Stefano D’Aste competed in the 2012 World Touring Car Championship at the wheel of the Wiechers-Sport BMW 320TC, and the season proved to be a good one for the Italian.
Speaking to TouringCars.net, D’Aste looks back over the 2012 World Touring Car Championship, what his highlights were and what circuit he enjoyed racing on out of the four new circuits on the 2012 calendar.
D’Aste has spent his WTCC career racing for two different teams, and for 2012 he returned to Wiechers-Sport, the team which he drove for when he secured the 2007 Yokohama Independents’ title.
Speaking about his return to the Nienburg-based Wiechers-Sport team, he explained: “Was great, I was really happy, and more happy when they accepted my request about Marco Calovolo as engineer, one of the key of our results. The first key was Dominik Greiner that gave me support in this decision and during all the season.”
The 2012 campaign was a breakthrough campaign for D’Aste, as he secured his first outright victory during the second race in Austria. It wasn’t the first time that D’Aste had taken the flag first, as he secured victory at Spa in 2005 before being demoted to second due to cutting the bus stop chicane to take the lead – in avoidance of an accident ahead.
Speaking about the Salzburgring result, D’Aste said: “In the first moment I didn’t understand it was finished, when I realized it was fantastic, everybody were very happy and the feeling was great, in that moment you feel yourself like a Super Man.”
D’Aste finished the season with two victories; his second coming from the reverse grid Pole Position at Suzuka, a race which saw him lead for the entire race distance.
“Suzuka for sure, it was the first time for me there, I didn’t know the track and in the first practice we were 23 overall, then Calovolo told me don’t worry you will need time to understand the rhythm of the track and you will be quick, keep your mind concentrate on the car and setting and you will be quick,” explained the Italian about the practice sessions in Japan.
“When in the warm up we did the Pole position I understood that we were very quick and I thought that Marco Calovolo is the best engineer of the world. Naturally it was possible thanks to the job done by all the team.
“23 laps in front of overall are not easy and Seat were very very quick. After 10 laps when I saw there so close I thought how they could resist so long, but after sixteen laps I kept pushing and the gap was bigger. Stay in front and then win with margin is GREAT!” added a buzzing D’Aste.
The 2012 World Touring Car Championship made its debut at four different circuits; two in Europe and two overseas. One event stood out for D’Aste, as he explains: “Sonoma for sure, track is great and very nice, the place is FANTASTIC, people and weather too.”
The maiden WTCC race of the USA at Sonoma Raceway also gave D’Aste one of the races he enjoyed during the 2012 campaign, despite the result. With the result taken into consideration, he enjoyed the Suzuka weekend.
“If I consider place and circuit I say Sonoma, if I consider the result Suzuka; but Sonoma could be another win overall if Bennani didn’t crash in my back at corner 7,” added the #26 BMW 320TC driver.
Looking back over the 2012 campaign, D’Aste finished seventh overall in the overall drivers’ Championship with a further two podium finishes alongside his two race victories. He finished third in the Yokohama Independents’ category with seven wins.
“A great season, probably the best of my career, I didn’t win but I have the most wins overall after Chevy drivers and the most wins in the Independents,” sums up the Italian of his campaign.
Looking ahead to the 2013 campaign, what does D’Aste have lined up?
“I don’t know I’m still working on it, I think that the situation will be more clear in the next few weeks,” concludes D’Aste.
[…] Nothing has been confirmed for D’Aste in 2013 yet – D’Aste has reviewed his season for TCN which can be read here. […]