2008 World Touring Car Championship

The 2008 World Touring Car Championship season was the fifth World Touring Car Championship season, the fourth since its 2005 return. It began on 2 March, and ended on 16 November, after twenty-four races. The championship, which was open to Super 2000 Cars and Diesel 2000 Cars, was composed of the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Drivers and the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Manufacturers.[1]

Yvan Muller (front) and SEAT won the 2008 championships, succeeding Andy Priaulx (behind) and BMW.

Frenchman Yvan Muller won the Drivers title by 26 points from SEAT team-mate Gabriele Tarquini, with Chevrolet's Robert Huff finishing third just a point behind Tarquini. The Manufacturers Championship was awarded to SEAT.

Teams and drivers

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Andy Priaulx, BMW 320si, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch
 
Alain Menu, Chevrolet Lacetti, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch
 
Gabriele Tarquini, SEAT León TDI, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch
 
James Thompson, Honda Accord Euro R, 2008 WTCC round, Imola
 
Tom Coronel, SEAT León TFSI, 2008 WTCC round, Okayama
 
Jaap van Lagen, Lada 110 2.0, 2008 WTCC round, Brands Hatch

The full season entry list.[2]

Team Car No. Drivers Rounds
Manufacturer Teams
  BMW Team UK BMW 320si 1   Andy Priaulx All
  BMW Team Germany 2   Jörg Müller All
3   Augusto Farfus Jr. All
  BMW Team Italy-Spain 4   Alessandro Zanardi All
5   Félix Porteiro All
  Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Lacetti 6   Nicola Larini All
7   Robert Huff All
8   Alain Menu All
  SEAT Sport SEAT León TDI 9   Jordi Gené All
10   Rickard Rydell All
11   Gabriele Tarquini All
12   Yvan Muller All
  N.technology Honda Accord Euro R 15   James Thompson 3–12
  SEAT Sport SEAT León TDI 18   Tiago Monteiro All
  SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 20   Tom Coronel All
  SEAT Sport SEAT León 21   José Manuel Pérez-Aicart 3
Yokohama Trophy
  Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW 320si 13   Ibrahim Okyay All
  Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 16   Olivier Tielemans 1–3, 5–6, 8
  SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 22   Michal Matejovský 5
  Exagon Engineering SEAT León 23   Pierre-Yves Corthals 1–10
  Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si 26   Stefano D'Aste 1–11
  Russian Bears Motorsport Lada 110 2.0 27   Kirill Ladygin 9–12
28   Viktor Shapovalov 3–12
29   Jaap van Lagen 3–12
  Scuderia Proteam Motorsport BMW 320si 31   Sergio Hernández All
  SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 32   Oscar Nogués 4
  Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 33   Laurent Cazenave 4
  Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320si 42   Franz Engstler All
43   Andrey Romanov 1–6, 8–12
  Petrol GT Racing Team BMW 320si 45   Georgi Tanev 8–10
  Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 12
  Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 49   Duncan Huisman 8
  Golden Motors Honda Accord Euro R 54   Aleksandr Lvov 3, 5
55   Andrey Smetsky 3, 5
  Poulsen Motorsport BMW 320si 60   Kristian Poulsen 6–8
  Wiechers-Sport 10
  Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW 320si 62   Aytaç Biter 7–8
  SUNRED Engineering SEAT León 75   Norbert Michelisz 11
76   Lourenço Beirão da Veiga 7
77   Tom Boardman 6
78   Marin Čolak 8
79   Duarte Félix da Costa 10
Asian Wild Card Entries
  Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 17   Takayuki Aoki 10–12
  N.technology Honda Accord Euro R 66   André Couto 12
  Thunder Asia Racing BMW 320si 69   Melvin Choo 11–12
  N.technology Honda Accord Euro R 72   Yukinori Taniguchi 10–11
  Chevrolet RML Chevrolet Lacetti 80   Manabu Orido 10–12
  Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320i 81   Masaki Kano 11–12
  Wiechers-Sport BMW 320si 88   Matthew Marsh 11–12
Guest Drivers
  Volvo Olsbergs Green Racing Volvo C30 63   Robert Dahlgren 7

Note: Macau-based RPM Racing Team had planned to race one Toyota Altezza and one Honda Civic Type-R for Macanese drivers Lei Kit Meng and Jo Rosa Merszei in the final races in Macau.[3] Although car numbers were allocated to them (#64 for Meng (Toyota Altezza) and #65 for Merszei (Honda Civic)), the FIA Touring Car Bureau rejected the entries because neither of these cars had been homologated by the FIA.[4]

Driver changes

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Changed Teams

Entering WTCC including those who entered one-off rounds in 2007

Leaving WTCC

Calendar

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A provisional calendar was released in November, 2007.[5][6]

Sweden was to be included in the calendar for 21 September but the FIA confirmed on 3 May 2008 that the Swedish round at the Scandinavian Raceway was replaced by an Italy round at the revamped Imola Circuit.[7]

Round Race Name Track Date
1 R1 HSBC Race of Brazil   Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba 2 March
R2
2 R3 Telmex Race of Mexico   Autódromo Miguel E. Abed 6 April
R4
3 R5 Monroe Race of Spain   Circuit Ricardo Tormo 18 May
R6
4 R7 Courtyard Race of France   Circuit de Pau Ville 1 June
R8
5 R9 Stihl Race of the Czech Republic   Masaryk Circuit 15 June
R10
6 R11 Race of Turismo de Portugal   Autódromo do Estoril 13 July
R12
7 R13 Courtyard Race of UK   Brands Hatch 27 July
R14
8 R15 Atari Race of Germany   Motorsport Arena Oschersleben 31 August
R16
9 R17 Courtyard Race of Europe   Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari 21 September
R18
10 R19 Monroe Race of Italy   Autodromo Nazionale di Monza 5 October
R20
11 R21 Race Pro of Japan   Okayama International Circuit 26 October
R22
12 R23 Canon Race of Macau   Guia Circuit 16 November
R24

