal Tiago Monteiro 99

Yokohama Independents' Trophy standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Spain Sergio Hernández 73
4 2 Hong Kong Darryl O'Young 56
1 3 Italy Stefano D'Aste 51
1 4 Morocco Mehdi Bennani 46
5 United Kingdom Harry Vaulkhard 45

Manufacturers' Championship standings
Pos Manufacturer Points
1 United States Chevrolet 317
2 Spain SEAT Customers Technology 312
3 Germany BMW 251

References

  1. O'Leary, Jamie (3 June 2010). "Turkington seals three-round deal". Autosport (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  2. Meissner, Johan (2 July 2010). "Priaulx ahead of Huff in Portugal". TouringCarTimes (Mediaempire Stockholm AB). Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  3. English, Steven (3 July 2010). "Gene quickest as SEAT leads practice". Autosport (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  4. English, Steven (3 July 2010). "Farfus fastest in final Portimao practice". Autosport (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  5. http://www.fiawtcc.com/Read_News.asp?idNews=597
  6. "Warm up results — WTCC: Portugal 2010". GPUpdate.net (GPUpdate). 4 July 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  7. http://www.fiawtcc.com/Read_News.asp?idnews=601
  8. http://www.fiawtcc.com/Read_News.asp?idnews=603
  9. http://www.fiawtcc.com/Read_News.asp?idnews=605
  10. http://www.fiawtcc.com/html/uploadedFiles/PDF/SD.6.20107421500.pdf

External links

World Touring Car Championship
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2010 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium
2010 World Touring Car Championship season Next race:
2010 FIA WTCC Race of UK
Previous race:
2009 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal
FIA WTCC Race of Portugal Next race:
2011 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal