Vauxhall Retain Muller and Thompson for 2003

Andy H · 31 Oct 2002, 11:24 (Ref:418295)

to be announced tommorow at the motorshow if autosport.com is to be believed

sazzle · 31 Oct 2002, 11:48 (Ref:418316)

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

mr neal deserves mullers seat, is muller going for how many times can he can come second?????

Jimeth · 31 Oct 2002, 12:18 (Ref:418345)

No, i'd say he's going for the title again....

Steven Gray · 31 Oct 2002, 13:22 (Ref:418468)

This is the happiest moment in my life I cannot believe Yvan Muller has stayed for Touring Cars instead of going to SEAT in the ETCC I still cannot believe it In your face SAZZLE

Claire · 31 Oct 2002, 13:32 (Ref:418482)

Not bothered about Muller if he wants to come 2nd for the 3rd year in a row that is up to him but it's great to know that James will be back to defend his title and have a good chance of retaining it, although I think the MG's and Honda's will be giving Vauxhall a hard time next season.

kykiske · 31 Oct 2002, 14:24 (Ref:418536)

i agree. its great to have a champion back for once!

Speeddemon555 · 31 Oct 2002, 14:40 (Ref:418544)

What about Matt Neal and Paul O'Neill in the second two car Astra Coupe factory team?

redshoes · 31 Oct 2002, 15:06 (Ref:418554)

It's official now

Quote:

Vauxhall's Dynamic Duo will be back!

Vauxhall Motors is today firing the first warning shots across the bows of its rivals for the coveted 2003 British Touring Car Championship titles with the confirmation of its driver line-up.

The Luton marque can now confirm that touring car stars, 2002 Champion, James Thompson and Frenchman, Yvan Muller, will return next season behind the wheels of Vauxhall Motorsport's all-conquering 2.0-litre Astra Coupé BTCC race cars.

In what will be their second consecutive season as teammates, the pair have been tasked with spearheading Vauxhall's campaign to become the first manufacturer in the history of the BTCC to secure the Manufacturers', Teams' and Drivers' titles three years running.

The defence of its titles will be even more poignant as 2003 marks not only Vauxhall's fifteenth consecutive year in the series, but also its centenary year.

Mike Nicholson, Vauxhall Motorsport Operations Manager said: "We are delighted to have retained the services of both Yvan and James. They were a formidable team this year and were instrumental in enabling us to successfully defend our Manufacturers' and Teams' titles. I challenge the other teams to field a stronger driver line-up."

Nicholson concluded: "All that remains now is to knuckle down over the winter season in order to stay one step ahead of the competition as we have every intention of repeating our successes next year!"

York's 28-year-old hero, Thompson clinched his first ever BTCC title this year with Vauxhall and is thrilled to be back, commenting;

"I'm very pleased to be continuing with the team again. Not only do I think it's important to have continuity but there is no doubt that Vauxhall is the best place to be next year to defend my Drivers' title. I'm confident that the Astra Coupé BTCC race car will continue to be a winner and am looking forward to helping Vauxhall retain the Manufacturers' and Teams' titles."

Muller, twice runner-up in the BTCC, joins the team for a fifth consecutive season. The 33-year-old from Alsace, who took the 2002 title fight right down to the wire, is widely regarded as one of the best touring car drivers in the business.

Vauxhall Motorsport's two race-going Astra Coupés will again be built and run by its existing race partner, Triple Eight Race Engineering.

James Thompson and Yvan Muller will both be present on Motorsport Days of the British International Motorshow (Birmingham NEC). They will be available to meet the public and sign autograph cards at the main Vauxhall stand at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm on both Friday and Saturday (November 1-2).

Source: Vauxhall Motorsport

speedy king · 31 Oct 2002, 15:51 (Ref:418583)

Great to see Thompson return to defend his title!!First time since Ryckard Rydell in the Volvo, champion of 1998!!

**Craig** · 31 Oct 2002, 17:24 (Ref:418653)

Excellent! This is one thing I didn't think would happen so I'm well pleased! One thing is for sure - there'll be fireworks next year!

**touringlegend** · 31 Oct 2002, 19:26 (Ref:418736)

Suprised Yvan's stuck around, but I had a feeling James would stay on.

At least we'll have one BTCC champion on the grid in 2003, and to have the reigning champ is even better.

Steven Gray · 31 Oct 2002, 19:28 (Ref:418740)

Yvan Never leaves hi number 1 fan

Carrie · 31 Oct 2002, 20:31 (Ref:418797)

Great news, really glad to hear that. Things are looking good for next year. Now, how many months do we still have to wait?????

Tim Harvey Fan · 31 Oct 2002, 20:47 (Ref:418819)

This year I think Muller will take the championship

kristof14 · 1 Nov 2002, 00:51 (Ref:418998)

great news!!!! i have a question, why are the vauxhalls always left hand drive??????

redshoes · 1 Nov 2002, 09:15 (Ref:419162)

Most UK circuts go clockwise (i.e. mostly right hand turns). A left hand drive car is better balanced when turning right.... apparantly

sazzle · 1 Nov 2002, 10:45 (Ref:419214)

The cars are left hand drive because the driver weight has to be as low down and far back as possible and it gives them a better veiw past the A pillar when driving round the circuits which are right handed(as said before)

racing4real · 1 Nov 2002, 16:28 (Ref:419539)

so I suppose they are really the Opel works team then...

kristof14 · 2 Nov 2002, 00:29 (Ref:419945)

aaaaaaaaaah very cunning! why don't the other manufacturers do this or are they proud to be British? (yes i know Hondas Japanese but they are built in Swindon!)

Steven Gray · 2 Nov 2002, 16:50 (Ref:420246)

que??

alfanano · 2 Nov 2002, 17:44 (Ref:420271)

Interesting thoughts… but Vauxhall haven’t always been left hookers. The Cavalier was RHD - I thought Vauxhall went LHD when the development of the Vectra was Opel led. Not sure about LHD going round right hand tracks better – do the current rules allow the drivers position to be further back than on the road car - as per Super Touring?

On a similar but slightly different point, I have always wondered why the vast majority of sports racing cars are RHD, no matter where they come from (Ferrari, Alfa, Porsche etc). I know that Audi and Panoz haven’t followed this trend but Caddy did. By the way these RHD cars are designed to run at Le Mans, a right hand track….. (sorry if I’ve gone too far away from Touring cars!).

Nissan · 2 Nov 2002, 17:53 (Ref:420278)

Confirming the point of Sazzle, at a recent Vauxhall test day CCC's mark Hales test drove and dropped into the kitty litter one of the 888 Astras, in the report he stated that the reason for being LHD was to allow the driver to see past the A pillar due to the drivers seat being further back than on the standard car !!!

Mocko · 2 Nov 2002, 21:36 (Ref:420387)

The seat and steering wheel position should be the same as the road car.

sazzle · 7 Nov 2002, 14:26 (Ref:423821)

the cars are really opel, because vauxhalls are not built in this country anymore. Maybe thats another reason why they are LHD when the cavalier was in the championship the cars were built in the UK and therefore RHD.

Perhaps the other teams should adopt this and maybe vauxhall wont run away with the championship again!

Steven Gray · 7 Nov 2002, 18:16 (Ref:424001)

Que???

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