2012 FIA WTCC Race of China

The 2012 FIA WTCC Race of China was the penultimate round of the 2012 World Touring Car Championship season and the second running of the FIA WTCC Race of China. It was held on 4 November 2012 at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China for the first time, as the previous year's race was held at the nearby Shanghai Tianma Circuit. Both races were won by Chevrolet with Alain Menu winning race one and Robert Huff winning race two.

2012 Race of China
Race details
Date4 November, 2012
LocationShanghai, China
CourseShanghai International Circuit
4.603 kilometres (2.860 mi)
Race One
Laps 13
Pole position
Driver Alain Menu Chevrolet
Time 1:54.383
Podium
First Alain Menu Chevrolet
Second Robert Huff Chevrolet
Third Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport
Fastest Lap
Driver Alain Menu Chevrolet
Time 1:54.947
Race Two
Laps 13
Podium
First Robert Huff Chevrolet
Second Alain Menu Chevrolet
Third Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport
Fastest Lap
Driver Robert Huff Chevrolet
Time 1:55.546

Background

Following the previous round in Japan, Yvan Muller and Robert Huff were tied at the top of the drivers' championship on 345 points. Norbert Michelisz was leading the Yokohama Independents' Trophy.

Macanese driver Alex Liu joined Liqui Moly Team Engstler to drive their naturally aspirated BMW 320si.[1] Tom Boardman was the only entry for Special Tuning Racing after the team were unable to find a driver for their second car.[2] 2009 British Touring Car Championship champion Colin Turkington returned to the WTCC with Team Aviva-Cofco who were running a Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T.[3] French SEAT León Supercopa driver Hugo Valente would drive for SUNRED Engineering in a SUNRED SR León 1.6T[4] while Fredy Barth returned to the championship to drive a latest specification SEAT León WTCC for SUNRED under the SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED banner.[5] Son Veng Racing Team entered a Honda Accord Euro R for Kelvin Leong[6] and Look Fong Racing Team ran a naturally aspirated Chevrolet Cruze LT for Eric Kwong.[7] China Dragon Racing entered a Chevrolet Lacetti for Felipe De Souza and a Chevrolet Cruze LT for Kin Veng Ng.[5]

Report

Free Practice

Alex MacDowall set the fastest time in Friday testing ahead of the works Chevrolet drivers. Turkington set the fifth fastest time on his return to racing, his first time in a front wheel drive car since 2006. Alain Menu could only manage a time that could only get him up to eleventh.[8]

It was Turkington who was quickest in Saturday's first free practice session in the Team Aviva-Cofco Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, he set the time early and it went unbeaten for the rest of the 30-minute session. Pepe Oriola brought out the red flag two minutes before the end of the session when he stopped his car on the start-finish straight; fellow SEAT driver Fredy Barth was unable to run in the session.[9]

Menu was on top in free practice two in his Chevrolet, the works trio having spent the session swapping fastest times. Independents' leader Michelisz was fifth fastest, Turkington was eighth after topping the first session and Tiago Monteiro was fifteenth in the Honda Racing Team JAS Honda Civic.[10]

Qualifying

Menu claimed his third consecutive pole position of the year, with title rivals Muller second and Huff fourth. Michelisz was the leading independent driver in third. Turkington was fifth on his return to the WTCC, putting ahead of the works Chevrolet trio for race two. A set up change for Gabriele Tarquini in Q2 put him only ninth fastest but with the benefit of a front row start in race two. Barth was 12th on his return, while Monteiro could only manage 17th in the second event for the Honda Civic. James Nash was the quickest of the Team Aon pair in 15th, with teammate Tom Chilton down in 22nd ahead of series debutant Hugo Valente.[11] Liu failed to set a time within the 107% time in his naturally aspirated BMW 320si but was later allowed to race by the stewards.[12]

Warm-Up

Huff led a Chevrolet 1–2–3 in the Sunday morning warm up ahead of Muller and Turkington. Independents' points leader Michelisz was fourth and pole sitter Menu was fifth. Liu beached his BMW 320si in the gravel with five minutes to go.[13]

Race One

Menu completed a lights to flag victory ahead of Huff but teammate and championship leader Muller retired on the first lap with broken rear suspension. The breakage came in a second corner incident which also saw MacDowall, Turkington, Oriola, Darryl O'Young and Tom Coronel involved in a pile up. Michelisz was issued with a drive through penalty on lap five at a time when there was plenty of action in the midfield. Turkington had dropped to the back of the field on the opening lap but by the end of the race had climbed back up to eighth. Second place for Huff and a non-finish for Muller handed Huff the championship lead.[14] After the race, Valente, Nash, Boardman, Monteiro and Barth were issued with 30-second time penalties for missing the chicane to avoid a pileup, dropping the latter three out of the points. Charles Ng picked up his first point of the season as a result.[15]

