RACE PREVIEW: FIA WTCC Race of China, 13-15 October 2017
FIA World Touring Car Championship 2017, Rounds 13 and 14 of 20

*Recently-opened venue provides exciting level playing field
*Title run-in is go with eight races over four weekends remaining
*Honda versus Volvo Polestar for manufacturer glory

The 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship fires back into life in China from 13-15 October when the all-new Ningbo International Speedpark stages the latest instalment of this wide-open and hugely exciting title chase.

With the summer break over and four race weekends remaining, the 2017 WTCC season is building up to a thrilling climax as seven drivers remain firmly in contention for the coveted FIA crown. They include Volvo Polestar pair Thed Björk and Nicky Catsburg, for whom the event takes on added significance: Chinese company Geely Automobile owns the Swedish manufacturer.

Located some 200 kilometres south of Shanghai, Ningbo – a major industrial hub and port – is the third city in China to host the WTCC since the championship first visited in 2011. The state-of-the-art track measures 4.015 kilometres in length and will mark unchartered territory for the WTCC pack, with the exception of Rob Huff, when Free Practice begins on the morning of Saturday 14 October. The 2012 WTCC champion will also contest the China Touring Car Championship races at the venue during the same weekend and will aim to capitalise on the extra track time on offer.

The decision to switch locations was born of the desire to find a made-to-measure touring car venue capable of delivering an even greater spectacle than before. Having sampled the layout on the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team’s simulator, Norbert Michelisz has identified a number of overtaking opportunities. “I’m expecting some really good racing,” he said. “You already have three places where it’s possible to overtake. And if you decide to go for a move the door opens for the one being attacked to fight. For me this is the key for good racing. At this circuit it’s possible to have this. The circuit is more technical than I expected. The layout seems quite straightforward but driving I have to tell you there are some really tricky parts.”

While Michelisz, currently third in the title chase, has spent recent weeks hard at work preparing for WTCC Race of China, his factory Honda team-mate and championship leader Tiago Monteiro has been recuperating following a testing a crash at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last month. The Portuguese, who holds a 12-point title advantage over Thed Björk, has spoken about the accident and his recovery. Click here for more information.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS
*While the battle to become FIA World Touring Car champion is wide open, the world championship for makes is also tightly poised with Honda just eight points ahead of Volvo Polestar.
*It’s also a close-run thing in the WTCC Trophy for independent racers with Mehdi Bennani, Tom Chilton and Rob Huff heading to China equal on points.
*In addition to the extensive pan-global TV coverage, WTCC Race of China will enjoy extensive live streaming in the country on Tencent, LeTV and PPTV in cooperation with XiaoMi and DouyuTV.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2017
*Factory teams from Honda and Volvo Polestar go up against leading privateer entrants.
*Revamped and compact calendar (10 events only to reduce costs) features return to iconic venues Monza and Macau, a new track in China, plus a mid-July date for WTCC Race of Argentina.
*More points are on offer to the top 10 in the Main Race as follows: 1=30 points; 2=23; 3=19; 4=16; 5=13; 6=10; 7=7; 8=4; 9=2; 10=1).
*WTCC MAC3, the Tour de France-inspired time trial, continues with two more points for winning.
*FIA World Rallycross-style ‘joker’ lap got its world premiere at WTCC Race of Portugal.
*Renewed social media push with several innovations coming during the season.
*Use of 360-degree camera to give viewer the impression they are in-car with the driver.

LATEST DRIVER NEWS
*Felipe De Souza makes his return to the WTCC in a third RC Motorsport entry. De Souza made his WTCC debut in 2011 and was a regular at the end-of-season Asia races. He’s yet to sample a top-of-the-range TC1 World Touring Car, introduced in 2014, although that will change at WTCC Race of China and again at WTCC JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan from 27-29 October.
*Having become the eighth different winner in this year’s WTCC with his maiden triumph in Argentina, Yann Ehrlachercompetes in China for the first time having spent the summer racing for his uncle Yvan Muller’s European Le Mans Series team. He partners American Kevin Gleason and the returning De Souza at RC Motorsport.
*Zsolt Dávid Szabó’s impressive WTCC debut in Argentina didn’t go unnoticed with the Hungarian set for the remainder of the season with Zengő Motorsport after the renowned talent-backing team rewarded 21-year-old’s potential. Dániel Nagy continues to drive the squad’s second Honda.
*Rob Huff has been keeping busy with outings in the British and China Touring Car Championships. He was a podium finisher in the former and a winner in the latter. The ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport driver also took part in the Goodwood Revival event in the UK.
*Thed Björk, Nicky Catsburg and Néstor Girolami took turns to support Prince Carl Philip of Sweden’s Swedish GT Championship bid during the summer with Polestar Cyan Racing, while Björk has returned to his karting roots to maintain his fitness.
*Sébastien Loeb Racing pair Mehdi Bennani and Tom Chilton have won in the WTCC in China, while their team-mate John Filippi started on the Opening Race pole in Shanghai last season.
*Meanwhile, the French squad has announced the addition of China’s best racing driver, Ma Qing Hua, to its WTCC Race of Macau line-up next month.
*Ryo Michigami is swapping steering wheel for microphone in his role as expert commentator on J SPORTS’ coverage of the Japanese Super GT series from Thailand this weekend.
*Esteban Guerrieri’s Argentine Súper TC2000 bid has taken in four races since his home round of the WTCC in mid-July. He’s currently P13 in the points.
*Tom Coronel has also enjoyed a busy summer of racing, taking in events in his native Netherlands and at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

