Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Chevrolet promises three drivers free to fight for 2012 WTCC title

Chevrolet's trio of World Touring Car title challengers will be free to race unrestrained for the remainder of the season following the marque's clinching of the manufacturers' title in Japan last weekend

Ray Mallock, chief executive of the RML Group, has given Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Alain Menu the green light to race wheel-to-wheel in the intra-team championship fight.

The three were involved in two accidents in the opening round of the season at Monza, with Huff putting Menu into the gravel in race one and then tapping Muller into a spin in the second contest.

The drivers were debriefed following those incidents and overtaking attempts staged between the works Chevrolets have since been a rarity - a situation that could change given Mallock's insistence that team orders will not be implemented.

"With the manufacturers' championship secured, all three drivers will of course be free to race for the title," he said.

"As always, RML will be preparing absolutely equal equipment for China and Macau, [but] it is so tight that even a minute mistake from one of them will decide the title."

Muller and Huff have remained equal on points at the head of the standings for the last two rounds, while victory in the opening race in Japan allowed Menu to close to within 38 points of the lead pair.

"It's still a perfect status quo at the top of the championship," Muller explained.

"That's fine by me, and is going to make the final two rounds even more exciting."

Muller and Huff claimed to be content with their results at Suzuka, finishing on the lower steps of the podium in race one.

"I'm very happy with the way the weekend went, even though I did not have spectacular results," said three-time WTCC champion Muller, who secured second and sixth positions in two tight races.

Menu, who was denied a likely victory at Sonoma owing to power-steering failure, believes he still has a shot at the title.

Some 110 points are on offer over the final two rounds, but Menu is aware he needs to make up ground urgently.

"[Japan] was definitely a good weekend for me with a repeat of last year's victory," he said.

"Additionally, I leave Suzuka in a better position in the championship. As I reduced the gap from Yvan and Rob by 10 points, I think I am still very much in contention for the drivers' title.

"It is really unfortunate that I had the setback in Sonoma - without that I would be much closer to them."

The penultimate round of the championship takes place at Shanghai on November 4.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Suzuka WTCC: Stefano D'Aste takes lights to flag race two win
Next article Alan Gow on the future of the WTCC

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe