[WTCC] 2014 WTCC speculation, rumours and news

[Bramzel]

Well, his biggest downfall is that he isn't French... Lack of nationalism is something the French aren't exactly known for.

Citroën mentions though that they're interested in the top-3 of last years championship, so that would include Huff.

“The idea is to have a driver with a lot of experience in touring cars, who was in a position to win the championship in the past season,” Citroën Racing Team Principal Yves Matton told TouringCarTimes. “For sure the three drivers who finished on the podium last year on my short-list,” he added.

http://www.touringcartimes.com/2013/...cers-for-2014/

[hcch]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

If Renault will use RML they won't need AON I think. They'll want to retain Muller (wise), if they're smart they keep Oriola (guess they won't) but I'm pretty sure Chilton would get the boot for another Frenchman.

Why not, now every works team had a title sponsor

Honda - Castrol
Lada - LukOil
Citroen - TOTAL

[iceman-1987]

i wonder when lotti will understand that street circuit are not suitable and safe for wtcc cars!!!
every time that there is an accident the car is always destroyed!!
sunday at porto i saw 2 boring races without any kind of show!!!

wtcc doesnt need to race in a street circuit to increase number of supporter!! it's just enough to go in country full of passion for motorsport!!
portugal has wonderfull track as estoril and portimao so why they dont decide to race always in one of those 2!!

[Sodemo]

Macau is always quite good though, so it does depend on the track.

[porsche962fan]

seems a bit narrowsided from Citroen/ Renault

there are still ace drivers without a drive like Giovanardi and Rydell

[redshoes]

It's as much about practicalities as it is about nationalism. Citroen will be a French team with a French driver and French mechanics. No surprise what language the team will using in the garage most of the time.

No matter how good Huff is, it's very difficult to develop a car when driver and team struggle to clearly communicate with each other.

[auroan]

I would say Huff is pretty much out of the picture for the citroen drive. It's this bit of the quote that I think means either Yvan or Allain;

“The idea is to have a driver with a lot of experience in touring cars, who was in a position to win the championship in the past season,”

[Rubio]

From my point of view ideal line-ups would be:

If 2 cars per works team
Honda - Tarquini, monteiro with Michelisz replacing someone in the near future
Citroen - Loeb, Huff (though not likely)
Renault - Muller, Oriola
Lada - Thompson, Kozlovskiy

If 3 car teams
Honda - Michelisz, Tarquini, Monteiro
Citroen - Loeb, Kubica, Menu
Renault - Muller, Huff, Oriola
Lada - Thompson, Kozlovskiy, Nykjaer/Nash

But that's just a bit of fantasy. We'll see how it will be in the end. And I hope Renault does join the championship for real

[Rubio]

Confirmation of what was written before here about 2014 rules:
http://www.touringcartimes.com/2013/...l-regulations/

Compensation weight remains however, but there will be no more waivers

[iceman-1987]

how do they think to increase the engine performance?? IMHO this is a wrong idea because it is not a thing that indipendent team can do without manufacture help!

bmw is already the lower engine and there is not possibility to update that engine. chevy left the series as well and so they wont update their engine and seat must still decide what to do.

im not sure but i think that the engine is the only thing that indipendent team cant modify so if we want allow to all teams to change their cars into 2014 regulation they should not modify the actual perfomance of the engine!

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by iceman-1987

how do they think to increase the engine performance?? IMHO this is a wrong idea because it is not a thing that indipendent team can do without manufacture help!

bmw is already the lower engine and there is not possibility to update that engine. chevy left the series as well and so they wont update their engine and seat must still decide what to do.

im not sure but i think that the engine is the only thing that indipendent team cant modify so if we want allow to all teams to change their cars into 2014 regulation they should not modify the actual perfomance of the engine!

That Chevrolet engine is by RML, not Chevrolet. They can upgrade it if the teams pay for it.

The only car which wouldn't get an engine upgrade then is perhaps the BMW, which being a car introduced in 2006 is hardly a priority for the series.

[I Rosputnik]

Lada's going back to the Priora? Should be interesting to see what the new version will be like. It's a pity they are only going with two cars but hopefully things might change in the future.

[auroan]

I don't think we'll see Renault in WTCC. I know it's a tenuous link... but most of AutoVAZ (nee Lada) lineup are re-badged or part developed Renault/Dacia(s).

