Eight action-packed races run, four winners and a whole heap of drama – the 2015 FIA World Touring Car Championship is proving to be a big hit and the chase for more success continues apace at the Moscow Raceway next week (5-7 June) with ROSNEFT WTCC Race of Russia.

A new addition to the WTCC schedule in 2013, the Russian event has produced plenty of sensational racing not to mention a landmark winner in 2014 when Ma Qing Huatriumphed in the second of two races to become the first Chinese driver to win a world championship motor race.

Located 70 kilometres from the Russian capital in the Volkolamsky District, the Moscow Raceway opened for business in 2012 and is one of the newest venues on the current WTCC calendar. Eighteen drivers are entered for the two 16-lap races with the three LADA Sport ROSNEFT racers expected to get the biggest cheer from the fans.

Led by 2012 champion Rob Huff, LADA’s factory team completed 2014 with a brace of wins courtesy of its British driver and began 2015 with its all-new Vesta TC1. While the project is still in its infancy, Huff was quickest of all in Qualifying Q1 in Argentina and scored a season-best seventh in Germany earlier this month to underline the car’s potential. In a change to its original line-up, Nick Catsburg will make his WTCC debut in Russia in a third Vesta following on from confirmation that his fellow Dutchman, Jaap van Lagen, will complete the season with the Russian squad.

WTCC title-holder José María López remains the driver to beat in 2015 after he notched up his fourth race one victory of the season at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. López, a winner in Moscow last year, heads the standings by 50 points but faces strong competition from a host of drivers all looking to catch Argentina’s finest. They include his Citroën team-mates Sébastien Loeb, Ma Qing Hua and Yvan Muller plus Honda trio Norbert Michelisz, Tiago Monteiro and Gabriele Tarquini. Muller won the inaugural WTCC Race of Russia in 2013 and is just one point behind Loeb in the drivers’ table following his 43rd WTCC career victory in Germany. Michelisz has winning form in 2015 following his victory in race two in Hungary, while Monteiro claimed his maiden podium of the campaign with a strong outing at the Nürburgring in the revamped Civic.

POINTERS
Mehdi Bennani: The Moroccan got his 2015 campaign back on track with an impressive display on his Nürburgring debut last time out and finished third in Russia last season.
Tom Chilton: Out of luck in Germany, the ROAL-run Briton believes some of the set-up issues that have masked his true pace this year have now been cured with a return to settings used in 2014.
Tom Coronel: Expect more qualifying tactics from the Dutchman, who will be vying for ninth or 10th in order to secure a front-row start for the reverse grid second race, which he reckons gives him his best chance of adding to his win tally in the WTCC.
Stefano D’Aste: Valentino Rossi’s former team-mate during his previous career as a motorbike racer, D’Aste was twice in the top 10 on his last appearance in Moscow back in 2013.
Grégoire Demoustier: With overall points eluding him in Germany, the Frenchman will look to use his Moscow Raceway experience, garnered from his past GT exploits, for a successful weekend.
John Filippi: The WTCC’s youngest driver, aged 20, scored a Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy podium brace on his Moscow Raceway debut last season.
Rickard Rydell: Experienced Swede Rydell returns to action for the first time since Argentina in early March after being struck down thyroiditis, an inflammation of the thyroid gland. He prepared for his comeback with a successful two-day test at Mantorp Park in his homeland.
Hugo Valente: One of the stars of qualifying in Hungary and Germany, Valente is determined to translate is obvious pace into strong race results in his Campos Racing Chevrolet.

NEW WTCC DRIVER, NEW CHALLENGE AS CATSBURG GETS LADA SEAT IN RUSSIA
Nick Catsburg will make his FIA World Touring Car Championship debut when he enters ROSNEFT WTCC Race of Russia in a third LADA Vesta TC1. The Dutchman, 27, will replace Mikhail Kozlovskiy in the LADA Sport ROSNEFT line-up alongside compatriot Jaap van Lagen and 2012 WTCC champion Rob Huff. Catsburg, who has achieved considerable success in sportscar and endurance events, said: “This will be a completely new challenge. The first laps during the test in Magny-Cours were a big surprise – this car really requires a specific driving style with all that power on the front axle. Once I got some more laps in, I started to get used to the car and the driving style, and really started to enjoy driving this car. Braking and the car’s performance at high speed were very impressive. The race will of course be difficult, but with the help of the team and my experienced team-mates I am sure we can do well. The Moscow WTCC round is obviously an important one to LADA and our main sponsor ROSNEFT and it is a real pleasure to share this event with them. I have looked at several onboards from the Moscow Raceway and it looks very technical, I can’t wait to get started.”

