2007 World Touring Car Championship

2007 World Touring Car Championship
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The 2007 World Touring Car Championship season was the 4th season of FIA World Touring Car Championship motor racing. The championship, which commenced on 11 March and ended on 18 November, after twenty-two races, was open to Super 2000 Cars, Diesel 2000 Cars and Super Production Cars ^[1] as defined by the relevant FIA regulations. The Drivers' Championship was won by Andy Priaulx and the Manufacturers' Championship by BMW.^[2]

Teams and drivers

Andy Priaulx (BMW), Yvan Muller (SEAT) and Jörg Müller (BMW) in Curitiba. Yvan Muller challenged double-champion Priaulx in the last stage of the season, but Priaulx won the Drivers' Championship again at the final round in Macau.

Yvan Muller (SEAT Leon) placed second in the Drivers' Championship

James Thompson (Alfa Romeo 156) placed third in the Drivers' Championship

Alain Menu (Chevrolet Lacetti) placed sixth in the Drivers' Championship

The following teams and drivers contested the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship.^[3]

Team Car No. Drivers Class Rounds BMW Team UK BMW 320si 1 Andy Priaulx All 14 Fredrik Ekblom 7, 10–11 BMW Team Germany BMW 320si 2 Jörg Müller All 3 Augusto Farfus All BMW Team Italy-Spain BMW 320si 4 Alessandro Zanardi All 5 Félix Porteiro All Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Lacetti 6 Robert Huff All 7 Nicola Larini All 8 Alain Menu All 88 Rickard Rydell 7 SEAT Sport SEAT León[N 1] 9 Jordi Gené All 10 Michel Jourdain, Jr. 1–10 11 Gabriele Tarquini All 12 Yvan Muller All 18 Tiago Monteiro 2–11 38 Oscar Nogués 10 40 Peter Terting 8 88 Rickard Rydell 11 N.technology Alfa Romeo 156 15 James Thompson All 16 Olivier Tielemans 1–10 66 André Couto 11 Honda Dealer Team Sweden Honda Accord Euro R 17 Tomas Engström I 10 SEAT Sport Italia SEAT León 19 Roberto Colciago I 2–3, 6–10 34 Massimiliano Pedalà I 3, 5, 8–9 GR Asia SEAT León 20 Tom Coronel All 21 Emmet O'Brien I 1–6 22 Maurizio Ceresoli I 3–11 35 Timur Sadredinov I 8 45 Sergey Krylov I 9 Exagon Engineering SEAT León 23 Pierre-Yves Corthals I All 24 Anthony Beltoise I 4 77 Luís Pedro Magalhães I 6 Team AVIVA Team RAC/AVIVA BMW 320si 25 Duncan Huisman 11 27 Colin Turkington * 9, 11 Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 26 Stefano D'Aste I All Elgh Motorsport BMW 320si 28 Carl Rosenblad I 7, 11 Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si 30 Luca Rangoni I All 31 Sergio Hernández I 1, 3–4, 6–11 32 Davide Roda I 5 Racing for Belgium Alfa Romeo 156 33 Miguel Freitas I 2–6, 10–11 Maurer Motorsport Chevrolet Lacetti 36 María de Villota I 3 TFS-Yaco Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 37 Philip Geipel * 5 Engstler Motorsport BMW 320i 43 Franz Engstler I 11 44 Andrey Romanov I 11 46 David Louie * 11 Russian Bears Motorsport BMW 320i 50 Lev Fridman I 2–3 51 Evgeny Zelenov I 2 52 Viktor Shapovalov I 2–3 Golden Motors Honda Accord Euro R 54 Alexander Lvov I 7 55 Andrey Smetsky I 7 Polestar Racing Volvo S60 Flexifuel 60 Robert Dahlgren * 7 Ao's Racing Team BMW 320i 62 Ao Chi Hong I 11 Avtodom Racing BMW 320i 63 Henry Lee Jr. I 11

