2012 World Touring Car Championship

[Bram Hengeveld]

The calendar of the 2012 WTCC was approved today by the FIA World Motor Sport Council during the meeting in New Dehli.Once again the championship will comprise twelve events between March and November.WTCC will visit for the first time Austria, Argentina and the USA, and it will also return to Marrakech’s street circuit.

• Rounds 1 & 2 - 11 March: Autodromo di Monza (Italy)
• Rounds 3 & 4 - 1 April: Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia (Spain)
• Rounds 5 & 6 - 15 April: Circuit de Marrakech (Morocco)
• Rounds 7 & 8 - 6 May: Hungaroring, Budapest (Hungary)
• Rounds 9 & 10 - 20 May: Salzburgring (Austria)
• Rounds 11 & 12 - 10 June: Circuito do Estoril (Portugal)
• Rounds 13 & 14 - 8 July: TBA (Argentina)
• Rounds 15 & 16 - 22 July: Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba (Brazil)
• Rounds 17 & 18 - 23 September: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma (USA)
• Rounds 19 & 20 - 21 October: Suzuka East Circuit (Japan)
• Rounds 21 & 22 - 4 November: Shanghai International Circuit (China)
• Rounds 23 & 24 - 18 November: Circuito da Guia (Macau)

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Thank you KSO for deleting the coolest event of the year at Oschersleben, Germany and keeping crap circuits as Morocco and Curitiba on the calendar together with events at Valencia where even if you give away the tickets for free like the last years, nobody shows up
So now North and Western Europeans have no option other than to go all the way to Monza or the Salzburgring as the nearest GP. Great, keep on ignoring Nurburgring, Zandvoort, Zolder, Brands Hatch, Donington, Anderstorp, Mantorp and Spa and keep filling those pockets with money!

Unbelievable! #OccupyWTCC

 

[James Chant]

Shocking no uk venue when a British team is coming to the series.

Most tracks too long for the cars again!

 

[Xosé Estrada]

Oschers was a classic, it's a pity won't be there...

 

[David Jundt]

Germany has enough problems with the red numbers in F1, let alone now MotoGP at the Sachsenring. Now they even lose the good event in WTCC at Oschersleben. Quite sad for Engstler&Co.

Although I like their decision to go for the Salzburgring, finally back!

As for the Argentinian venue: Let's go to the Volcano track(De los Funes?).

Valencia, Curitiba and Sonoma: Not really needed.

 

[William Levesque]

Some tracks are really too long for these cars... Lots of crappy ones too !

Like others, a shame that the UK and Germany are getting sacked so much ! :S

I like:

Salzburgring (Nice old school circuit !)
Monza (A bit long though, still, good drafting battles)
Sonoma (Great track !)
Suzuka East (Lots of fun)

The rest I couldn't care less... I quite like Budapest but again, a bit too long and it's not like Monza

 

[David Jundt]

Actually, I prefer full Suzuka, this is not GT5xD

 

[William Levesque]

Meh, full Suzuka would be too long !

 

[James Chant]

Considering the races are fairly processional, I think due to lack of overtaking, why is Macau in the calendar? It barely provides anything interesting to watch.

The rules are too strict with WTCC, so it's not so much fun as BTCC to watch. Although maybe a compromise between the two rule sets , as BTCC is a little rough with the contact.

I do however applaud the changing of circuits more each season, it's a little repetitive watching the same tracks all the time. Like F1 should do too, if the teams don't have setup data from a previous season it makes it more of a challenge and a more level playing field.

The other side of the coin is more places get to host the event bringing not only monetary benefits (if they have a sensible business plan) but also more circuits would be better equipped and safer for all other events after.


Variety is the spice of life...!

 

[David Jundt]

Macau is to WTCC what Monaco is to F1.

Does it get dropped?

....

Voilà.

 

[James Chant]

Monaco really should be, much though there is great history there, the whole thing is awkward. Logistically, and for the local area. Purpose built tracks are he way forward now.

The f1 care have outgrown Monaco to the point of it is not unsafe - look at Perez's incident earlier this year.

 

[William Levesque]

Oooooooh no, someone injured himself in a motorsport incident, we should immediately ban the track it took place on !