TRACK FACTS
Name: Moscow Raceway

Location: 39 Sheludkovo Village, Volokolamsky District, Moscow Region, 143650, Russia

Website: http://moscowraceway.ru

Length: 3.391 kilometres

Race distance: 2 x 16 laps

Lap record (qualifying): José María López (Citroën C-Elysée), 1m38.651s (143.450kph), 07/06/14

Lap record (race): José María López (Citroën C-Elysée), 1m40.148s (141.307kph), 08/06/14

WTCC appearances: Two (2013 and 2014)

Time zone: GMT +3 hours

Sunrise/sunset: 03h48/21h09 (Sunday 7 June)

Average temperature: 13°C-22°C

MEDIA DIARY

Thursday 4 June

15h00-16h00: Pre-event press conference, Bachung Kempinski Hotel Red Square, ul. Balchug, 1, Moscow, Russia 115035

Friday 5 June
08h00-18h00: Media Accreditation Centre open
08h00-20h00: Media Centre open
12h00-12h30: WTCC Testing
17h30-18h30: WTCC Happy Hour, WTCC VIP Club

Saturday 6 June
08h00-18h00: Media Accreditation Centre open
08h00-20h00: Media Centre open
08h30-09h00: WTCC Free Practice 1
11h00-11h30: WTCC Free Practice 2
13h30-13h50: WTCC Qualifying Q1
13h55-14h05: WTCC Qualifying Q2
14h10 (pit lane opens): WTCC Qualifying Q3
14h40 (approx.): WTCC Post-qualifying press conference (Media Centre)

Sunday 7 June
08h00-12h00: Media Accreditation Centre open
08h00-until the last journalist leaves: Media Centre open
10h00-10h45: WTCC driver autograph session (WTCC VIP Club)
10h55: FIA Action for Road Safety photo call with all WTCC drivers (WTCC VIP Club)
11h50: Pit lane open
12h00: Pit lane closed
12h10: Five-minute board displayed

12h15: WTCC Race 1 (16 laps)
12h50 (approx.): WTCC podium race 1
12h55: WTCC refuelling time starts
13h00: WTCC repair time starts
13h05: Pit lane open
13h15: Pit lane closed
13h20: Five-minute board displayed

13h25: WTCC Race 2 (16 laps)
14h00 (approx.): WTCC podium race 2
14h10 (approx.): WTCC post-race press conference (Media Centre)

All timings are provisional and subject to change. Additional activities may be arranged and as much notice as possible will be given.

RULES AND REGULATIONS
Qualifying: One session split into three sections: Q1: 20 minutes open to all competitors; Q2: 10 minutes open to the top 12 from Q1; Q3: Open to the top five from Q2, one timed lap each. For the WTCC Race of Germany at Nürburgring there will be one hour-long open session to decide the grid. DHL is the official Pole Position Partner of the WTCC.

Grid: Race one based on the combined (Q1 and Q2) qualifying results. Race two based on the combined (Q1 and Q2) qualifying results with the fastest 10 drivers of Q2 starting in reverse order.

Race: Two 60-kilometre races from standing starts.

Qualifying points: Drivers: Awarded to the fastest five drivers classified in qualifying on a scale of 5-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers: Awarded to the best two cars from each brand classified in qualifying on the same scale as above.

Race points: Drivers: The top 10 classified drivers in both races score points on a scale of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. Manufacturers: Awarded to the best two cars from each brand classified in each race on the same scale as above.

Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy: Presented by the championship’s long-term tyre partner Yokohama to non-factory drivers, the following are eligible: #3 Tom Chilton, #4 Tom Coronel, #5 Norbert Michelisz, #7 Hugo Valente, #8 Sabine Schmitz, #11 Grégoire Demoustier, #25 Mehdi Bennani, #26 Sandro D’Aste, #27 John Filippi. Points are awarded to the first eight drivers classified in each race on the following scale: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. One additional point is awarded to the highest-placed Yokohama Trophy competitor in qualifying and for the fastest lap in each race. A special Trophy is also awarded to the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy winner at each round.

Yokohama Teams’ Trophy: For non-factory teams competing in the WTCC, the Yokohama Teams’ Trophy is presented by the championship’s long-term tyre partner, Yokohama. The following teams are eligible: ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, Campos Racing, Craft-Bamboo, Sébastien Loeb Racing, Honda Racing Team Sweden, Proteam Racing, ROAL Motorsport, Zengő Motorsport. The first two cars of each eligible team score points in each race on the following scale: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1.

Yokohama Performer of the Year: The fastest driver in the 2015 WTCC will receive the WTCC Yokohama Performer of the Year award. It goes to the driver setting the most fastest laps during the season. All registered drivers are eligible. There will be a Yokohama Performer for each race.

Tyres: Yokohama control tyre. Dry-weather slick tyres: A maximum of 20 tyres can be used by each driver in their first appearance of the season. From their second participation onwards, a maximum of 24 tyres can be used of which only 16 can be new. Of these tyres, four are for Q3 only. Wet-weather grooved tyres: A maximum of 16 can be used during each race weekend.

Engine limits: Two engines and six turbos are allowed for the entire season. Engine changes will result in grid penalties.

Compensation weight: Applied to cars according to lap-time calculation. A maximum additional 60kg will be added to maximum car weight as per Appendix 1. - See more at: http://media.fiawtcc.com/wtcc-aces-get-set-for-more-moscow-magic/#sthash...