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Peter H View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Andy Wins WTCC Championship
    Posted: 20-November-2005 at 01:57

Andy Priaulx World Touring Car Champion

Congratulatios to Andy & all RBM - BMW GB team on winning WTCC title


The widest Alfa Romeo in Macau allowed Augusto Farfus to take race one in the final round of the World Touring Car Championship, but Andy Priaulx has moved into the championship lead after rivals Fabrizio Giovanardi and Dirk Müller both failed to score.

With the race having been halted after an accident at the first corner [see seperate story], Andre Couto led the field away when the safety car pulled off circuit having led the cars back round to the restart but the local hero outbraked himself at the opening corner to allow pole sitter Andy Priaulx to move into the race lead.

However with a lighter car, Augusto Farfus was all over the back of Priaulx and took the race lead and then set about playing a tactical game to allow team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi to try and move his way up the order and prevent the Italian dropping too far from the front.

The Brazilian took defensive lines at every corner to give Priaulx no chance of retaking the lead with a train of cars running almost nose to tail behind the two leaders, with Rickard Rydell third in the SEAT Leon ahead of Müller, Nicola Larini in the leading Chevrolet and Giovanardi.

Although he tried lap after lap going into the first corner to pass Farfus, Priaulx was unable to find a way past, but on lap eight, Giovanardi dropped out of the race for the championship when he went off heavily into the barriers. With severe damage to the front and rear of his Alfa Romeo 156, the Italian was forced to call it a day as he brings his time with the outgoing Alfa team to a close.

That retirement looked like making it a two way fight for the title, with Priaulx second and Müller in fourth meaning the Brit would hold a slender lead going into the final race.

However the drama wasn't over as the cars came up to the finish as Farfus took the win from Priaulx and Rydell - as Nicola Larini came around the last corner to claim fourth from team-mate Alain Menu, Duncan Huisman, James Thompson and Peter Terting.

Müller eventually limped over the line with damage to the right rear of his car in tenth place - failing to score any points before he pulled off the track.

It means that Priaulx now leads Müller in the championship by 93 points to 86 with just the season finale to go, with Priaulx starting from seventh place due to the reverse grid rules and Müller from tenth as long as his car is fit to race.

"I was trying hard to pass Farfus but I needed to be safe and finish the race and score points," Priaulx admitted afterwards. "[If Dirk can't do race two] then great but I'm just focused on the race."

However, as the start of race one showed, anything can - and probably will - happen in race two...

Result - top ten:

1. Augusto Farfus
2. Andy Priaulx +0.496s
3. Rickard Rydell +1.698s
4. Nicola Larini +4.427s
5. Alain Menu +13.706s
6. Duncan Huisman +14.287s
7. James Thompson +14.440s
8. Peter Terting +15.172s
9. Antonio Garcia +16.756s
10. Dirk Müller +20.882s

Championship standings:

1. Priaulx 93
2. Müller 86
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi 81



Race 2


Andy Priaulx has become World Touring Car Champion after Dirk Müller crashed out of the final race of the season in Macau.

The start of race two saw Duncan Huisman make the best start to lead the race, with James Thompson also finding a way past pole man Peter Terting. Unlike race one, the field managed to make it round the first corner unscathed, with Priaulx sitting in fifth place and Müller in seventh.

When Thompson went missing on lap two, both Priaulx and Müller moved up a place, but knowing he had to win to stand any chance of overhauling the Brit, Müller overcooked it going into the opening corner on lap three and put his BMW into the barriers - handing Priaulx the championship title on the spot.

On lap five, Priaulx moved past Menu into second place at the same corner before a four car pile-up involving Adriano de Micheli, Rob Huff, Peter Scharmach and newly crowned Michelin Independent Trophy winner Marc Hennerici led to a lengthy safety car period.

Two laps of racing once the safety car pulled off saw Huisman lead home Priaulx for a one-two finish for the RBM team, with Menu giving Chevrolet a podium finish in third - although Nicola Larini would crash out of fourth on the penultimate lap.

With 31 cars having been on the entry list at the start of the weekend, only ten made it to the finish of the final race of the year.

Race results:

1. Duncan Huisman
2. Andy Priaulx +0.257s
3. Alain Menu +1.253s
4. Augusto Farfus +2.428s
5. Alex Zanardi +3.179s
6. Jordi Gene +3.575s
7. Peter Terting +4.193s
8. Rickard Rydell +4.969s
9. Guiseppe Ciro +36.582s
10. Patrick Bernhardt +1m 21.482s

Championship standings:

1. Priaulx 101
2. Müller 86
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi 81
Das Wolperdinger

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-November-2005 at 05:15

Thanks Peter, Fantastic. Many Congrats to Andy for the Back to Back and the Team.

 Lets hope Andy gets his wish----to become the Williams test driver.

PS.Wish I had Eurosport

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Peter H View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-November-2005 at 05:18
Originally posted by B 7 VP B 7 VP wrote:

PS.Wish I had Eurosport

 

Its being replayed at 14:00 so you still have a couple of hours !

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