RACE REPORT
FIA WTCR RACE OF
MACAU
Circuito da
Guia, 15-18 November 2018
WTCR – FIA World
Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, Rounds 28-30 of 30
GUERRIERI, VERVISCH WIN BIG, TARQUINI WINS BIGGER IN
THRILLING WTCR SEASON SHOWDOWN
*Tarquini is
first winner of WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO*
*After 30
all-action races, title tussle comes down to final round and three
points
*Vervisch
becomes driver number 15 to triumph in 2018 with Race 2 victory
*Guerrieri holds
off King of Macau Huff to score Suncity Group Guia Race glory
*Muller leads
self-run squad to WTCR OSCARO Teams’ title
While Esteban Guerrieri and Frédéric Vervisch joined Jean-Karl Vernay
as WTCR Race of Macau winners, it was Gabriele Tarquini who had the
biggest cause for celebration by claiming the inaugural WTCR – FIA
World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO by a mere three points*.
Piloting a Hyundai i30 N TCR for BRC Racing Team on Yokohama tyres,
Tarquini won the first event of the year in Morocco and has been firmly
in the title fight ever since.
Despite a troubled Second Qualifying in Macau leaving him outside of
the top 10 for Sunday’s deciding races, Tarquini did just enough with a
P10 finish in Race 3 to hand him the title spoils ahead of Yvan Muller,
the TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver of the event.
“I have the memory nine years I was thinking to stop racing because
what do you want to achieve more than a world title?” said Tarquini.
“It’s probably the best time to stop, but I was thinking ‘why should I
stop, I want to race. I have the adrenaline, I am not very slow, I can
compete again.’ And I decided, because SEAT stopped, to start again
with a private team in 2010, 2011, 2012 and then I was back in a Honda
team. So I didn’t stop and this has been the greatest season. And I
must also thank Hyundai for choosing me in the beginning, all the team,
the mechanics and my team-mate. And I also want to congratulate Yvan,
who made a great job through the season. He was my toughest opponent.”
Magnificent
Muller guides self-run team to entrants’ award
Yvan Muller gave his all to snatch the crown from Gabriele Tarquini’s
grasp but his podium brace wasn’t quite enough to claim the top prize
although his self-run, Hyundai-powered YMR squad, which was formed on
the eve of the season, beat BRC to the Teams’ title thanks to his and
Thed Björk’s collective efforts. Muller celebrated his triumph by
announcing plans to drive for the all-new Lynk & Co Cyan Racing
line-up in WTCR OSCARO in 2019. “Like I said to my team, I would easily
give one of my titles to be a team champion. I will be with Lynk &
Co for next year.”
Huff can’t quite
make it Macau win number 10
Rob Huff claimed a double DHL Pole Position in his Sébastien Loeb
Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI but had to settle for third and second –
plus the TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy for his efforts.
Guerrieri adds
to Nürburging victory with first Macau win
Esteban Guerrieri soaked up immense pressure from DHL Pole Position
starter Rob Huff to win Race 3, his second triumph of the season
following his success at the Nürburgring Nordschleife earlier in the
year. The Honda-powered ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport driver headed
Huff and Norbert Michelisz with Muller fourth, Yann Ehrlacher fifth and
Cupra-mounted Pepe Oriola completing the top six for Team OSCARO by
Campos Racing.
Vervisch makes
it winner number 15 of 2018
Frédéric Vervisch became winner number 15 of the inaugural WTCR – FIA
World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, pulling off a great pass to
demote DHL Pole Position starter Timo Scheider to claim the Race 2
victory, taking the lead around the outside at Mandarin. Scheider took
second with Yvan Muller third and Kevin Ceccon fourth in his Team
Mulsanne Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Esteban Guerrieri and Yann Ehrlacher
completed the top six respectively.
Race winner
quotes
Jean-Karl
Vernay, Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team, Audi RS 3 LMS (Race 1):
“Well, I had a good start and I was hoping for a safety car, pretty
much. The start was pretty good, I was able to stay in the front pack
before Mandarin, Yvan was on the inside for the next corner and I just
tried to help him, to push him, to go into P2. The smartest thing was
it was too difficult to overtake him so I just stayed second, which was
already very good and I was hoping for a safety car. And it happened
the lap after. With our top speed we knew we would be able to overtake
and that is what happened. After that they were quicker than us in the
old town because we had a quite heavy car, so I just tried to stay out
front and make no mistakes, be really consistent, make a good exit from
the last two corners so Yvan could not overtake, and it was good. I’m
really happy, happy for Audi and the team and the sponsors. The target
was to be P3 in the championship after Race 1. I’m really happy and
excited, but we have to stay focused on tomorrow and the races to come.