Icon Class I Independents' Trophy * Not eligible to score points

Driver changes

Changed Teams

• Augusto Farfus: N-Technology → BMW Team Germany
• James Thompson: SEAT Sport → N-Technology
• Emmet O'Brien: Wiechers-Sport → GR Asia
• Pierre-Yves Corthals: Jas Motorsport → Exagon Engineering
• Stefano D'Aste: Proteam Motorsport → Wiechers-Sport

Entering WTCC including those who entered one-off rounds in 2006

• Félix Porteiro: GP2 Series → BMW Team Italy-Spain
• Michel Jourdain, Jr.: NASCAR Craftman Truck Series → SEAT Sport
• Tiago Monteiro: Formula 1 → SEAT Sport
• Olivier Tielemans: DTM → N-Technology
• Roberto Colciago: Italian Superturismo Championship → SEAT Sport Italia
• Sergio Hernández: GP2 Series → Scuderia Proteam Motorsport
• Miguel Freitas: Eurocup Mégane Trophy → Racing for Belgium

Leaving WTCC

• Peter Terting: SEAT Sport → International GT Open
• Duncan Huisman: BMW Team Italy-Spain → No full-time drive
• Gianni Morbidelli: N-Technology → Superstars Series
• Salvatore Tavano: N-Technology → Le Mans Series
• Ryan Sharp: Jas Motorsport → FIA GT Championship
• Diego Romanini: Wiechers-Sport → Eurocup Mégane Trophy
• Dirk Müller: BMW Team Germany → FIA GT Championship

Calendar

Four circuits (Zandvoort, Pau, Porto and Anderstorp) newly joined the category.
Image: an advertisement for the race at Zandvoort, one of them, by the car of Tom Coronel at the opening races in Curitiba.

A provisional calendar was released on 15 January 2007.. On 27 February 2007, the FIA announced that the 13th and 14th races of the series originally scheduled to be run in Istanbul would instead take place at the Anderstorp circuit.

Each race weekend featured two races of 50 kilometres each (similar to Superbike World Championship race format). If the safety car was deployed during a race, the first two laps under it were not counted towards the race distance.

The starting grid order for the first race of each weekend was determined by the results of qualifying and the race began with a rolling start. The second race grid order was determined by the results of the first race with the top eight positions reversed. The second race began with a standing start.

Round		Race Name	Track	Date
1	R1	HSBC Race of Brazil	Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba	11 March
	R2
2	R3	Courtyard Race of the Netherlands	Circuit Park Zandvoort	6 May
	R4
3	R5	Stihl Race of Spain	Circuit Ricardo Tormo	20 May
	R6
4	R7	Beru Race of France	Circuit de Pau Ville	3 June
	R8
5	R9	Race of the Czech Republic	Masaryk Circuit	17 June
	R10
6	R11	Race of Portugal	Circuito da Boavista	8 July
	R12
7	R13	Race of Sweden	Scandinavian Raceway	29 July
	R14
8	R15	Beru Race of Germany	Motorsport Arena Oschersleben	26 August
	R16
9	R17	Courtyard Race of UK	Brands Hatch	21 September
	R18
10	R19	Courtyard Race of Italy	Autodromo Nazionale Monza	5 October
	R20
11	R21	Monroe Race of Macau	Guia Circuit	16 November
	R22

