Having secured a double 1, 2, 3 finishes on the streets of Marrakech, Chevrolet and the World Touring Car Championship head back to Europe and to Slovakia.
The Central European country is making its debut on the World Touring Car Championship calendar and the 5.9km circuit near Bratislava has hosted one other FIA event before – the FIA GT3 European Championship last year.
With no prior testing ahead of Saturday morning’s free practice sessions, the team and drivers have been preparing themselves as best they can, with videos of previous events and using simulations of the circuit.
Arriving at the Slovakia Ring as the Championship leader is Yvan Muller. The Frenchman has secured four wins out of six races to date in the 2012 campaign and he is ready for the Challenge of the 5.9km Slovakia Ring.
“Marrakech has been a terrific weekend for the team and for me also, but that’s now behind us and we need to focus on the next stop,” explains the triple Champion. “That is Slovakia, and there is not much I can say, because, like everybody else, I have never been there and know nothing about the track.
“In general, when we have to go to new tracks, I don’t get crazy trying to retrieve information. I prefer to see by myself once I get there. I must say I generally love to go to a new track and visit a new country, so I definitely look forward to it.”
Sitting second in the Championship after the African adventure is Swiss driver Alain Menu. Menu is the only other driver to have secured a victory this season – having secured the honours in the second Valencia race and the first race on the streets of Marrakech.
“I am quite happy with my start of the season and I am determined to continue the string of positive results,” added the #8 Chevrolet Cruze driver. “Slovakiaring, as any first-time circuit for everybody, should put all drivers on an equal foot, and that will be interesting. The fact that there won’t be a Friday testing session also means there won’t be much time to discover the circuit and find a set-up before qualifying.”
Third in the drivers’ Championship after Marrakech is Rob Huff and the 2011 Vice Champion is yet to open his account for the season.
“Slovakiaring will be a new track and a new challenge,” added the British driver. “As we speak, I am in front of my PC watching some on-board footage of the circuit. It looks like a mix of Brno and Valencia, has a couple of very fast long corners and also a couple of very slow ones, so finding the right balance doesn’t seem granted.
“I have been checking the weather forecasts as well, and with instable weather all over Europe in this period, that may play a role too. But it’s exciting to go to a new place and I hope that we will continue on the successful trend we are currently on.”
The team lead the Manufacturers’ Championship by over 100 points from their closest rival, BMW Customer Racing Teams’, and for Eric Neve, the trip to Slovakia and Hungary the following weekend gives the team and Manufacturer a chance to race in an area where Chevrolet is popular.
“We are really excited to be in Slovakia and discover this new circuit,” explains Neve. “The reports that we get say that there is a tremendous expectation for this WTCC round and this does not surprise us.
“Touring car racing enjoys a growing popularity in Central European countries, as we have seen year after year in Brno and Budapest. We expect significant crowds to show up on Saturday and Sunday, not only from Slovakia but also from neighboring countries. With the following round taking place in Budapest the week after, fans will actually have a double opportunity to enjoy the WTCC experience.
“These are also markets where Chevrolet is very popular, so we expect a lot of dealers, friends and customers to support us warmly and we look forward to reward them with great results!”