Then we might celebrate tomorrow, but there is still a long way [to
go].”
Frédéric
Vervisch, Audi Sport Team Comtoyou, Audi RS 3 LMS (Race 2):
“We had a strong car on the straight. Our start was quite okay, I
managed to overtake Ceccon and then I was behind Timo, but on the first
lap he was pulling away so I thought it would be difficult. But on the
second lap his pace dropped a bit and I thought it was a possibility to
overtake. But it’s not easy, but I could just overtake before Mandarin.
I said it was now or never, thanks to my great car, and then I think it
was just about controlling the race and not making any mistakes because
they were fighting. I am very happy and it’s great to be in front of
these two legends. I am very happy for the team as well, for our first
victory.”
Esteban
Guerrieri, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR
(Race 3): “It was a fantastic season, I really enjoyed
it, with a lot of sparks with everybody here as well, but we know how
it is. We know how we have to race, a bit too much sometimes, but this
is racing and we always have to learn. I’m happy to finish the season
in this way, winning in Macau. I have two wins this year, in Macau and
on the Nordschleife, so I cannot ask for more. It was a great year and
also finishing third [in the standings] I’m very pleased. I was disappointed
on Friday, but if I’d known I would win today, that’s fine. I’m pleased
with this guy here [Rob Huff] and I learned a lot defending from him,
and of course we will have a nice battle again next year. Thanks to my
team, my family, I have a lot of support and to my mother who is
fighting… I am very happy, thank you.”
WTCR – FIA World
Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO title winner quotes:
Gabriele
Tarquini, BRC Racing Team, Hyundai i30 N TCR: “It’s
great. I have the memory nine years ago walking to this press
conference with a world title, and I was thinking to stop racing
because what do you want to achieve more than a world title? It’s
probably the best time to stop, but walking there I was thinking ‘why
should I stop, I want to race. I have the adrenaline, I am not very
slow, I can compete again.’ And I decided, because SEAT stopped, to
start again with a private team in 2010, 2011, 2012 and then I was back
in a Honda team. So I didn’t stop and this has been the greatest
season. And I must also thank Hyundai for choosing me in the beginning,
all the team, the mechanics and my team-mate. And I also want to
congratulate Yvan, who made a great job through the season. He was my
toughest opponent. It was already nine and 10 years ago because we fought
in 2008 and 2009. I’m really pleased he came back to race because he
wanted to stop, and I remember I suggested to him: ‘I said why do you
want to stop so young?’ And now I am very happy he is back and is
fighting again. And I forgot my family – my wife, my daughter and son!”
WTCR OSCARO: key
numbers of 2018
Wins:
5: Gabriele
Tarquini
4:
Thed Björk, Jean-Karl Vernay
3:
Yvan Muller
2:
Yann Ehrlacher, Esteban Guerrieri, Rob Huff
1:
Mehdi Bennani, Kevin Ceccon, Aurélien Comte, Mato Homola, Norbert
Michelisz, Pepe Oriola, Gordon Shedden, Frédéric Vervisch
Pole positions:
6:
Thed Björk
4: Rob
Huff
3:
Norbert Michelisz
2:
Gabriele Tarquini, Jean-Karl Vernay
1:
Kevin Ceccon, Aurélien Comte, Gordon Shedden
Fastest laps:
5: Gabriele
Tarquini
4:
Thed Björk, Jean-Karl Vernay
3:
Yann Ehrlacher, Norbert Michelisz
2:
Rob Huff, Pepe Oriola, Frédéric Vervisch
1:
Mehdi Bennani, Kevin Ceccon, Esteban Guerrieri, Yvan Muller, Dániel
Nagy
Laps led:
Gabriele Tarquini 73; Jean-Karl Vernay 63; Thed Björk 48; Yvan Muller
32; Gordon Shedden 28; Yann Ehrlacher 26; Rob Huff 22; Mehdi Bennani
18; Aurélien Comte and Esteban Guerrieri 16; Kevin Ceccon 15; Norbert
Michelisz 14; Pepe Oriola 10; Gordon Shedden and Frédéric Vervisch 5;
Timo Scheider 3.
Race 1 report
Race 1 press conference
Race 2 report
Race 2 press conference
Race
3 report
Race
3 press conference
Provisional
results and standings
More on OSCARO:
wtcr.oscaro.com
*Subject to confirmation of the results by the FIA
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