HONDAS TO RUN HEAVY IN THE WTCC
Honda’s Civic WTCC will carry the maximum 80 kilograms of compensation weight when the FIA World Touring Car Championship resumes in China next week. Designed to equalise car performance in the WTCC, the FIA’s weight ruling uses a lap time-based calculation made following the last two events in Portugal and Argentina. It represents a 20-kilogram weight rise from the amount carried by the Japanese machines at WTCC Race of Argentina and could put Honda’s title chasing drivers at a disadvantage compared to their rivals from Polestar Cyan Racing. The Swedish make, which is battling Honda to win the coveted FIA World Touring Car Championship for Manufacturers, will also have more weight to contend with than in South America, albeit 10 kilograms less than Honda. But despite the weight increase, factory Honda driver Norbert Michelisz has high hopes of a successful trip to China. “The car will be heavier, which is not helping us. But regardless of the weight I expect us to be strong.” Meanwhile, the four Citroën C-Elysée WTCC drivers, John Filippi plus title contenders Mehdi Bennani, Tom Chilton and Rob Huff, are boosted with confirmation their cars will be 30 kilograms lighter, dropping from 80 to 50 kilograms. The Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1s and LADA Vesta WTCCs will carry zero compensation weight at the Ningbo International Speedpark from 13-15 October. The full compensation weight listing follows:

Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1: 0kg (no change from previous race)
Citroën C-Elysée WTCC: 50kg (-30kg)
Honda Civic WTCC: 80kg (+20kg)
LADA Vesta WTCC: 0kg (no change)
Volvo S60 Polestar: 70kg (+10kg)

BALDI’S QUALIFYING BEST PUTS HIM INTO ESPORTS WTCC CONTENTION AS TITLE RIVALS STRUGGLE
Gergo Baldi will be the driver to beat when a virtual Shanghai International Circuit hosts the latest eSports WTCC multiplayer event on Sunday (8 October). Driving a Volvo S60 Polestar, the Wauters Automotive driver topped the qualifying leaderboard with Kévin Leaune, whose SDL team is now supported by WTCC Official Series Partner Oscaro, second in another Volvo. However, while Baldi celebrated, championship leader Alexander Dornieden languished in P28 and announced he would be forced to miss the race. And it wasn’t the perfect qualifying for Jan Stange and Márk Nándori either. Currently second and third in the standings respectively, German Stange was P22 with Hungarian Nándori P12. Despite being 47 points behind Dornieden, Baldi has now emerged as an outsider for the title. Elsewhere, Germany’s Malte Schneider was the fastest rookie in P24 with Joaquin Rossi Silva from Argentina topping Division 2. Tim Heinemann proved he hasn’t lost any of his speed in third place on his return to action in his Honda. Gaetan Goarant and Andre Fossto rounded out the top five in their Volvos. Bencé Banki (Citroën) and Dirk Knatz (Chevrolet) ensured four manufacturers were represented in the top 10. Sunday’s race will be streamed live on the WTCC Facebook page and YouTube channel from 19h00 CET. James Kirk and Robert Wiesenmüller will provide their usual expert commentary.

THEY SAID WHAT?
Thed Björk (Polestar Cyan Racing): “It’s kind of a home circuit for us and we have a lot of fans in China. It’s a really nice feeling and it’s a good place to have a race. Because the track is completely new we have to be prepared for something unexpected. I am focused on doing what I can to learn the track as quickly as possible, together with my team-mates, but also to get the most speed out of the car as quickly as possible. It’s no different to any other track, because the focus is always the same. It just makes it more interesting when it’s something new. I’m just really happy to be in the title fight and I hope it will be like this for the rest of the year. We’ve seen it’s not easy to win this year like it was for José María López before. It’s much closer now and that makes it interesting. Hopefully we can be fighting until the last race.”

