James Thompson already impressed by Lada's efforts as new Granta prepares for World Touring Car Championship debut in Hungary
James Thompson says making it to the Hungarian round of the World Touring Car Championship this weekend is already an "epic" achievement for the Lada Sport team
Less than four months after the Granta Sport WTCC project got the green light, the car had its first shakedown on Tuesday night near the workshops of engine supplier ORECA.
"We expected to do some running on Monday, and then we expected to do some running on Tuesday. Finally, at 2030 on Tuesday, we managed to get in some laps," said Thompson. "We only got half an hour of track time, basically enough to do a shakedown, but it was still an epic effort.
"Even to be here is an achievement, as it has only been three and half months since the start of the project."
Russian manufacturer Lada previously entered the WTCC with its 110 2.0 and Priora models in 2009.
"Basically, the car is a wish list of things from 2009," said Thompson. "The starting point is all of things we wanted to put right for 2010 which we didn't have a chance to do. But of course, the championship moves on. The first car in 2009 was obviously a work in progress, but it's amazing the step between the two cars. This is a massive step forward."
Lada will only contest the Hungarian and Portuguese meetings of the 2012 season in what is described as a development year. Thompson is optimistic about Lada's commitment to the series after visiting Russia with Lada Sport boss Viktor Shapovalov at the end of 2011.
"The reason we're missing the next race is logistics," said Thompson. "If we wanted to test and develop the car, we couldn't really go to Salzburgring. This year I may only do two races, but the next two years will be the main focus. It is a quiet year, but a big year - as long as it continues for the future."
The Granta is the joint heaviest car in the WTCC field at the Hungaroring as it is forced to carry 30kg of ballast for being nationally homologated. It runs an ORECA-tuned engine, although it is a different block to the power unit which powered Gabriele Tarquini's SEAT to a race win last time out in Slovakia.
"The engine is comparable to everyone else, and I'm convinced that, given the mileage, we'll be able to get somewhere near with the chassis," said Thompson. "How long it will take, I don't know. It took us five races to score a point last time, and we are only doing two races this year. So it would be unrealistic to think we can get in the points in two races.
"We will know tomorrow. We could be five seconds off the pace; we could be one second off."
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