[iceman-1987]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Lada's going back to the Priora? Should be interesting to see what the new version will be like. It's a pity they are only going with two cars but hopefully things might change in the future.

to build a more ugly car than old priora it will be really difficult!

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by hcch

Why not, now every works team had a title sponsor

Honda - Castrol
Lada - LukOil
Citroen - TOTAL

Of course it helps, and in case of Lada and Citroën it might be decisive. Chevrolet didn't need one though, and Honda would survive without Castrol as well I think. Another point is that sponsors of factory teams have mostly been tech-partners in the past. Castrol, Lukoil and Total are oil suppliers, as was Repsol back in the days with SEAT. Aon isn't.

I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm saying its highly unlikely.

[Rubio]

Title sponsorship is not the decisive factor but I think it's important cause it saves a bit of budget though. Which may be important considering increased costs.

Agree about Aon. Don't think they really need it. Plus there is Oriola with Tuenti.

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by redshoes

It's as much about practicalities as it is about nationalism. Citroen will be a French team with a French driver and French mechanics. No surprise what language the team will using in the garage most of the time.

No matter how good Huff is, it's very difficult to develop a car when driver and team struggle to clearly communicate with each other.

Sure thing, but what nationality are his current team....not British!

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

Sure thing, but what nationality are his current team....not British!

Arguably though Huff's not there developing that car...Muller, Gene, Rydell, Tarquini, Thompson, Monteiro etc. have already done that since 2005...he just needs to drive it.

[NaBUru38]

Even the Swedish Dacia looks better than Ladas.

"if something is possible we will try to bring [Kubica] for at least one event"

Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Russia?

[NaBUru38]

About the 2014 rules

o- No in-season balance of performance is great news! Of course they need waivers and base weights to have a proper baseline.
o- Compensation weight... it will be good or bad depends on how strong or soft it is. Too much, and it will be a joke. Too little, and it may get to boring. Plus, it must be fair.
o- Maximum width of 1950 mm, engine output of 380bhp, 18" wheels: cars will likeply look great.

Whether a modified BMW 320 TC would be allowed to compete without BMW development was asked, and Lotti’s view was: “This is something that depends on what the FIA decide

That sucks! I mean, anyone should be abled to develop their own cars. Yes, they may be too slow, but it's better than no BMWs at all!

[helgi]

Originally Posted by auroan

I don't think we'll see Renault in WTCC. I know it's a tenuous link... but most of AutoVAZ (nee Lada) lineup are re-badged or part developed Renault/Dacia(s).

Never saw rebadged or developed Renault in Lada lineup. They only had Dacia Lada Largus which doesn't suit racing because there's no TWR somewhere near.

[helmat]

Lotti in touringcartimes:

...and also we are working with a different brand with which the team can prepare some customer programmes with the new regulations.

Would it be completely unrealistic that BMW tells their customer teams "develop a 1-series according to the new regs, we'll give you limited support"? ROAL motorsports, for example, have quite some knowledge in that area and I'm sure that there are other BMW teams that would be interested. All the teams put their effort (and money) in and go for it. If AON could pull that off with their Fords why not all the BMW teams together?
The NGTC Version of the 1-series looks great and I'm sure a four door version would look equally awesome.

[Metzo]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

No one mentioning Rob Huff's name for the 2014 rumours. A shame.

But I do not want to bring that up again....

i guess he will stay at Münnich Motorsport which is likely to become the new Seat worksteam.

[awrb]

Originally Posted by hcch

Why not, now every works team had a title sponsor

Honda - Castrol
Lada - LukOil
Citroen - TOTAL

I wouldn't be surprised if the Citroëns are funded by red bull and total. PSA are doing particularly badly at the moment so I imagine the months it took them to decide whether to enter were spent finding funding. Red Bull sponsored Loeb in the WRC and at pikes peak, and he's a big enough name for them to back. I just can't see PSA stumping up all the money for this. They need some good marking though, more than ever, so hopefully this will be a success for them while they rebuild.

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Arguably though Huff's not there developing that car...Muller, Gene, Rydell, Tarquini, Thompson, Monteiro etc. have already done that since 2005...he just needs to drive it.

I feel like a Huff apologist, I'm not. Are you forgetting that Huff was there from the start to the end of the Chevy programme...that's car development.