Fisichella forced out after huge shunt
Formula 1 star Giancarlo Fisichella's one-off return to touring cars in this weekend's ETCC finale at Monza ended in disaster when his car was virtually written-off in qualifying

Brazilian GP winner Fisichella, drafted in to support Alfa Romeo's title push for Gabriele Tarquini, only added to the marque's disastrous Saturday, when three of its five drivers crashed without setting a flying lap in qualifying.
"I desperately wished to race," said Fisichella. "I'm very upset. My ETCC debut couldn't be more unlucky. I went out for qualifying with only a few laps in the practice on new tyres, and I lost the car at the Ascari. I oversteered, but the car swung and hit the barrier. I'm so sorry for me and for Alfa."
While Fisichella's car was irreparable, Nicola Larini's has been fixed after he too shunted heavily at Ascari. The 156 Gta of Tarquini, who also went off at the same corner, was undamaged in his crash.
Team manager Monica Sipsz said: "It was a real nightmare. We lost Fisichella right at the beginning and the Larini and Tarquini at the same time as soon as the session resumed. The team did their job, preparing the cars in the proper way. Then when they are out of the garages, it's up to the drivers... Luckily Tarquini's car is unscathed, but Fisichella's car was nearly broken in two."
It hasn't been plain sailing for BMW on raceday morning, either. Pole sitter Jorg Muller set only the 18th fastest lap in warm-up: "When I tried to push a bit I had a flat tyre. But the car was OK, and there were no reasons to take risks."
Title rival Tarquini was third fastest in the warm-up but starts today's first race from the back of the grid.
Latest news
Honda responds to Volvo WTCC organisation claims
JAS Motorsport's Alessandro Mariani says he was "amazed" by Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin's suggestion that Volvo's structure compared to Honda was key to its 2017 World Touring Car Championship success
Volvo reckons team structure defeated Honda in 2017 WTCC
Polestar head of motorsport Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin says Volvo's organisation compared to World Touring Car Championship rival Honda was vital to its 2017 title success
WTCR's 26-car limit is protect 'quality' says series chief Ribeiro
The World Touring Car Cup's limit on full-season entries will ensure a level of "quality" and avoid "difficulties" arising from local drivers competing, says Eurosport Events chief Francois Ribeiro
Merger of WTCC and TCR should have happened two years earlier
The World Touring Car Championship's move to adopt TCR regulations should have happened "at least two years earlier", says veteran WTCC racer Tom Coronel
Why joker laps are entering the mainstream
This season the World Touring Car Championship looks certain to bring joker laps to a circuit-racing world championship for the first time. And it need not be the daft gimmick people may think
The making of the world's best tin-top driver
He has been overshadowed at Citroen for the last three seasons, but the retirement of Yvan Muller means the world says farewell to one of touring-car racing's finest talents
Volvo's plan to conquer the WTCC
Volvo gave the World Touring Car Championship a major boost when it announced it would enter the series, but its ambitions don't stop there. JACK COZENS examines its programme, the S60 and what its arrival means for the WTCC
The WTCC's Nordschleife gamble paid off
A 17-car field on a 13-mile track - the WTCC's Nurburgring Nordschleife gamble wasn't going to be easy to pull off. STUART CODLING explains how the series made it work
Insight from a Nordschleife master
World championship racing returns to the Nordschleife this weekend. STUART CODLING got a lesson from one of the legendary track's few masters
Becoming world champion for £100k
The 2012 World Touring Car champion says he never had the money to race cars. Yet 2015 is his 11th season in the WTCC. He talks STUART CODLING through his journey from motorsport fan to paid professional - for little more than £100,000
Can the vanquished champion bounce back?
The World Touring Car Championship kicks off in Argentina this weekend, and Yvan Muller bids to reclaim his throne from Citroen team-mate Jose Maria Lopez. He talks to STUART CODLING
The top 10 WTCC drivers of 2014
Citroen had no rivals during the 2014 World Touring Car Championship, and 'rookie' Jose Maria Lopez hit the ground running to emerge as a worthy champion. PETER MILLS rates the field