2008 World Touring Car Championship

The 2008 World Touring Car Championship season was the fifth World Touring Car Championship season, the fourth since its 2005 return. It began on 2 March, and ended on 16 November, after twenty-four races. The championship, which was open to Super 2000 Cars and Diesel 2000 Cars, was composed of the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Drivers and the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Manufacturers.[1]

2008 World Touring Car Championship
World Drivers' Champion:
Yvan Muller
World Manufacturers' Champion:
SEAT
Previous: 2007 Next: 2009
Yvan Muller (front) and SEAT won the 2008 championships, succeeding Andy Priaulx (behind) and BMW.

Frenchman Yvan Muller won the Drivers title by 26 points from SEAT team-mate Gabriele Tarquini, with Chevrolet's Robert Huff finishing third just a point behind Tarquini. The Manufacturers Championship was awarded to SEAT.

Teams and drivers

Andy Priaulx, BMW 320si, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch
Alain Menu, Chevrolet Lacetti, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch
Gabriele Tarquini, SEAT León TDI, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch
James Thompson, Honda Accord Euro R, 2008 WTCC round, Imola
Tom Coronel, SEAT León TFSI, 2008 WTCC round, Okayama
Jaap van Lagen, Lada 110 2.0, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch

The full season entry list.[2]

Team Car No. Drivers Rounds
Manufacturer Teams
BMW Team UK BMW 320si 1 Andy Priaulx All
BMW Team Germany 2 Jörg Müller All
3 Augusto Farfus Jr. All
BMW Team Italy-Spain 4 Alessandro Zanardi All
5 Félix Porteiro All
Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Lacetti 6 Nicola Larini All
7 Robert Huff All
8 Alain Menu All
SEAT Sport SEAT León TDI 9 Jordi Gené All
10 Rickard Rydell All
11 Gabriele Tarquini All
12 Yvan Muller All
18 Tiago Monteiro All
SEAT León TFSI 21 José Manuel Pérez-Aicart 3
SUNRED Engineering 20 Tom Coronel All
N.technology Honda Accord Euro R 15 James Thompson 3–12
Yokohama Trophy
Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW 320si 13 Ibrahim Okyay All
62 Aytaç Biter 7–8
Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 16 Olivier Tielemans 1–3, 5–6, 8
33 Laurent Cazenave 4
49 Duncan Huisman 8
60 Kristian Poulsen 10
SUNRED Engineering SEAT León TFSI 22 Michal Matejovský 5
32 Oscar Nogués 4
75 Norbert Michelisz 11
76 Lourenço Beirão da Veiga 7
77 Tom Boardman 6
78 Marin Čolak 8
79 Duarte Félix da Costa 10
Exagon Engineering SEAT León TFSI 23 Pierre-Yves Corthals 1–10
Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si 26 Stefano D'Aste 1–11
31 Sergio Hernández All
45 George Tanev 12
Petrol GT Racing Team BMW 320si 8–10
Russian Bears Motorsport Lada 110 2.0 27 Kirill Ladygin 9–12
28 Viktor Shapovalov 3–10
29 Jaap van Lagen 3–12
Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si 42 Franz Engstler All
43 Andrey Romanov 1–6, 8–12
Golden Motors Honda Accord Euro R 54 Aleksandr Lvov 3, 5
55 Andrey Smetsky 3, 5
Poulsen Motorsport BMW 320si 60 Kristian Poulsen 6–8
Asian Wild Card Entries
Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 17 Takayuki Aoki 10–12
88 Matthew Marsh 11–12
N.technology Honda Accord Euro R 66 André Couto 12
72 Yukinori Taniguchi 10–11
Thunder Asia Racing BMW 320si 69 Melvin Choo 11–12
Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Lacetti 80 Manabu Orido 10–12
Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320i 81 Masaki Kano 11–12
Guest Drivers
Volvo Olsbergs Green Racing Volvo C30 63 Robert Dahlgren 7

Note: Macau-based RPM Racing Team had planned to race one Toyota Altezza and one Honda Civic Type-R for Macanese drivers Lei Kit Meng and Jo Rosa Merszei in the final races in Macau.[3] Although car numbers were allocated to them (#64 for Meng (Toyota Altezza) and #65 for Merszei (Honda Civic)), the FIA Touring Car Bureau rejected the entries because neither of these cars had been homologated by the FIA.[4]