Race Two

Coronel led away from the start with D'Aste jumping up to second after a slow start for Tarquini. The drivers' door on the Wiechers-Sport car of D'Aste was hanging loose and on the third lap he was an easy target for the Chevrolet trio led by Menu, Coronel was passed a lap later. Turkington was once again fighting back from near the back and he was back up to tenth by lap 6 at the expense of Alberto Cerqui. Menu was leading until the start of lap 8 when Muller out-braked himself and the pair tangled, half-spinning Menu and allowing Huff to pass both of them to take the lead. Muller was second until he was passed by Menu a lap later, the pair swapped places again on lap 11 at the final hairpin. Huff won the race ahead of Muller and Menu with D'Aste the independent winner in sixth. Turkington had climbed up to eighth by the finish.[16] Muller was given a retrospective drive through penalty after the race, dropping him to 13th in the classification.[17]

Results

Qualifying

Pos. No. Name Team Car C Q1 Q2 Points
1 8 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:54.775 1:54.383 5
2 1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:55.032 1:54.409 4
3 5 Norbert Michelisz Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 1:55.243 1:54.523 3
4 2 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:54.491 1:54.582 2
5 32 Colin Turkington Team Aviva-Cofco Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1:55.018 1:54.777 1
6 26 Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TC Y 1:55.586 1:55.142
7 74 Pepe Oriola Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 1:55.475 1:55.325
8 11 Alex MacDowall bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 1:55.467 1:55.378
9 3 Gabriele Tarquini Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC 1:55.266 1:55.451
10 15 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC 1:55.246 1:55.720
11 4 Aleksei Dudukalo Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 1:55.486 1:55.840
12 73 Fredy Barth SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED SEAT León WTCC Y 1:55.525 1:56.296
13 25 Mehdi Bennani Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC Y 1:55.616
14 20 Darryl O'Young bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 1:55.637
15 14 James Nash Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 1:55.658
16 88 Fernando Monje Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 1:55.734
17 18 Tiago Monteiro Honda Racing Team JAS Honda Civic S2000 TC 1:55.742
18 7 Charles Ng Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 1:55.851
19 16 Alberto Cerqui ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 1:55.973
20 22 Tom Boardman Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 1:56.012
21 6 Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 1:56.577
22 23 Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 1:56.904
23 60 Hugo Valente SUNRED Engineering SR León 1.6T Y 1:57.947
24 54 Eric Kwong Look Fong Racing Team Chevrolet Cruze LT Y 1:59.352
25 53 Kelvin Leong Son Veng Racing Team Honda Accord Euro R Y 2:00.864
26 51 Kin Veng Ng China Dragon Racing Chevrolet Cruze LT Y 2:00.969
27 50 Felipe De Souza China Dragon Racing Chevrolet Lacetti Y 2:01.059
107% time: 2:02.505
76 Alex Liu Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 2:04.374
  • Bold denotes Pole position for second race.

Race 1

Pos. No. Name Team Car C Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 8 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 25:12.369 1 25
2 2 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 +1.500 4 18
3 26 Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TC Y 13 +11.192 6 15
4 15 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC 13 +13.327 10 12
5 3 Gabriele Tarquini Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC 13 +15.653 9 10
6 32 Colin Turkington Team Aviva-Cofco Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 +30.125 5 8
7 16 Alberto Cerqui ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 13 +31.463 19 6
8 25 Mehdi Bennani Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC Y 13 +40.183 13 4
9 6 Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 13 +40.320 21 2
10 7 Charles Ng Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 13 +44.499 18 1
11 23 Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 13 +46.076 22
12 22 Tom Boardman Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 13 +56.382 20
13 18 Tiago Monteiro Honda Racing Team JAS Honda Civic S2000 TC 13 +1:00.032 17
14 73 Fredy Barth SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED SEAT León WTCC Y 13 +1:06.426 12
15 5 Norbert Michelisz Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 13 +1:07.550 3
16 60 Hugo Valente SUNRED Engineering SR León 1.6T Y 13 +1:17.406 23
17 53 Kelvin Leong Son Veng Racing Team Honda Accord Euro R Y 13 +1:21.551 25
18 54 Eric Kwong Look Fong Racing Team Chevrolet Cruze LT Y 13 +1:25.129 24
19 50 Felipe De Souza China Dragon Racing Chevrolet Lacetti Y 13 +1:27.186 27
20 51 Kin Veng Ng China Dragon Racing Chevrolet Cruze LT Y 13 +1:37.603 26
21 76 Alex Liu Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 12 +1 Lap 28
22 74 Pepe Oriola Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 9 +4 Laps 7
Ret 88 Fernando Monje Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 8 Race incident 16
Ret 14 James Nash Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 7 Engine 15
Ret 20 Darryl O'Young bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 6 Race Incident 14
NC 4 Aleksei Dudukalo Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 6 +7 Laps 11
NC 11 Alex MacDowall bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 4 +9 Laps 8
Ret 1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 1 Race incident 2
  • Bold denotes Fastest lap.

