Although they were often unable to make the most of the melee that befell many in both races at Spa – indeed they were often the cause of the said melees -, Alfa Romeo came away from Belgium clutching some useful points despite their arch-rivals podium whitewash in the first race. Once again Fabrizio Giovanardi proved the man on the move with another double-points finish, making it an impressive nine consecutive races in the top eight for the Italian. This sheer consistency has been the prime reason as to why the Alfa Romeo Racing Team driver is biting at the heels of Dirk Müller and although he has slipped slightly behind after Spa, he is still poised to pounce should his rival hit a problem.
However, Alfa Romeo have not proved as successful as the Munich marque on BMWs home soil, although last year Augusto Farfus Jr did manage to secure two podiums. The Brazilian himself has been the focus of much attention in the recent weeks following his exclusion for almost forcing Jorg Müller into the barriers as the pair crossed the line together in Belgium. Although he recovered to take a fourth place in the second race, Farfus Jr has found his driving standards under review yet again and his progress in Germany will be monitored very closely.
As well as Giovanardi and Farfus, Gabriele Tarquini and James Thompson were also both on the pace at Spa, with the former proving the best of the rest in the first race at Spa after his team mates demise, while the latter managed another strong double points finish to keep him in sixth in the standings. The Oschersleben is also one of the few tracks that Thompson has driven the 156 Saloon, managing two fifth places there last year. Such a result means the Brit must be chasing his second win of the year, although for Alfa Romeo any way of halting BMWs points drive will be much appreciated.
![Race action [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/165687.jpg)