Results and standings

Races

Race	Race Name	Pole Position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning team	Winning independent	Report
1	Race of Brazil	Jörg Müller	Jörg Müller	Jörg Müller	BMW Team Germany	Pierre-Yves Corthals	Report
2			Jörg Müller	Augusto Farfus	BMW Team Germany	Luca Rangoni
3	Race of the Netherlands	Alain Menu	Luca Rangoni	Alain Menu	Chevrolet	Luca Rangoni	Report
4			Gabriele Tarquini	Gabriele Tarquini	SEAT Sport	Luca Rangoni
5	Race of Spain	James Thompson	James Thompson	James Thompson	N.Technology	Luca Rangoni	Report
6			Robert Huff	James Thompson	N.Technology	Luca Rangoni
7	Race of France	Alain Menu	Alain Menu	Alain Menu	Chevrolet	Stefano D'Aste	Report
8			Augusto Farfus	Augusto Farfus	BMW Team Germany	Pierre-Yves Corthals
9	Race of the Czech Republic	Félix Porteiro	Augusto Farfus	Félix Porteiro	BMW Team Italy-Spain	Massimiliano Pedalà	Report
10			Alessandro Zanardi	Jörg Müller	BMW Team Germany	Stefano D'Aste
11	Race of Portugal	Alain Menu	Robert Huff	Alain Menu	Chevrolet	Stefano D'Aste	Report
12			Jörg Müller	Andy Priaulx	BMW Team UK	Pierre-Yves Corthals
13	Race of Sweden	Tiago Monteiro	Alain Menu	Robert Huff	Chevrolet	Luca Rangoni	Report
14			Alessandro Zanardi	Rickard Rydell	Chevrolet	Roberto Colciago
15	Race of Germany	Gabriele Tarquini	Roberto Colciago	Yvan Muller	SEAT Sport	Roberto Colciago	Report
16			James Thompson	Augusto Farfus	BMW Team Germany	Massimiliano Pedalà
17	Race of UK	Alain Menu	Yvan Muller	Alain Menu	Chevrolet	Pierre-Yves Corthals	Report
18			Colin Turkington	Andy Priaulx	BMW Team UK	Pierre-Yves Corthals
19	Race of Italy	Yvan Muller	Jordi Gené	Yvan Muller	SEAT Sport	Luca Rangoni	Report
20			James Thompson	Jordi Gené	SEAT Sport	Roberto Colciago
21	Guia Race of Macau	Alain Menu	Gabriele Tarquini	Alain Menu	Chevrolet	Luca Rangoni	Report
22			Gabriele Tarquini	Andy Priaulx	BMW Team UK	Luca Rangoni

