After the heroics of Oschersleben, Ford Hotfiel Sport found themselves back at the lower end of the grid in Turkey, even if both Thomas Klenke and Michael Funke are now beginning to compete more confidently in the mid-field. Having qualified in the top twenty, neither driver enjoyed the best of weekends with both cars out by the second lap in two separate collisions. Only Klenke got back onto the grid in the second race but starting from the back meant that 17th was the best he could manage.
Nonetheless, Ford go to Valencia with confidence having competed there last year with the previous generation Focus. With Klenke at the wheel, the team managed a pair of top 15 finishes and a similar performance at the weekend will certainly be very welcome. "It should work in our favour that we can use the data gathered last year as a basis for this year’s race rather than having to start afresh like at most of the other circuits," states technical director Bernd Mayer.
After an excellent run of points that thrust him well into the title fight, Tom Coronel’s late charge in the Independents trophy received a major blow in Turkey when an engine failure in the first race whilst leading meant he went away from the weekend empty handed. Even worse for the GR Asia driver was the fact that main rival Marc Hennerici had his best weekend since the beginning of the year, securing a third and a win in class.
The result has now put the German 21 points out in front, while Coronel now has to contend with the attentions of Carl Rosenblad, the Swede managing his first win since Magny-Cours to be just six points off the Dutchman. Indeed, Rosenblad also has to shake off the advances of the Proteam duo of Giuseppe Cirò and Stefano D’Aste, who remain in close contention just two and five points adrift, meaning the fight for at least second place in the standings is still strong.
![Andy Priaulx [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/166470.jpg)