Norbert Michelisz (Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team): “I feel we have a strong momentum. Our car will be heavier in China, which is not helping us. But regardless of the weight I expect us to be strong. Across the whole season we have put in a lot of effort in improving the engine, in improving the chassis, the level of downforce, the suspension. Sometimes you find a bit here and then you find a bit there. That was the case throughout the summer. When you progress with all the updates it’s getting more and more difficult to find big steps. But we have to be ready for all the circumstances. We have been doing a lot of testing of different parts but it’s not always about performance. It’s also about making the car better for different types of circuits, for different circumstances. In the end it’s key for winning the championship because if you can work out how you can get most out of the car on all the different types of circuits with all the different circumstances it’s the best way to score the most amount of points.”

Tom Chilton (Sébastien Loeb Racing, WTCC Trophy contender): “China holds good memories as one of the places where I’ve had a win. The fans are always great with a big crowd and loads of atmosphere. I love the challenge of turning up and learning the circuit quickly. You can spend time on a simulator but it’s very hard to gauge braking points and turning-in points and spatial awareness. To be join first in the world championship in my class is amazing but I’m only sixth in the main class and I really want to get up to the front.”

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016?
Thed Björk claimed a dramatic maiden FIA World Touring Car Championship victory, taking the lead two corners from the finish in his Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 at the Shanghai International Circuit. What was also a first WTCC win for Chinese-owned Volvo was part of a weekend of celebration, which began with Citroën landing the WTCC Manufacturers’ crown for a third year in succession on Saturday and ended with Mehdi Bennani winning the WTCC Trophy title. Norbert Michelisz took second for Honda in the Opening Race with Yvan Muller and José María López third and fourth for Citroën. López won the Main Race from the DHL pole position with Muller second to move 31 points ahead of Tiago Monteiro in the battle to finish runner-up to provisional overall champion López. Behind third-placed Bennani, Nicky Catsburg finished fourth for LADA having qualified an impressive second.

TRACK GUIDE IN 200 WORDS
Ningbo International Speedpark is a new destination for the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2017 and replaces the Shanghai International Circuit as the new home of WTCC Race of China. It’s located in Chunxiao in the rapidly-expanding Beilun coastal development area near to the city of Ningbo – a major port and industrial hub with a population of more than seven million people – in Zhejiang province. Construction work began on 28 December 2015 and was completed at the end of September 2017 at a cost of 950-million CNY (122 million euros). Around 500 people were involved in turning what was a disused quarry into a state-of-the-art venue, which is built to FIA and FIM Grade 2 standards with the trackside kerbing designed to accommodate two- and four-wheel competition. The 4.015-kilometre track runs in an anti-clockwise direction, is between 12-18 metres in width and sits within a 10-kilometre auxiliary road. With 22 turns it drops 24 metres at one point, while its design allows for two layouts – the East Circuit and West Circuit – to be used simultaneously. As well as hosting WTCC Race of China, Ningbo’s inaugural event also features the China Touring Car Championship and the FIA F4 Chinese Championship.

TRACK ESSENTIALS
Name: Ningbo International Speedpark
Location: Yanhai Middle Road, Chuanxiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Website: Coming soon
Length: 4.015 kilometres
Opening Race distance: 14 laps
Main Race distance: 15 laps
Lap record (qualifying): To be established
Lap record (race): To be established
WTCC appearances: 0 (previously took place at Tianma Circuit and Shanghai International Circuit)
Time zone: GMT +8 hours
Sunrise/sunset: 05h00/17h22
Average temperature: 17°C-24°C (October)
Nearest airport: Ningbo Lishe International Airport (64 kilometres)

PREVIOUS WINNERS
2016: Opening Race: Thed Björk (Volvo S60 Polestar); Main Race: José María López (Citroën)
2015: Race 1: José María López (Citroën C-Elysée); Race 2: Yvan Muller (Citroën C-Elysée)
2014*: R1: José María López (Citroën C-Elysée); R2: Mehdi Bennani (Honda Civic)
2013: R1 Tom Chilton (Chevrolet Cruze); R2: Tiago Monteiro (Honda Civic)
2012: R1: Alain Menu (Chevrolet Cruze); R2: Rob Huff (Chevrolet Cruze)
2011: R1: Alain Menu (Chevrolet Cruze); R2: Yvan Muller (Chevrolet Cruze)
*Tom Chilton (Chevrolet) and Rob Huff (LADA) won the two races at Goldenport Park, Beijing

FIVE FACTS
1: China is widely credited with the invention of football in the second and third centuries BC. Linzi, the capital of the ancient state of Qi, is said to be the birthplace of ‘cuju’ – ‘kick ball with foot’.
2: Superstition and numerology are prevalent in Chinese culture – a 13^th floor is often absent from hotels and commercial buildings and vehicle licence plates and phone numbers are often devoid of the number four.
3: China was the only country to stage the WTCC twice in one season when Goldenport Park in Beijing was added to the schedule in 2014 – in place of the cancelled Sonoma race in the USA – alongside the Shanghai International Circuit.
4: Thed Björk’s victory in Shanghai last season was his first victory in the WTCC and also the first for Volvo and Polestar Cyan Racing.
5: Mehdi Bennani became the first Arabic driver to win an FIA world championship motor race when he triumphed at the Shanghai International Circuit in 2014.

