Race preview: It’s catch-up (and overtake) time as WTCC heads to Russia

Monteiro and Muller aim to close the gap to WTCC title leader López

By Franck Drui

5 June 2016 - 11:13
Race preview: It's catch-up (...)

Yvan Muller needs points and fast when the FIA World Touring Car Championship reaches the halfway stage of the 2016 season in Moscow next week (10-12 June).

The Frenchman trails Citroën team-mate José María López by 110 points following his double non-finish at the Nürburgring Nordschleife last month. While Muller left Germany on the back foot, López was in the ascendency after recording his fifth victory of the campaign.

Muller has yet to win in 2016 as he bids for a record-extending fifth WTCC title. But the championship’s most successful driver arrives in Russia – a venue famed for its plentiful overtaking opportunities – boosted by his strong record at the Moscow Raceway – he won in 2013 and triumphed from the DHL pole position last season – and the backing of López, no less.

“Moscow is always a very good track for Yvan,” said the Argentine defending world champion. “He likes it very much but this is the only track that’s been very difficult for me.”

Tiago Monteiro also has ground to make up in the title fight. It was the Honda driver’s accident in Germany – the result of a punctured tyre – that eliminated Muller and hit his own championship ambitions hard. After suffering bruising in the heavy impact, Monteiro said: “I’ll be back in Russia as good as new and pushing as hard as ever.”

Monteiro’s factory Honda team-mates Rob Huff and Norbert Michelisz also hold realistic title ambitions after 10 rounds with Huff two points behind Monteiro and Michelisz two down on Huff. Mehdi Bennani, leader of the WTCC Trophy for independent racers, also cannot be discounted having won outright in Hungary earlier this season in his Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën. Polestar Cyan Racing duo Thed Björk and Fredrik Ekblom have shown promise in their works Volvos, while Nicky Catsburg scored his first podium for home team LADA in Slovakia back in April and will be hoping for inspiration from the Russian fans.

They said what? WTCC drivers look ahead to Russia

The FIA World Touring Car Championship is heading to the Moscow Raceway for WTCC ROSNEFT Race of Russia next week. This is what some of the leading drivers have had to say.

Fredrik Ekblom (Polestar Cyan Racing): “The Russia race will be a first for both me and the team. But then again, that’s nothing new for this season. I have obviously never driven the track but it looks interesting and I will prepare as much as possible by watching onboard videos and driving a simulator. It will also be nice to visit Russia as this is a strong market for Volvo.”

Rob Huff (Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team): “It’s a fantastic track and very unique in that the grip level is very low compared to anywhere else we go. It’s very slippery but very abrasive at the same time. Last year you had the four world champions in the top four grid positons with Muller, López, then Tarquini and me fourth. That speaks for itself in the sense of how you have to adapt quite differently to the track. It’s great for racing as we’ve seen and the last three years we’ve been there has provided a fantastic spectacle as a race. It’s also very challenging for a driver because it’s so easy to over-drive the track and lose time. You have to have a good balance in the car and trust your instincts to tell yourself you can’t always push.”

José María López (Citroën Total WTCC), pictured: “I think we are going to struggle. Moscow is always a very good track for Yvan [Muller, Citroën team-mate]. He likes it very much but this is the only track that’s been very difficult for me. Now I need to start to think of the championship. I have taken all the risks and won all the races I have to win and now it’s down to the others to take risks and maybe I can take my foot off the gas. It’s still a long way to go but it’s very nice to be [leading the championship by 69 points] and I am sure everyone else would like to be in this position.”

Hugo Valente (LADA Sport Rosneft): “Driving for LADA gives me my second home race after France and I’m very excited to go there as a LADA driver. Moscow Raceway is a track with overtaking opportunities and I’m expecting two good races because the championship is very close. I remember the circuit not being very grippy in some places but it’s the same for everyone. Of course it’s an important weekend for LADA and Rosneft so I really want to get a good result there. Rob [Huff] did some good races at the Moscow Raceway when he was a LADA driver last year and finished on the podium in the second race. You have to believe everything is possible.”

Tom Chilton (Sébastien Loeb Racing, WTCC Trophy): “Because I love to go flat out, I’m not a fan of the terrible traffic in Moscow – the ring road reminds me of the M25 back home, which is why I’m so happy when I get to the Moscow Raceway! The track has a great combination of corners, which really complements the WTCC race package for the year. The racing is very close and always brings out some great over taking manoeuvres. Saying that I was happy to have been voted number one overtake of 2015 in the WTCC. Following on from a double podium at the Nordschleife, I’m really feeling confident in my office, the car, and with Sébastien Loeb Racing. I’m hoping to collect some more important points for the championship.”

A lap of the WTCC track with Hugo Valente

Hugo Valente forms part of the three-strong LADA Sport Rosneft challenge in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. This is his guide to his team’s home circuit, the 3.931-kilometre Moscow Raceway.

“The first corner is a very fast corner, fifth gear and one of the fastest on the circuit. It’s quite a short distance from the start to the first corner and because it’s so fast there can be some contact and we’ve seen it in the past.

“It’s quite late braking for Turn 2 where you can jump a bit onto the kerb and take a bit of grass on the inside.

“Turn 3 is probably the hardest of the track. It’s very long and very tricky under braking with a lot of oversteer and a very late apex as well. We’ve seen different lines on that particular corner throughout the sessions last year. It’s important to keep on the inside on the entry and maybe go a bit wider in the middle to get the narrow apex and be ready for Turn 4.

“In fact Turn 3 to Turn 5 is where you can make the gap because it’s very difficult into Turn 3 and you also need to get the right speed in Turn 4 through to Turn 5 because you’ll carry this speed all the way through to Turn 9.

“While Turn 6 is flat out, T9 is interesting. It’s quite fast coming over the crest and the car is usually very oversteering. It’s difficult to overtake into Turn 9 but it’s easy to make a mistake with a lot of oversteer.

“If you have a good exit you can go for it into Turn 10, a small left where you must carry speed on the entry, even though it’s not a normal place to overtake. You can also overtake at Turn 12 if you get the Turn 9/Turn 10 section wrong you will be attacked by other drivers.

“It’s fair to say that Turn 9 to 12 is a very difficult combination of corners. You can be overtaken into Turn 12 but in qualifying you need to take a wide line on the exit.

“Turns 13 and 14 and more difficult than they look on paper because the apex is very late into Turn 13, while it’s important to have a good exit out of Turn 14 because it will have a big impact on your speed for the long straight if you get it wrong.”

Hugo Valente’s perfect passing place: “Turn 15 is where most overtakes will happen but it won’t be so easy if you get a bad exit out of Turn 14.”

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