WTCC 2013 season guide

Ordinarily, the loss of a championship-winning works outfit would be anathema to the success of any series. But when that squad has turned the past three seasons into a hegemonic procession, ordinarily doesn't always apply.

So what does Chevrolet's exit mean for World Touring Cars? For starters, it means a great deal more uncertainty - at least during the pre-season. It means less competition in the works category, but thanks to Honda and Lada, it doesn't mean absolute disaster. And it also means a shake-up of the driver roster, most noticeably reigning champion Rob Huff's switch to SEAT machinery.

Crucially - and Huff is a massive part of this - it doesn't mean a discernible drop in driver quality. Talent might thin further down the order, but up top at least Huff will have to contend with Yvan Muller, who returns with RML, the evergreen Gabriele Tarquini, and last year's World GT1 champion Marc Basseng.

James Thompson comes in full-time, while Tiago Monteiro and Norbert Michelisz are among those with new boots to try.

This doesn't mean revolution; that will hopefully be delivered via next year's substantial rule changes. But it does promise more uncertainty, a much-needed tonic for a series that has dieted on weary predictability in recent seasons.

Munnich Motorsport
Car: SEAT Leon WTCC

#1. Rob Huff (GB)
WTCC debut: 2005
Starts: 178
Wins: 23
Poles: 11
2012: WTCC champion

#37. Rene Munnich (D) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2012
Starts: 2
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 10th in European Rallycross S1600, 2 WTCC starts

#38. Marc Basseng (D)
WTCC debut: -
Starts: -
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: FIA GT1 champion

One of the big unknowns in 2013, Munnich Motorsport arrives with masses of pedigree, two FIA world champion drivers but little in the way of WTCC experience.

What it does have owes almost exclusively to Rob Huff, who switches back to SEAT machinery after eight years - and 23 victories, 67 podiums and one title - with Chevrolet.

Stable-mate Marc Basseng meanwhile might not have raced in the WTCC but did help the team to last year's 2012 FIA GT1 drivers' and teams' crowns.

Perhaps significantly, that success came in the first year of Munnich running with Mercedes rather than Lamborghini. It will have to adapt again to the Leon, which could prove the main stumbling block - largely unchanged for the past six years, SEAT's challenger hasn't won regularly in the WTCC since 2010.

Honda Racing (JAS)
Car: Honda Civic WTCC

#3. Gabriele Tarquini (I)
WTCC debut: 2005
Starts: 177
Wins: 17
Poles: 15
2012: 4th in WTCC

#18. Tiago Monteiro (P)
WTCC debut: 2007
Starts: 137
Wins: 4
Poles: 2
2012: 9th in WTCC

An early favourite for this year's works' crown, although the drivers' equivalent could prove more challenging.

Tiago Monteiro's podium at Macau last year, in only Honda's third event, spoke volumes about the Civic's potential. Since then the outfit has racked up the testing miles, added Gabriele Tarquini - the only non-Chevy man to win in both of the last two seasons - and lost its sternest works rival in the form of the departing Chevrolet squad.

Don't expect the Civic to be the finished article just yet; its rivals have years of development on the JAS-run outfit, which means blips are likely, particularly on more open, high-speed tracks. Even so, it will be a surprise should a title bid fail to materialise from either Tarquini or Monteiro.

Lada Sport (Russian Bears)
Car: Lada Granta

#10. James Thompson (GB)
WTCC debut: 2005
Starts: 92
Wins: 4
Poles: 2
2012: 4 WTCC starts

#11. Aleksei Dudukalo (RUS)
WTCC debut: 2011
Starts: 46
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 9th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

Lada has flirted with the WTCC in past years, but with Russian Bears at the helm it enters with full works status in 2013.

What exactly the Granta will prove capable of remains unknown. Its Hungaroring debut wasn't particularly promising, but it did come early in a development cycle that has since has the best part of a year to progress.

There's value too in having James Thompson - a proven racewinner at this level - on board to steer the development. Keeping the likes of Honda and RML honest should be on the cards, but victories will be a tough ask.

RML
Car: Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

#12. Yvan Muller (F)
WTCC debut: 2006
Starts: 158
Wins: 30
Poles: 14
2012: 3rd in WTCC

#23. Tom Chilton (GB)
WTCC debut: 2012
Starts: 24
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 22nd in WTCC

RML celebrated its final season with Chevrolet backing in typically dominant fashion, claiming 20 wins and a championship 1-2-3.