MEDIA INFORMATION
Event press officer: Yachne Cen, cenyuanyuan@ctcc.com.cn, +86 2164361360
Media Accreditation Centre location: The Media Accreditation Centre is located on the Ground Floor, 556 Tinghai Road, Beilun District, Ningbo and open as follows: Saturday 14 October, 08h00-18h00; Sunday 15 October, 08h00-14h00. Access to the circuit on Friday 13 October is unrestricted. Media centre location/opening times: The Media Centre is located on the second floor of the pit building and open as follows: Friday 13 October, 08h30-20h00; Saturday 14 October, 08h00-20h00; Sunday 15 October, 08h00-until the last journalist leaves.

MEDIA DIARY
Friday 13 October: 11h30-12h30: Pre-event press conference (Ningbo Intercontinental Hotel). Mehdi Bennani, Thed Björk, Felipe De Souza and Norbert Michelisz in attendance; 17h30-18h30: WTCC Happy Hour. By invitation only. Please email media@fiawtcc.com to register your interest in attending. Saturday 14 October: 08h00-08h15: WTCC driver family photocall (starting grid); 16h50 (approx.): Post-qualifying/WTCC MAC3 press conference (Media Centre) Sunday 15 October: 09h45-10h35: Autograph session (Fan Zone); 10h45-11h45: Track and event opening ceremony; 14h55: Opening Race podium; 16h30: Main Race podium; 16h45 (approx.) Post-race press conference (Media Centre). Timings/activities above provisional and subject to change. Additional activities may be arranged

TRACK DIARY
Saturday 14 October: 09h00-09h45: Free Practice 1; 12h45-13h30: Free Practice 2; 15h15-15h35: Qualifying Q1; 15h40-15h50: Qualifying Q2; 16h00 (pit lane opens for first car): Qualifying Q3; 16h30-16h45: WTCC MAC3 Sunday 15 October: 14h25-14h50: Opening Race (14 laps); 15h35-16h05: Main Race (15 laps).

ENTRY LIST

(T = Indicates WTCC Trophy contender)

ONLINE MEDIA CENTRE
The new online Media Centre is a one-stop-shop for media professionals covering the WTCC. The site contains a press release archive, downloadable press kit, event guides, Q&As, high-resolution rights-free images, driver profiles, statistics, results, track maps, logos, accreditation details and much more. Click here for details.

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS AND STATISTICS
Drivers (after round 12 of 20): 1 Monteiro 200; 2 Björk 188; 3 Michelisz 171; 4 Bennani 164; 5 Catsburg 159; 6 Chilton 147; 7 Huff 135; 8 Guerrieri 113; 9 Girolami 68; 10 Ehrlacher 45; etc.
Manufacturers (12/20): 1 Honda 574; 2 Volvo Polestar 566
WTCC Trophy (12/20): 1 Bennani 87; 2 Chilton 87; 3 Huff 87; 4 Guerrieri 70; 5 Ehrlacher 47; 6 Coronel 40; 7 Filippi 31; 8 Gleason 12; 9 Panis 11; 10 Nagy 9; etc.
WTCC Teams (12/20): 1 Sébastien Loeb Racing 108; 2 ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 82; 3 Campos  Racing 73; 4 RC Motorsport 60; 5 ROAL Motorsport 51; 6 Zengő Motorsport 41
All-time race wins (top 5): Y Muller 48; López 29; Huff 28; Menu 23; Tarquini 22
All-time pole positions (top 5): Y Muller 29; López 21; Tarquini 17; Menu 15; Huff 12
All-time fastest laps (top 5): Y Muller 38; Huff and López 29; Tarquini 24; Menu 20
All-time laps led (top 5): Y Muller 571; Huff 345; López 301; Menu 297; Tarquini 295
Season wins: Bennani, Björk, Michelisz, Monteiro 2; Catsburg, Chilton, Ehrlacher, Guerrieri 1
Season pole positions: Michelisz 2; Björk, Huff, Catsburg, Monteiro 1
Season fastest laps: Björk 3; Catsburg, Guerrieri, Huff 2; Chilton, Michelisz, Nagy 1
Season laps led: Monteiro 36; Bennani 29; Chilton and Michelisz 18; Björk 13; Coronel 11; Catsburg and Guerrieri 9; Girolami and Huff 1