Standings

Drivers' Championship

Pos Driver BRA NED ESP FRA CZE POR SWE GER UK ITA MAC  Pts  1 Andy Priaulx 2 2 8 5 5 3 6 2 Ret 7 7 1 11 13 5 2 7* 1 NC Ret 8 1 92 2 Yvan Muller 8 4 NC 12 3 4 2 6 6 DNS 5 5 6 Ret 1 5 4* 5* 1 5 27† DNS 81 3 James Thompson Ret 11 13 19 1 1 10 7 9 5 10 10 3 5 3 4 2 8* 3 3 5 3 79 4 Augusto Farfus Jr. 3 1 5 2 22† 10 7 1 4 2 9 6 16 9* 7 1 11 Ret 7 Ret 26† DNS 71 5 Nicola Larini Ret 10 2 4 2 5 Ret 11 5 6 3 20† 7 2 Ret 21 Ret 12 4 2 7 2 71 6 Alain Menu Ret Ret 1 Ret 9 14 1 8 8 Ret 1 3 8 3 NC 10 1 Ret 5 Ret 1 21† 69 7 Jörg Müller 1 3 10 3 8 2 11 10 2 1 8 2 15 10 4 Ret 14 7* 16 14 13 20† 66 8 Gabriele Tarquini 4 5 7 1 Ret 24† 19 12 7 4 4 7 5 7 2 7 10 Ret 6 Ret 2 14 62 9 Robert Huff 5 Ret Ret 13 Ret 13 4 4 20 NC 2 11 1 11 11 6 6* 3 8 4 3 Ret 57 10 Jordi Gené 9 12 9 10 4 6 8 5 15 8 14 21† 18 24 6 3 5* 6* 2 1 4 22† 55 11 Tiago Monteiro 4 9 Ret 12 3 3 13 9 15 13 2 6 10 8 21 11 Ret 8 6 4 38 12 Félix Porteiro Ret Ret 11 8 Ret 19 5 Ret 1 3 17 18 14 16 Ret 20 9* 2 18 Ret 12 7 32 13 Tom Coronel 6 8 Ret 14 21 25† 9 Ret Ret 11 6 4 4 4 Ret 12 13 9* 9 7 15 5 29 14 Luca Rangoni Ret 7 3 6 7 7 Ret 17 18 Ret 20 12 17 20 16 18 16 21† 10 DNS 17 10 15 15 Alessandro Zanardi 7 6 12 11 Ret DNS Ret 9 3 20 16 15 20 15 Ret 15 15 Ret 13 6 10 Ret 14 16 Rickard Rydell 9 1 11 6 13 17 Roberto Colciago WD WD 6 7 Ret Ret DNS DNS Ret DNS 19 18 8 14 12 15 22† 9 6 18 Michel Jourdain 12 15 15 16 6 9 12 Ret 11 13 12 9 Ret 12 12 9 19 13 14 13 3 19 Pierre-Yves Corthals 10 9 14 15 13 16 18 13 12 15 13 8 22 23 Ret DNS 8* 10 DSQ DSQ Ret 13 3 20 Sergio Hernández 14 Ret 10 8 14 Ret Ret DNS Ret 22 14 17 18 16 19 17 21 15 1 = Fredrik Ekblom 12 14 11 12 16 9* 1 NC Olivier Tielemans Ret 14 16 17 14 11 Ret 16 19 16 Ret DNS 13 21 9 Ret 20 14 Ret 11 0 NC Duncan Huisman 9 11 0 NC Stefano D'Aste 11 13 17 18 12 18 13 Ret 14 10 11 14 21 19 17 13 17 17 21 10 18 12 0 NC Massimiliano Pedalà 11 15 10 12 Ret 11 NC 18 0 NC Oscar Nogués 12 DNS 0 NC Emmet O'Brien 13 Ret 18 20 17 17 17 Ret 16 17 Ret 19 0 NC Timur Sadredinov 13 19 0 NC Maurizio Ceresoli 15 23 Ret 15 17 14 18 16 23 25 15 16 Ret 19 17 Ret 22 18 0 NC Anthony Beltoise 15 14 0 NC Miguel Freitas Ret 21 16 Ret 16 Ret 21 18 19 Ret DNS DNS 20 15 23 19 0 NC Tomas Engström 15 16 0 NC Franz Engstler 19 16 0 NC Carl Rosenblad 25 17 20 17 0 NC Luís Pedro Magalhães 21 17 0 NC María de Villota 18 20 0 NC Viktor Shapovalov 19 23 20 21 0 NC Lev Fridman 20 22 19 22 0 NC Sergey Krylov Ret 20 0 NC Davide Roda 23 21† 0 NC Evgeny Zelenov 21 24 0 NC Peter Terting Ret 22† 0 NC Alexander Lvov 24 26 0 NC Andrey Romanov 24 Ret 0 NC Andrey Smetsky 26 27 0 NC Henry Lee Jr. Ret DNS 0 NC André Couto DNS DNS – NC Ao Chi Hong WD WD – guest drivers ineligible for points NC Colin Turkington 3* 4* 14 8* * NC Robert Dahlgren 10 8* * NC Phillip Geipel 22 19 * NC David Louie 25 Ret * Pos Car BRA NED ESP FRA CZE POR SWE GER UK ITA MAC  Pts

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Excluded (EX) Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

† — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Point system: 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 for top eight finishers in each race.

Drivers with 0 points were not classified in official championship results.^[2]

* Phillip Geipel, Robert Dahlgren, Colin Turkington and David Louie were not eligible to score championship points. Thus, 9th-place finishers scored points in the Race 2 of Sweden, Race 1 & 2 of the United Kingdom and Race 2 of Macau.

Yokohama Independents' Trophy

Championship promoter KSO organised the Yokohama Independents’ Trophies within the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship.^[4]

Drivers were awarded points towards the Independents' Trophy in the first twenty rounds on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis for the first eight finishers of those entries which were classified as Independents.^[4] Points were awarded in the final two rounds on a 20-16-12-10-8-6-4-2 basis.^[4]

Pos	Driver	BRA		NED		ESP		FRA		CZE		POR		SWE		GER		UK		ITA		MAC		Pts
1	Stefano D'Aste	11	13	17	18	12	18	13	Ret	14	10	11	14	21	19	17	13	17	17	21	10	18	12	152
2	Luca Rangoni	Ret	7	3	6	7	7	Ret	17	18	Ret	20	12	17	20	16	18	16	21†	10	DNS	17	10	150
3	Pierre-Yves Corthals	10	9	14	15	13	16	18	13	12	15	13	8	22	23	Ret	DNS	8	10	DSQ	DSQ	Ret	13	124
4	Sergio Hernández	14	Ret			10	8	14	Ret			Ret	DNS	Ret	22	14	17	18	16	19	17	21	15	81
5	Roberto Colciago	WD	WD	6	7	Ret	Ret	DNS	DNS			Ret	DNS	19	18	8	14	12	15	22†	9			78
6	Maurizio Ceresoli					15	23	Ret	15	17	14	18	16	23	25	15	16	Ret	19	17	Ret	22	18	66
7	Massimiliano Pedalà					11	15			10	12					Ret	11	NC	18					44
8	Miguel Freitas			Ret	21	16	Ret	16	Ret	21	18	19	Ret			DNS	DNS			20	15	23	19	36
9	Emmet O'Brien	13	Ret	18	20	17	17	17	Ret	16	17	Ret	19											35
10	Franz Engstler																					19	16	20
11	Carl Rosenblad													25*	17*							20	17	16
12	Anthony Beltoise							15	14															14
13	Tomas Engström																			15	16			13
14	Timur Sadredinov															13	19							10
15	Luís Pedro Magalhães											21	17											7
16	Alexander Lvov													24	26									5
17	Viktor Shapovalov			19	23	20	21																	5
18	Lev Fridman			20	22	19	22																	4
19	Andrey Smetsky													26	27									3
20	Davide Roda									23	21†													3
21	Andrey Romanov																					24	Ret	2
22	Sergey Krylov																	Ret	20					2
23	María de Villota					18	20																	2
24	Evgeny Zelenov			21	24																			1
NC	Henry Lee Jr.																					Ret	DNS	0
NC	Ao Chi Hong																					WD	WD	–
Pos	Driver	BRA		NED		ESP		FRA		CZE		POR		SWE		GER		UK		ITA		MAC		Pts

• * Guest driver

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

The Yokohama Teams' Trophy was won by Proteam Motorsport.^[5]

Manufacturers' Championship

Pos	Manufacturer	Car	Wins	Points
1	BMW	BMW 320si	9	255
2	SEAT	SEAT León, SEAT León TDI	4	249
3	Chevrolet	Chevrolet Lacetti	7	218
4	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 156	2	124

Points were awarded on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis in each race but only to the top two placegetters from each manufacturer. All the other cars of that same manufacturer were considered invisible as far as scoring points was concerned.

Notes

1. The team used SEAT León TDI for Jordi Gené and Yvan Muller since round at Anderstorp, while Gabriele Tarquini switched to SEAT León TDI for two final rounds of the season.

References

1. 2007 WTCC Sporting Regulations Retrieved from fiawtcc.com via web.archive.org on 22 December 2014
2. Championship point standings Retrieved from www.fiawtcc.com via web.archive.org on 22 December 2014
3. 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship - Entry List Retrieved from www.fiawtcc.com via web.archive.org on 22 December 2014
4. Yokohama Independents' Trophies - Regulations Retrieved from fiawtcc.com via web.archive.org on 22 December 2014
5. Yokohama Teams' Trophy Retrieved from www.fiawtcc.com via web.archive.org on 22 December 2014

External links

• 2007 Season at www.fiawtcc.com via web.archive.org
• 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship at www.teamdan.com