One win each for Muller and Huff, Menu twice 2nd
Chevrolet posted another great result in the WTCC championship, winning both races and claiming five of six podium places in Curitiba, Brazil, on Sunday.Yvan Muller, Alain Menu and Rob Huff signed off the sixth triple win of the year in Race 1, while Huff and Menu made it a 1-2 in Race 2, with Yvan finishing 4th.
The Bamboo Engineering Cruzes confirmed the excellent results in qualifying, taking 5th and 6th in Race 1 with Michel Nykjr and Alex McDowall respectively. The Dane clinchedanother points finish (6th) in the second race.
Race 1 saw the three Cruzes of Muller, Menu, Huff comfortably keep the top places conquered in the qualifying. The Cruzes started from positions 8, 9 and 10 in Race 2 and the fight was immediately intense with Huff, Menu and Muller crawling up the leaderboard. In lap 10, Huff took the lead from SEAT driver Gabriele Tarquini. Three laps later, Menu also passed the Italian to take 2nd, while Muller finished two places behind. Chevrolet further increased its advantage in the Manufacturers standings, while the fight for the Drivers crown was thrown wide open with a mere 27 points separating the three Chevrolet drivers.
The WTCC is now taking a break before the most-awaited event of the year: on 21-23 September, the worlds top touring car series will head to Sonoma in California, the first everseries race in the United States.
QUOTES
Rob Huff (3rd/1st): Its very nice to win for the third time this year and reducing, albeit by onlyone point, the gap with Yvan in the standings. I was a little bit disappointed with 3rd position inRace 1, but there is nothing you can do when you are behind Yvan and Alain.
In Race 2, everything went wonderfully. We changed the set-up slightly in between racesand the car was just fantastic, I could really put it where I wanted. The move on Gabriele wasgreat and I am very happy of this winits just what I needed.
Yvan Muller (1st/4th): Its not a bad weekend at all as we leave Brazil with a relative statusquo in the championship. Winning Race 1 may have seemed easy on TV, but it wasnt as wewere all extremely close and the pace was quite fast.
In Race 2, I gained some positions at the start, but then Alain and Rob seemed to have alittle bit more of speed than me. I got stuck behind Tarquini, but 4th is not a bad result.
Alain Menu (2nd/2nd): I am happy with the two 2nd places, although I would have liked to win.In Race 1, I pushed to overtake Yvan, but he made no mistakes and it would have been toorisky to attack him.In Race 2, I had the car to win but Rob pulled away by the time I overtook Gabriele(Tarquini), one which I consider my best ever in my WTCC career. Thats my take away fromBrazil.
Eric Nve: Its another great day for the team, the drivers and all of us, a day emblematic ofChevrolets eight-year journey in the championship. Thats what I was thinking when Iclimbed on the podium and thats why I got a little bit emotional. Its a champagne showerthat I will remember.
CURITIBA RACE 1 RESULT1. Y Muller Chevrolet Cruze 15 laps in 22m05s5492. A Menu Chevrolet Cruze + 0s3983. R Huff Chevrolet Cruze + 0s9334. G Tarquini SEAT Len WTCC + 2s7675. M Nykjr Chevrolet Cruze + 5s6566. A McDowall Chevrolet Cruze + 6s639
CURITIBA RACE 2 RESULTS1. R Huff Chevrolet Cruze 16 laps in 23m49s7502. A Menu Chevrolet Cruze + 1s0993. G Tarquini SEAT Len WTCC + 1s4964. Y Muller Chevrolet Cruze + 1s7585. N Michelisz BMW 320 TC + 4s9586. M Nykjr Chevrolet Cruze + 4s95811. A McDowall Chevrolet Cruze +16s263
WTCC DRIVERS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 16 OF 241. Muller (Chevrolet), 287; 2. Huff (Chevrolet), 270; 3. Menu (Chevrolet), 250; 4. Tarquini(SEAT), 162 ; 5. Coronel (BMW), 150 ; 13. McDowall (Chevrolet), 36; 15. Nykjr(Chevrolet), 20; 17. Rydell (Chevrolet), 14;
WTCC MANUFACTURERS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 16 OF 241. Chevrolet, 673 points; 2. BMW, 430; 3. SEAT, 425.
NEXT RACE: Race of United States, Sonoma, 21-23 September 2012.
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