Driver changes

Changed Teams

Entering WTCC including those who entered one-off rounds in 2007

Leaving WTCC

  • Michel Jourdain, Jr.: SEAT Sport → No full-time drive
  • Roberto Colciago: SEAT Sport Italia → Italian Endurance Touring Championship
  • Emmet O'Brien: GR Asia → Danish Touring Car Championship
  • Maurizio Ceresoli: GR Asia → No full-time drive
  • Luca Rangoni: Scuderia Proteam Motorsport → Porsche Carrera Cup Italy
  • Miguel Freitas: Racing for Belgium → SEAT León Supercopa Spain

Calendar

A provisional calendar was released in November, 2007.[5][6]

Sweden was to be included in the calendar for 21 September but the FIA confirmed on 3 May 2008 that the Swedish round at the Scandinavian Raceway was replaced by an Italy round at the revamped Imola Circuit.[7]

Round Race Name Track Date
1 R1 HSBC Race of Brazil Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba 2 March
R2
2 R3 Telmex Race of Mexico Autódromo Miguel E. Abed 6 April
R4
3 R5 Monroe Race of Spain Circuit Ricardo Tormo 18 May
R6
4 R7 Courtyard Race of France Circuit de Pau Ville 1 June
R8
5 R9 Stihl Race of the Czech Republic Masaryk Circuit 15 June
R10
6 R11 Race of Turismo de Portugal Autódromo do Estoril 13 July
R12
7 R13 Courtyard Race of UK Brands Hatch 27 July
R14
8 R15 Atari Race of Germany Motorsport Arena Oschersleben 31 August
R16
9 R17 Courtyard Race of Europe Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari 21 September
R18
10 R19 Monroe Race of Italy Autodromo Nazionale di Monza 5 October
R20
11 R21 Race Pro of Japan Okayama International Circuit 26 October
R22
12 R23 Canon Race of Macau Guia Circuit 16 November
R24

Results and standings

Races

Race Race Name Pole Position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning team Winning independent Report
1 Race of Brazil Yvan Muller Andy Priaulx Yvan Muller SEAT Sport Olivier Tielemans Report
2 Augusto Farfus Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Sport Olivier Tielemans
3 Race of Mexico Jordi Gené Tiago Monteiro Jordi Gené SEAT Sport Pierre-Yves Corthals Report
4 Yvan Muller Tiago Monteiro SEAT Sport Pierre-Yves Corthals
5 Race of Spain Yvan Muller Jörg Müller Robert Huff Chevrolet RML Stefano D'Aste Report
6 Alain Menu Alain Menu Chevrolet RML Sergio Hernández
7 Race of France Augusto Farfus Augusto Farfus Augusto Farfus BMW Team Germany Laurent Cazenave Report
8 Rickard Rydell Andy Priaulx BMW Team UK Stefano D'Aste
9 Race of the Czech Republic Alessandro Zanardi Félix Porteiro Alessandro Zanardi BMW Team Italy-Spain Sergio Hernández Report
10 Alessandro Zanardi Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Sport Sergio Hernández
11 Race of Portugal Nicola Larini Nicola Larini Rickard Rydell SEAT Sport Pierre-Yves Corthals Report
12 Nicola Larini Tiago Monteiro SEAT Sport Sergio Hernández
13 Race of UK Augusto Farfus Robert Huff Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany Stefano D'Aste Report
14 Augusto Farfus Alain Menu Chevrolet RML Stefano D'Aste
15 Race of Germany Robert Huff Augusto Farfus Augusto Farfus BMW Team Germany Stefano D'Aste Report
16 Augusto Farfus Félix Porteiro BMW Team Italy-Spain Sergio Hernández
17 Race of Europe Rickard Rydell James Thompson Yvan Muller SEAT Sport Sergio Hernández Report
18 Tiago Monteiro James Thompson N.Technology Sergio Hernández
19 Race of Italy Yvan Muller Andy Priaulx Yvan Muller SEAT Sport Pierre-Yves Corthals Report
20 Alain Menu Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Sport Sergio Hernández
21 Race of Japan Augusto Farfus Jörg Müller Rickard Rydell SEAT Sport Stefano D'Aste Report
22 James Thompson Tom Coronel SUNRED Racing Sergio Hernández
23 Guia Race of Macau Alain Menu Andy Priaulx Alain Menu Chevrolet RML Sergio Hernández Report
24 Augusto Farfus Robert Huff Chevrolet RML Franz Engstler

