Chevrolet heads into the final part of the 2012 World Touring Car Championship looking to further extend its advantage in both the drivers’ and Manufacturers’ championships.
The visit to Curitiba for the eighth round of the season sees the RML run Chevrolet Cruze return to where they made their competitive WTCC debut, back in 2009. The visit to Brazil comes at an unusual point in the season; traditionally the Brazilian round has opened the season in the Brazilian summer while the circuit hosts the eighth round of the season, in the Brazilian winter.
The break between the Portimao event and the Curitiba event has given current Championship leader Yvan Muller the chance to race in a couple of different series.
“I have been quite busy in recent days, having taken part to the French round of the Euro Racer, the European version of the NASCAR, at the oval track in Tours and to the Le Mans Classic,” explained Muller.
“Two great experiences that cannot be compared; unfortunately happening on the same weekend, which forced me to do some travelling between the two cities. The Euro Racer, with a 600-hp Camaro, was fun although it’s really stock-car racing, with a lot of contact, while the Le Mans Classic with a superb Corvette of the late 60s, was quieter. In both cases, I took third, which is not bad.”
Looking ahead to the resumption of the WTCC campaign, Muller is looking forward to the weekend and the cooler temperatures. He arrives sitting on top of the standings with six victories and an 18 point gap over his nearest rival.
“Now it is time to focus again on the WTCC, after the long break. Curitiba is a nice track, and the good thing is that this year we can expect cooler weather and therefore no particular issues with tire consumption. My approach for this final part of the season hasn’t changed: to do as well as possible and take as many points as possible; the championship is still long…,” concluded the Frenchman.
Second in the Championship is 2011 runner up Rob Huff. The British driver took his first win of the season at Curitiba in 2011 and he arrives trailing Muller in the standings. He is looking forward to the weekend and the challenges the circuit presents.
“It’s always a great pleasure to go to Curitiba. It’s a fantastic track and a fantastic city, there is always big crowds and a terrific atmosphere,” explains the #2 Cruze driver. “The circuit is really quite technical, not easy at all as you have a succession of corners of varying radius, all quite fast and with a lot of lateral force.
“It’s difficult to find the right set up balance there, as the car tends to oversteer in some places and understeer in others. On top, it is quite bumpy, which doesn’t make things easier, especially in the first braking and in the last corner before the straight, which is where most accidents take place,” added Huff.
Alain Menu arrives in Brazil having taken the final European victory of the 2012 campaign last time out in Portugal, his third of the season. He trails Muller by 35 points heading into the final part of the Championship.
“I like Curitiba and I am happy to go back there, hoping to repeat last year’s win,” added the Swiss driver. “The track is quite technical and with different sections it is not always easy to find the right balance there. This said, the Cruze should be competitive again and it will be interesting to see how everybody will be after the long break.
“This year’s calendar is quite peculiar, with two long breaks right in the middle of the season. It is something that may have an impact, as the normal rhythm is somehow broken. I hope to re-adjust quickly, as I have to reduce the point’s gap with respect to Yvan and Rob. That will be my objective,” concluded Menu.