WTCC » Entry list for FIA WTCC opener announced

16 March 2013
The FIA has released the entry list for the 2013 season opener at Monza
Entry list for FIA WTCC opener announced
With little more than a week to go until the opening round of the 9th FIA WTCC season gets underway, the entry list for Monza has been released by the FIA.

Three WTCC champions are on the grid for 2013, including reigning champion Rob Huff, 2008, 2010 and 2011 champion Yvan Muller and 2009 title-winner Gabrielle Tarquini.

Rob Huff caries the number 1 plate for 2013 having signed a last minute deal in February with former FIA GT1 champions Münnich Motorsport. He will drive a SEAT Leon for the German squad. This will be the first time that he has raced a different car for a season since 2004, when he raced an RML-prepared Seat Toledo in the BTCC.

Tiago Monteiro (JAS Honda) and Tom Coronel (ROAL Motorsport) will both be looking to get back onto the top step of the podium after less competitive 2012 campaigns due to the dominance of the factory Chevrolet team RML, which no longer has factory status for 2013. Yvan Muller and Tom Chilton are to drive Chevrolet Cruze cars for the British based touring car experts.

2012 Yokohama Independent Trophy winner Norbert Michelisz (Zengo Motorsport Honda) is also back, but he is not eligible for the independent championship. Instead, he and fellow contender Pepe Oriola (tuenti SEAT) will be racing for the outright honours, thanks to increased support for their teams from manufacturers Honda and SEAT Sport respectively.

2011 Yokohama Trophy contender Michel Nykjaer re-joins the class with NIKA racing and will be looking for the trophy he missed out on by just 2 points. Also among the challengers for top independent are Franz Engstler, Stefano D'Aste and bamboo engineering drivers, James Nash and Alex MacDowall.

Five manufacturers have already been confirmed for 2013, with BMW, Chevrolet and SEAT joined by factory teams from Honda and Lada. Ford and Lexus are also rumoured to be taking part in the championship in some capacity at some point during the season.

Following the season start at Monza, the WTCC circus will visit 11 other countries before ending the season at the prestigious Macau circuit on November 17 (See latest calendar.)

FIA World Touring Car Championship – Monza 2013 Entry List

1 Rob Huff (GBR) Münnich Motorsport SEAT León WTCC
3 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) JAS Honda Racing Honda Civic S2000 TC
5 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Zengõ Motorsport Honda Civic S2000 TC
6 Franz Engstler * (GER) Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC
7 Charles Ng * (HKG) Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC
9 Alex MacDowall * (GBR) bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
10 James Thompson (GBR) LADA Sport Lukoil Lada Granta
11 Aleksei Dudukalo (RUS) LADA Sport Lukoil Lada Granta
12 Yvan Muller (FRA) RML Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
13 Jean-Philippe Dayraut * (FRA) ANOME BMW 320 TC
14 James Nash * (GBR) bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
15 Tom Coronel (NED) ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC
17 Michel Nykjaer * (DEN) Nika Racing Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
18 Tiago Monteiro (POR) JAS Honda Racing Honda Civic S2000 TC
19 Fernando Monje * (SPN) Campos Racing SEAT León WTCC
20 Hugo Valente * (SPN) Campos Racing SEAT León WTCC
22 Tom Boardman * (GBR) Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCC
23 Tom Chilton (GBR) RML Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
25 Mehdi Bennani * (MOR) Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC
26 Stefano D'Aste * (ITA) PB Racing BMW 320 TC
37 Rene Münnich * (GER) Münnich Motorsport SEAT León WTCC
38 Marc Basseng (GER) Münnich Motorsport SEAT León WTCC
55 Darryl O'Young * (HKG) ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC
73 Fredy Barth * (SUI) Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TC
74 Pepe Oriola (SPN) Tuenti Racing Team SEAT León WTCC

* = Eligible Yokohama Independents' Trophy

by Dexter Fielding

Tagged as: Rob Huff , Monza , entry list , Yvan Muller , Gabrielle Tarquini
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Related Pictures

Honda has announced that Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro will be its works team drivers in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2013
Norbert Michelisz [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Race start in Macau [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]

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