Standings

Drivers' Championship

The final standings in the 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship for Drivers were :

Pos Driver BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 
1 Yvan Muller 1 5 6 4 4 8 2 7 8 5 3 2 2 11 11 8 1 5 1 4 7 6 3 2 114
2 Gabriele Tarquini 5 1 5 3 2 5 5 4 6 1 13 11 7 5 24 16 5 Ret 2 1 10 Ret 7 12† 88
3 Robert Huff Ret Ret 9 9 1 2 4 5 9 DSQ 4 5 21 10 2 3 4 3 6 26† 4 5 5 1 87
4 Andy Priaulx 4 2 10 8 7 3 8 1 14 8 6 3 3 Ret Ret 5 11 7 3 25† 3 22† 2 3 81
5 Rickard Rydell 2 7 2 2 10 7 6 3 10 17 1 8 11 9 6 20 2 6 16 9 1 9 Ret 4 77
6 Augusto Farfus DSQ 6 11 10 Ret 20 1 6 4 3 Ret 10 Ret 6 1 6 7 8 Ret 8 6 2 4 11 63
7 Jörg Müller 3 4 14 12 5 4 9 13 5 7 9 7 1 4 26 9 8 2 9 10 2 Ret 10 Ret 60
8 Jordi Gené 11 8 1 5 3 6 3 19 13 14 5 9 9 Ret 5 4 17 17 7 2 11 10 6 Ret 56
9 Alain Menu Ret 10 8 7 8 1 10 Ret 3 6 11 14 8 1 3 Ret Ret 12 11 5 Ret 13 1 13† 54
10 Félix Porteiro 6 3 16 20† 22 10 15 12 2 4 8 4 6 2 8 1 10 Ret NC 12 Ret 8 14 DNS 51
11 Nicola Larini Ret 12 3 Ret 6 9 7 2 11 11 2 6 23 12 Ret 11 6 4 5 3 16 12 9 Ret 48
12 Tiago Monteiro 17 13 7 1 18 Ret 13 10 12 10 7 1 16 15 4 Ret 13 11 4 6 5 7 11 Ret 43
13 Alessandro Zanardi 15 11 15 11 12 18 12 11 1 2 20 13 4 3 12 19 12 9 8 7 13 Ret 23† 5 36
14 Tom Coronel 7 9 4 6 9 DNS 14 9 18 12 10 12 5 22 7 2 15 15 10 24† 8 1 22† Ret 35
15 James Thompson 11 11 11 8 7 9 DNS DNS 10 14 15 Ret 3 1 Ret 11 17 4 8 14 25
16 Sergio Hernández 14† 15 17 15 23 12 17 17 15 13 Ret 15 13 8 10 7 9 10 14 13 12 3 12 Ret 9
17 Franz Engstler 10 17 18 16 17 17 19 15 16 23† 18 18 17 13 Ret 15 16 14 13 16 14 11 15 6 3
18 Stefano D'Aste 9 16 13 14 14 15 18 14 25† 21 19 16 12 7 9 13 18 16 24 14 9 23† 2
19 Manabu Orido 15 17 Ret 18 16 7 2
20 Olivier Tielemans 8 14 19 17 15 Ret 19 Ret Ret DNS 22 18 1
21 Matthew Marsh 21 14 17 8 1
Andrey Romanov 12 19 20 18 16 Ret 20 20 20 16 16 20 17 Ret 20 20 18 Ret 22 15 20 9 0
Ibrahim Okyay 16 20 21 19 24 19 Ret Ret Ret 19 17 23 18 Ret 19 Ret Ret 21 19 21 Ret DNS 18 10 0
Duncan Huisman 16 10 0
Pierre-Yves Corthals 13 18 12 13 Ret 13 Ret 21 17 15 12 19 14 16 25† 12 14 13 12 Ret 0
José Manuel Pérez-Aicart 13 14 0
Marin Čolak 13 17 0
André Couto 13 Ret 0
Kristian Poulsen 14 22 15 17 18 14 23† 15 0
Jaap van Lagen Ret Ret 21 18 21 Ret 15 21 DNS 18 14 22 19 18 Ret 19 18 17 21 Ret 0
Takayuki Aoki 17 Ret 15 Ret Ret 15† 0
Aleksandr Lvov 19 16 23 20 0
Laurent Cazenave 16 Ret 0
Norbert Michelisz Ret 16 0
Oscar Nogués Ret 16 0
Tom Boardman Ret 17 0
George Tanev 21 21 21 19 20 18 19 Ret 0
Viktor Shapovalov 20 Ret DNQ DNQ Ret 18 Ret 24 19 20 20 23 Ret DNS Ret 22 DNS DNS DNS DNS 0
Yukinori Taniguchi 21 Ret 20 19 0
Lourenço Beirão da Veiga 20 19 0
Kirill Ladygin Ret 22 22 23 19 Ret Ret Ret 0
Melvin Choo 23 20 Ret Ret 0
Duarte Félix Da Costa Ret 20 0
Andrey Smetsky 21 21 24 22 0
Aytaç Biter 22 21 23 24 0
Masaki Kano 24 21 Ret DNS 0
Michal Matejovský 22 Ret 0
guest drivers ineligible for points
Robert Dahlgren 24† DNS *
Pos Driver BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not participate (DNP)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

† — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Drivers' Championship points were awarded on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first eight finishers in each race.

Manufacturers' Championship

Pos Manufacturer BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 
1 SEAT 1 1 1 1 2 5 2 3 6 1 1 1 2 5 4 2 1 5 1 1 1 1 3 2 326
2 5 2 2 3 6 3 4 8 5 3 2 5 9 5 4 2 6 2 2 5 6 6 4
2 BMW 3 2 10 8 5 3 1 1 1 2 6 3 1 2 1 1 7 2 3 7 2 2 2 3 274
4 3 11 10 7 4 8 6 2 3 8 4 3 3 8 5 8 7 8 8 3 3 4 5
3 Chevrolet Ret 10 3 7 1 1 4 2 3 6 2 5 8 1 2 3 4 3 5 3 4 5 1 1 238
Ret 12 8 9 6 2 7 5 9 11 4 6 21 10 3 11 6 4 6 5 16 12 5 13
4 Honda 11 11 11 8 7 9 DNS DNS 10 14 15 Ret 3 1 21 11 17 4 8 14 60
19 16 23 20 Ret Ret 20 19 13 Ret
Pos Manufacturer BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 

Manufacturers' Championship points were awarded on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first eight finishers in each race. However, only the results of the best two cars for each manufacturer were taken into account.