Works status might have disappeared, but there's no reason to suggest the Wellingborough-based outfit will be any the poorer for it on-track.

The team still has one of the best drivers in the business - and possibly in history - in Yvan Muller, while its past development of the Cruze will continue to tell, especially in the early races.

Tom Chilton is less of a known quantity after a disrupted and at times truculent first season with Ford, but his previous in the BTCC suggests he is more than capable of points and podiums in the significantly more competitive Cruze.

It might no longer have a trio of title contenders, but don't expect RML to be anywhere but the front. It will take a massive effort for someone to stop Muller adding a fourth crown.

Zengo Motorsport
Car: Honda Civic WTCC

#5. Norbert Michelisz (H)
WTCC debut: 2008
Starts: 72
Wins: 2
Poles: 1
2012: WTCC Yokohama Trophy champion

Last year's Yokohama Trophy champion stays with Zengo but gets new boots in the form of the Honda Civic WTCC.

What Norbert Michelisz can do in such a car, and how he will compare to works drivers Tarquini and Monteiro, will be interesting to watch. The Hungarian's ability to outperform his car is still open to debate, but when his stars align he can be genuinely quick, as victories in Macau in 2010 and Hungary last year attest. Factory support is also a massive boon, putting further wins within his grasp.

Team Engstler
Car: BMW 320 TC

#6. Franz Engstler (D) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2007
Starts: 119
Wins: 1
Poles: -
2012: 4th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

#7. Charles Ng (HK) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2011
Starts: 28
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 16th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

With Franz Engstler and Charles Ng on board, and a BMW 320 TC at their disposal, it's a case of business as usual for the Engstler squad.

The team is well versed in the Independents - now Yokohama - ranks, with Engstler himself finishing inside the top four in the past five seasons and the team claiming overall glory through Kristian Poulsen in 2011.

More will be expected of Ng given he now has a full season in the WTCC behind him, although the drift ace is yet to demonstrate the same knack Engstler has for grafting results.

Bamboo-Engineering
Car: Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

#9. Alex MacDowall (GB) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2012
Starts: 24
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 5th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

#14. James Nash (GB) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2012
Starts: 23
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 20th in WTCC

Alex MacDowall made a habit of flying under the radar last year, quietly working his way to fifth in the Yokohama standings in what was his first season in the WTCC.

A brace of fifth places and a second-row starting berth at Suzuka - when he was flanked by his works Chevrolet cousins - were standout moments. With the benefit of a year's experience, the Briton could be a serious contender for silverware this season.

Signing James Nash was a good move by Bamboo. The 27-year-old, like MacDowall with a year of experience behind him, joins after outscoring team-mate Chilton in what was a tough debut with Ford.

In a more pliable Cruze, and with Bamboo's - and ex-BAR Formula 1 chief engineer Steve Farrell's - expertise behind him, expect a far more robust challenge in 2013.

ROAL Motorsport
Car: BMW 320 TC

#15. Tom Coronel (NL)
WTCC debut: 2005
Starts: 176
Wins: 2
Poles: -
2012: 5th in WTCC

#55. Darryl O'Young (HK) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2010
Starts: 67
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 6th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy, Bathurst 12 Hours winner

A 10kg weight break for the BMW 320 is a small but significant boost to ROAL Motorsport, which has been a mainstay of the championship top five for the past two seasons through Dutchman Tom Coronel.

Through no fault of its own that may be harder to achieve in 2013 due to the likely pace of Honda, RML and Munnich Motorsport, but Coronel is more than just a safe pair of hands and is a good bet for a handful of podiums at the least.

As for the second car, that's been taken by Darryl O'Young, who rounded out a truncated 2012 with a double Yokohama victory at the Macau season finale. The 32-year-old has three years of experience at this level, but abandoning front-wheel drive for the first time could take some getting used to.

NIKA Racing
Car: Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

#17. Michel Nykjaer (DK) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2009
Starts: 50
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 3rd in STCC, 2 WTCC starts

The marriage of two frontrunning Scandinavian Touring Cars forces could be a potent mix in 2013.

For NIKA Racing there are two years of running Chevrolet's official STCC entry to draw upon, while Michel Nykjaer arrives on the back of five victories and third overall in the same series.