 

[James Chant]

No I'm not saying that, I'm saying the street races are stupid.

 

[Chris Butcher]

Me, Adam and Toby were looking at the cost of WTCC this year rather than BTCC.

WTCC is considerably more expensive, but the racing isn't as good as the BTCC - which I think explains the success BTCC is having at the moment, more exciting racing than F1 or WTCC, very good ticket prices, cost cutting rules (BTCC just had it's biggest grid size ever in 2011) and excellent TV coverage - I fear soon the WTCC is going to die as a series.

 

[William Levesque]

Some of them are, like Valencia for example, horrible track...

But frankly, F1 has to race on a couple of street circuits throughout the year, it always been the case and always should be.

In comparison, I enjoy Monaco as a track and a challenge FAR more than all these Middle East boredom so called "circuits"... Heck, they should be called "airports" in my opinion.

 

[Robert Wiesenmüller]

I will miss the Oschersleben round, it's a great track for spectators. There are no less than 10 good tracks in a 5-hour-drive-radius from where I live and these organizers have managed to put none of it in the calendar...
Engstler will like the Salzburgring race though, much closer to his and Liqui Moly's base.

About the races outside Europe, I don't even know where to start. Let's not forget: Most teams are privateer entries and every single team is based in Europe.
Macau is a classic
Brazil organization hasn't been flawless, they needed to change the venue from Interlagos to Curitiba. I think no privateer sponsor has much interest in Brazil. Argentina should be similar, the fans are real petrolheads, but can they really present an acceptable track?
Japan; I was under the impression no one was on the grandstands in Suzuka.
Moroccan organization has been very poor.
Chinese organization has been unbelievably poor but this seems to be normal with chinese races. Guys, China is no country with large motorsport history! You can't just travel there with 20 unspectacular cars and a Hong-Kong-Canadian standout driver, change the venue one month before the race and expect to conquer a new market. No one will care about you.
No one will go to the US races apart from a few real enthusiasts.

I am not sure what these guys from the organization are thinking when they make a calendar; this is so unbelievably dilettantic. "Let's go to China, there are one billion potential customers." If they continue like this they won't reach a single potential customer anywhere on the world soon.

 

[William Levesque]

Well, it's called the "World Touring Car Championship", so of course they have to go a bit everywhere, not just in Europe...

 

[James Chant]

It was ETCC because it was European Touring Car Championship. The World bit was added after a few outside of Europe dates were added every year until it became less of Europe and more other places. Like British F3 used to go to Zolder as an away race, but now happens more regularly. 6 races in UK and 4 in Europe.

 

[Kyle Constable]

Well, if you don't like it, you could always watch the RD touring cars instead?

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Well, if you don't like it, you could always watch the RD touring cars instead?

Thats the whole point, I do like it. I absolutely love WTCC both on TV as being there live on the track at least one time per year. The virus struck me years ago and never let me go again.

I watch all the qualifications, races and other broadcasts on Eurosport the entire season and enjoy the commentary of Martin Haven. But being there in real life beats the TV experience by a mile. Being able to browse around the paddock and with the right tickets sneak into the pitbox and see (and hear :love the cars from a close range is an experience you will not find in any FIA championship.

With this in mind I cannot understand why they have taken Oschersleben out. The track might not look that exiting at first but if you find the perfect spot along the circuit you can see 90% of the track and dont miss a minute of the races. With every race weekend between 40,000 to 50,000 spectators plus a great side program this race has become legendary (at least for me).

I have been to races in Valencia, Pau, Brno, Zandvoort, Monza and Brands Hatch and none of them come close the Oscherleben GP.

In the past years the support series of this track have been a blast: Formula Masters, F3000, ADAC GT, ADAC Touring Cars, Mini Cooper Challenge, Formula BMW and even the Abarth Cup was might spectacular. And being there with friends such as Ramon, Maik, Yoeri, Maurice, Nigel and Robert is priceless. I can remember us having great nights in the surrounding cities with cheap beer and pizza's and lots of fun. Not to mention sleeping in four star hotels for almost nothing.

Experience second to none, thanks for screwing that up KSO/FIA.

Off to see the DTM in 2012 then