Yokohama Independents' Trophy

Pos Driver BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 
1 Sergio Hernández 14† 15 17 15 23 12 17 17 15 13 Ret 15 13 8 10 7 9 10 14 13 12 3 12 Ret 186
2 Franz Engstler 10 17 18 16 17 17 19 15 16 23† 18 18 17 13 Ret 15 16 14 13 16 14 11 15 6 149
3 Stefano D'Aste 9 16 13 14 14 15 18 14 25† 21 19 16 12 7 9 13 18 16 24 14 9 23 137
4 Pierre-Yves Corthals 13 18 12 13 Ret 13 Ret 21 17 15 12 19 14 16 25 12 14 13 12 Ret 112
5 Andrei Romanov 12 19 20 18 16 Ret 20 20 20 16 16 20 17 Ret 20 20 18 Ret 22 15 20 9 83
6 Ibrahim Okyay 16 20 21 19 24 19 Ret Ret Ret 19 17 23 18 Ret 19 Ret Ret 21 19 21 Ret DNS 18 10 51
7 Olivier Tielemans 8 14 19 17 15 Ret 19 Ret Ret DNS 22 18 43
8 Jaap van Lagen 15 21 DNS 18 14 22 19 18 Ret 19 18 17 21 Ret 38
9 Matthew Marsh 21 14 17 8 36
10 Kristian Poulsen 14 22 15 17 18 14 23† 15 32
11 George Tanev 21 21 21 19 20 18 19 Ret 20
12 Takayuki Aoki 17 Ret 15 Ret Ret 15† 18
13 Aleksandr Lvov 19 16 23 20 15
14 Laurent Cazenave 16 Ret 10
15 Marin Čolak 13 17 9
16 Andrey Smetsky 21 21 24 22 8
17 Oscar Nogués Ret 16 6
18 Tom Boardman Ret 17 6
19 Norbert Michelisz Ret 16 4
20 Kirill Ladygin Ret 22 22 23 19 Ret Ret Ret 4
21 Viktor Shapovalov Ret 24 19 20 20 23 Ret DNS Ret 22 DNS DNS DNS DNS 4
22 Michal Matějovský 22 Ret 3
23 Lourenço Beirão da Veiga 20 19 3
24 Duarte Félix da Costa Ret 20 2
25 Melvin Choo 23 20 Ret Ret 2
26 Masaki Kano 24 21 Ret DNS 1
Aytaç Biter 22 21 23 24 0
Pos Driver BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 

The Yokohama Independents' Trophy uses a similar system to the Drivers’ Championship, however double points are awarded at Macau.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

Pos Team BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 
1 Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 9 15 13 14 14 12 17 14 15 13 19 15 12 7 9 7 9 10 14 13 9 3 12 Ret 334
14† 16 17 15 23 15 18 17 25† 21 Ret 16 13 8 10 13 18 16 24 14 12 23† 19 Ret
2 Liqui Moly Team Engstler 10 17 18 16 16 17 19 15 16 16 16 18 17 13 17 15 16 14 13 16 14 11 15 6 228
12 19 20 18 17 Ret 20 20 20 23† 18 20 Ret Ret 20 20 18 Ret 22 15 20 9
3 Exagon Engineering 13 18 12 13 Ret 13 Ret 21 17 15 12 19 14 16 25† 12 14 13 12 Ret 112
4 Wiechers-Sport 8 14 19 17 15 Ret 16 Ret 19 Ret Ret DNS 22 18 17 15 15 14 17 8 105
23† Ret 21 Ret Ret 15†
5 Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport 16 20 21 19 24 19 Ret Ret Ret 19 17 23 18 21 19 24 Ret 21 19 21 Ret DNS 18 10 51
22 Ret 23 Ret
6 Russian Bears Motorsport 15 21 19 18 14 22 19 18 22 19 18 17 21 Ret 46
Ret 24 DNS 20 20 23 Ret 22 Ret 22 19 Ret Ret Ret
7 SUNRED Engineering Ret 16 22 Ret Ret 17 20 19 13 17 Ret 20 Ret 16 33
8 Poulsen Motorsport 14 22 15 17 18 14 26
9 Golden Motors 19 16 23 20 23
21 21 24 22
10 Petrol GT Racing Team 21 21 21 19 20 18 12
11 Thunder Asia Racing 23 20 Ret Ret 2
Pos Team BRA
MEX
ESP
FRA
CZE
POR
UK
GER
EUR
ITA
JPN
MAC
 Pts 

All the teams taking part in any of the rounds of the 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship were eligible to score points for the Yokohama Teams' Trophy. Points were awarded to the two best classified cars of each team, providing they were driven by Independent drivers. All other cars of that same team were considered invisible as far as scoring points was concerned.

References

  1. 2008 WTCC Regulations Archived 2008-09-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from www.wtcc.com on 7 September 2008
  2. "2008 Entry List". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  3. "MACANESE TEAM JOIN FOR HOME RACE". World Touring Car Championship official website. 2008-11-03. Archived from the original on November 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  4. "FIA BUREAU REJECT RPM ENTRIES". World Touring Car Championship official website. 2008-11-06. Archived from the original on November 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  5. "2008 FIA WTCC Calendar Approved". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
  6. "WTCC Calendar Approved by WMSC". Archived from the original on 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  7. "Imola to replace Anderstorp". fiawtcc.com. 2008-05-03. Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.