If Rickard Rydell's one-off Monza appearance was anything to go by, team and driver should easily be in the mix for Yokohama honours, with the odd podium not beyond possibility.

Campos Racing
Car: SEAT Leon WTCC

#19. Fernando Monje (E) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2012
Starts: 12
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: ETC Cup champion, 12 WTCC starts

#20. Hugo Valente (F) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2012
Starts: 2
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: SEAT Copa France runner-up, 2 WTCC starts

If names won titles, Campos Racing wouldn't be far off.

Revived in 2011, the eponymous operation has fielded cars in Auto GP and Formula 3 before its move into World Tourers. Merging with ex-SEAT factory team SUNRED, whose chief Joan Orus will head up the touring car programme, is also a strong move.

And while Fernando Monje and Hugo Valente may lack experience - they boast just 14 WTCC starts between them - they also looked handy in 2012. Valente finished runner-up in the SEAT Copa France, while Monje triumphed in the ETC Cup, winning six of the eight races. In other words, both drivers and team could spring a surprise or two.

Proteam Motorsport
Car: BMW 320 TC

#25. Mehdi Bennani (MA) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2009
Starts: 79
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 7th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

Since his debut in 2009 Mehdi Bennani has made steady progress in the WTCC and, entering a third straight season with Proteam, a Yokohama championship top five is the stated aim.

An outright podium in Hungary last year suggests that could be on the cards, but cutting out the wild form swings - like finishing fourth one round and 17th the next - will be essential.

Special Tuning Racing
Car: SEAT Leon WTCC

#22. Tom Boardman (GB) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2008
Starts: 45
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 10th in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

Starting 2013 as Special Tuning's sole focus should help avoid a repeat of last year's teething problems, with Tom Boardman having to miss the season-opener and then use an older turbodiesel engine in the early stages.

When he did have the right equipment, there were hints of progress, particularly the run of three top 10s in the final four events.

Pushing on from that won't be easy, but Boardman isn't a slouch and Darryl O'Young's exit could work in his favour.

PB Racing
Car: BMW 320 TC

#26. Stefano d'Aste (I) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2005
Starts: 153
Wins: 2
Poles: -
2012: 3rd in WTCC Yokohama Trophy

The only non-Chevrolet man to win more than once last year, Stefano D'Aste has taken a massive step into the unknown and will race for his own team in 2013.

While Monza could be a baptism of fire, we'll have to wait for the season to unravel further before establishing which of sink or swim D'Aste falls into.

Staying with BMW should at least help lessen the plunge, although hiring staff and buying equipment might prove a difficult fit to racing duties.

Wiechers-Sport
Car: BMW 320 TC

#26. Fredy Barth (CH) (Y)
WTCC debut: 2010
Starts: 46
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: 4 WTCC starts

Fredy Barth's previous full campaigns have been at the wheel of SEATs, but after Stefano d'Aste's departure he steps into the Wiechers void - and behind the wheel of a BMW - for the first time in World Tourers.

Performances last year - including reverse-grid wins in Austria and Japan - show Wiechers has a good handle on the 320, but whether Barth can match that is another issue. A disjointed 2012, when he raced in five different series, won't help, although a brace of eighth places at Macau does at least give him some momentum heading into 2013.

Tuenti Racing
Car: SEAT Leon WTCC

#74. Pepe Oriola (E)
WTCC debut: 2011
Starts: 48
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: WTCC Yokohama Trophy runner-up

The name stays but the team's make-up is markedly different, with Tuenti and Pepe Oriola breaking from SUNRED to form their own outfit in 2013.

What that move will do for a man whose star shone brightly in last year's world championship remains to be seen. The bar will be set high though: a runner-up finisher in the Yokohama Trophy, Oriola is also the youngest man in history to score a WTCC rostrum following his second place at the Algarve.

Anome*
Car: BMW 320 TC

#13. Jean-Philippe Dayraut (F) (Y)
WTCC debut: -
Starts: -
Wins: -
Poles: -
2012: Andros Trophy champion

Anome is the only race-by-race entry confirmed for the season-opener at Monza, but still harbours a desire to convert its Italian bow into a full-time programme.

Much will rest on the shoulders of Jean-Philippe Dayraut, who has won four of the past five Andros Trophy ice-racing contests.

Dayraut has already tested at Nogaro and Monza, but the team faces a mighty challenge to be competitive come the weekend.

*Race-by-race entry
(Y) Yokohama Trophy