Loeb VWs ready for Slovakia after WTCR crash but Thompson missing
Sebastien Loeb Racing has completed Rob Huff and Mehdi Bennani's new Volkswagen Golf GTIs time for this weekend's Slovakia Ring World Touring Car Cup round after the Vila Real crash
The pair triggered a multi-car accident on the opening lap of last month's first Vila Real race when they collided at the front of the field, which resulted in the race being stopped for two hours.
Huff and Bennani were both taken to hospital for precautionary checks and later released, but their Golf GTIs were both written off in the accident.
SLR received two new TCR-spec cars from VW to be built up shortly after the Portugal round, and both cars were ready in time for the start of Friday morning's first practice session.
It is not yet know whether Huff and Bennani will serve grid penalties for engine changes.
Each car is only permitted one engine for the entire WTCR season and any change automatically resulting in a car being sent to the back of the grid for the next race it contests, except in a case of force majeure.
While Huff and Bennani are able to compete in Slovakia, the Munnich Motorsport Honda squad will be limited to two cars for the weekend.
James Thompson, whose original deal was only supposed to cover the opening five rounds of the season, is unavailable for the event and Honda said repair work required for all three of the team's Civics left it short of time to "test and prepare a replacement driver".
That reduces the field to 26 cars, which is bolstered by wildcard entrants Andy Studenic and European Touring Car champion Petr Fulin.
Previous article
WTCR investigating expanding joker lap use to more 2018 races
Next article
Slovakia WTCR: Gabriele Tarquini leads Hyundai qualifying dominance
About this article
| Series | WTCR |
| Drivers | Sébastien Loeb , James Thompson |
| Author | Jack Cozens |
The tin-top champion who doesn't know the meaning of retirement
The news is out that three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx is stepping down from full-time racing. But he's still got plenty of mileage left him in yet, and his son has much more
The phoenix driver who is at peace with his defeats
Esteban Guerrieri spent years trying to make it in single-seaters, and came closer than you'd think to making it to F1. Now he's forging a successful tin-top career, but it's his philosophical approach to defeat and personal growth that is truly impressive
The surprise team orders twisting a world title battle
Team orders in major touring car racing are nothing unusual with manufacturer honour at stake. But in the 2019 World Touring Cars title fight, one team is raising eyebrows with the choices it is making
The 'weapon' clash that turned a world title battle bitter
Emotions ran high at Suzuka last weekend between two teams gunning for global tin-top bragging rights, and little has been done to cool those tensions since. While that's great news for WTCR, is there a danger of both outfits losing sight of their main aim?
How WTCR's last real independent has stayed in play
The World Touring Car Cup has gone from strength to strength for 2019 - but one small team in particular is proving time and again that it merits a place alongside the series' big hitters
The lessons World Touring Cars must heed from history
The WTCR has made a massive step up in quality ahead of its second season in its current format, but as manufacturers start to lock horns is it already in danger of repeating other great touring car series' mistakes?
A world champion in waiting's tortuous path to recovery
Tiago Monteiro seemed destined to win the World Touring Car Championship last year, until a huge testing crash halted his charge. After early whispers of a swift racing return, he recounts his arduous (and incomplete) road to recovery
Why a world championship made the ultimate sacrifice
A rulebook scrapped with two-thirds of its planned existence remaining and the disintegration of a 'world championship' - yet everyone's a winner from one of modern motorsport's greatest acts of martyrdom