Race 2

Pos. No. Name Team Car C Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 2 Robert Huff Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 25:17.714 7 25
2 8 Alain Menu Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 +2.698 10 18
3 15 Tom Coronel ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC 13 +4.378 1 15
4 26 Stefano D'Aste Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TC Y 13 +4.866 5 12
5 25 Mehdi Bennani Proteam Racing BMW 320 TC Y 13 +5.574 13 10
6 3 Gabriele Tarquini Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC 13 +20.406 2 8
7 32 Colin Turkington Team Aviva-Cofco Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 +25.189 6 6
8 22 Tom Boardman Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 13 +26.741 20 4
9 16 Alberto Cerqui ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 13 +27.167 19 2
10 18 Tiago Monteiro Honda Racing Team JAS Honda Civic S2000 TC 13 +27.342 17 1
11 4 Aleksei Dudukalo Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 13 +28.113 11
12 20 Darryl O'Young bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 13 +30.937 14
13 1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T 13 +31.195 9
14 73 Fredy Barth SEAT Swiss Racing by SUNRED SEAT León WTCC Y 13 +32.626 12
15 6 Franz Engstler Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 13 +35.170 21
16 88 Fernando Monje Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 13 +35.249 16
17 11 Alex MacDowall bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T Y 13 +35.368 3
18 60 Hugo Valente SUNRED Engineering SR León 1.6T Y 13 +41.675 23
19 23 Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 13 +42.220 22
20 54 Eric Kwong Look Fong Racing Team Chevrolet Cruze LT Y 13 +1:15.910 24
21 50 Felipe De Souza China Dragon Racing Chevrolet Lacetti Y 13 +1:21.126 27
22 51 Kin Veng Ng China Dragon Racing Chevrolet Cruze LT Y 13 +1:34.329 26
23 7 Charles Ng Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC Y 12 +1 Lap 18
24 5 Norbert Michelisz Zengő Motorsport BMW 320 TC Y 12 +1 Lap 8
25 76 Alex Liu Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si Y 11 +2 Laps 28
Ret 53 Kelvin Leong Son Veng Racing Team Honda Accord Euro R Y 7 Technical 25
Ret 74 Pepe Oriola Tuenti Racing SEAT León WTCC Y 6 Technical 4
Ret 14 James Nash Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC 0 Engine 15
  • Bold denotes Fastest lap.

Standings after the round

  • Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of drivers' standings.

References

  1. Hudson, Neil (24 October 2012). "Liu Lic Ka to drive for Engstler at Shanghai". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  2. Hudson, Neil (26 October 2012). "STR to run one car for Tom Boardman at Shanghai". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  3. Mills, Peter (26 October 2012). "Colin Turkington returns to World Touring Cars with WSR Chevrolet". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  4. "HUGO VALENTE WITH SUNRED IN CHINA". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  5. "FIA WTCC – Guia Race of Macau – Presented by SJM Provisional Entry List". Macau Grand Prix. Macau Grand Prix Committee. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  6. "LEONG IAN VENG TO RACE IN CHINA". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  7. "HONG KONG CHAMPION TO RACE IN CHINA". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  8. Abbott, Andrew (2 November 2012). "MacDowall fastest in Shanghai test". Touring-Cars.net. Andrew Abbott. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  9. Hudson, Neil (3 November 2012). "Colin Turkington fastest in Free Practice 1 at Shanghai". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  10. Mills, Peter (3 November 2012). "Alain Menu heads Chevrolet clean-sweep in FP2". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  11. Hudson, Neil (3 November 2012). "Menu claims Shanghai pole position ahead of Muller". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  12. Hudson, Neil (3 November 2012). "Alex Liu granted permission to start from outside 107%". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  13. Hudson, Neil (4 November 2012). "Rob Huff leads the way in Shanghai warm-up". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  14. "RACE 1 – MENU-HUFF 1 AND 2, MULLER IS OFF". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 4 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  15. Mills, Peter (4 November 2012). "Yvan Muller stripped of podium after Menu collision". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  16. "RACE 2 – HUFF LEADS A CHEVROLET 1–2–3". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 4 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  17. "YVAN MULLER DROPPED OUT OF THE POINTS". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 4 November 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2012.


World Touring Car Championship
Previous race:
2012 FIA WTCC Race of Japan
2012 World Touring Car Championship season Next race:
2012 Guia Race of Macau
Previous race:
2011 FIA WTCC Race of China
FIA WTCC Race of China Next race:
2013 FIA WTCC Race of China
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