Results and standings

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Races

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Race Race Name Pole Position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning team Winning independent Report
1   Race of Brazil   Yvan Muller   Andy Priaulx   Yvan Muller   SEAT Sport   Olivier Tielemans Report
2   Augusto Farfus   Gabriele Tarquini   SEAT Sport   Olivier Tielemans
3   Race of Mexico   Jordi Gené   Tiago Monteiro   Jordi Gené   SEAT Sport   Pierre-Yves Corthals Report
4   Yvan Muller   Tiago Monteiro   SEAT Sport   Pierre-Yves Corthals
5   Race of Spain   Yvan Muller   Jörg Müller   Robert Huff   Chevrolet RML   Stefano D'Aste Report
6   Alain Menu   Alain Menu   Chevrolet RML   Sergio Hernández
7   Race of France   Augusto Farfus   Augusto Farfus   Augusto Farfus   BMW Team Germany   Laurent Cazenave Report
8   Rickard Rydell   Andy Priaulx   BMW Team UK   Stefano D'Aste
9   Race of the Czech Republic   Alessandro Zanardi   Félix Porteiro   Alessandro Zanardi   BMW Team Italy-Spain   Sergio Hernández Report
10   Alessandro Zanardi   Gabriele Tarquini   SEAT Sport   Sergio Hernández
11   Race of Portugal   Nicola Larini   Nicola Larini   Rickard Rydell   SEAT Sport   Pierre-Yves Corthals Report
12   Nicola Larini   Tiago Monteiro   SEAT Sport   Sergio Hernández
13   Race of UK   Augusto Farfus   Robert Huff   Jörg Müller   BMW Team Germany   Stefano D'Aste Report
14   Augusto Farfus   Alain Menu   Chevrolet RML   Stefano D'Aste
15   Race of Germany   Robert Huff   Augusto Farfus   Augusto Farfus   BMW Team Germany   Stefano D'Aste Report
16   Augusto Farfus   Félix Porteiro   BMW Team Italy-Spain   Sergio Hernández
17   Race of Europe   Rickard Rydell   James Thompson   Yvan Muller   SEAT Sport   Sergio Hernández Report
18   Tiago Monteiro   James Thompson   N.Technology   Sergio Hernández
19   Race of Italy   Yvan Muller   Andy Priaulx   Yvan Muller   SEAT Sport   Pierre-Yves Corthals Report
20   Alain Menu   Gabriele Tarquini   SEAT Sport   Sergio Hernández
21   Race of Japan   Augusto Farfus   Jörg Müller   Rickard Rydell   SEAT Sport   Stefano D'Aste Report
22   James Thompson   Tom Coronel   SUNRED Racing   Sergio Hernández
23   Guia Race of Macau   Alain Menu   Andy Priaulx   Alain Menu   Chevrolet RML   Sergio Hernández Report
24   Augusto Farfus   Robert Huff   Chevrolet RML   Franz Engstler

Championship standings

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Points system
 1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th 
10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Drivers' Championship

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The final standings in the 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship for Drivers were :

Pos Driver BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 
1   Yvan Muller 1 5 6 4 4 8 2 7 8 5 3 2 2 11 11 8 1 5 1 4 7 6 3 2 114
2   Gabriele Tarquini 5 1 5 3 2 5 5 4 6 1 13 11 7 5 24 16 5 Ret 2 1 10 Ret 7 12† 88
3   Robert Huff Ret Ret 9 9 1 2 4 5 9 DSQ 4 5 21 10 2 3 4 3 6 26† 4 5 5 1 87
4   Andy Priaulx 4 2 10 8 7 3 8 1 14 8 6 3 3 Ret Ret 5 11 7 3 25† 3 22† 2 3 81
5   Rickard Rydell 2 7 2 2 10 7 6 3 10 17 1 8 11 9 6 20 2 6 16 9 1 9 Ret 4 77
6   Augusto Farfus DSQ 6 11 10 Ret 20 1 6 4 3 Ret 10 Ret 6 1 6 7 8 Ret 8 6 2 4 11 63
7   Jörg Müller 3 4 14 12 5 4 9 13 5 7 9 7 1 4 26 9 8 2 9 10 2 Ret 10 Ret 60
8   Jordi Gené 11 8 1 5 3 6 3 19 13 14 5 9 9 Ret 5 4 17 17 7 2 11 10 6 Ret 56
9   Alain Menu Ret 10 8 7 8 1 10 Ret 3 6 11 14 8 1 3 Ret Ret 12 11 5 Ret 13 1 13† 54
10   Félix Porteiro 6 3 16 20† 22 10 15 12 2 4 8 4 6 2 8 1 10 Ret NC 12 Ret 8 14 DNS 51
11   Nicola Larini Ret 12 3 Ret 6 9 7 2 11 11 2 6 23 12 Ret 11 6 4 5 3 16 12 9 Ret 48
12   Tiago Monteiro 17 13 7 1 18 Ret 13 10 12 10 7 1 16 15 4 Ret 13 11 4 6 5 7 11 Ret 43
13   Alessandro Zanardi 15 11 15 11 12 18 12 11 1 2 20 13 4 3 12 19 12 9 8 7 13 Ret 23† 5 36
14   Tom Coronel 7 9 4 6 9 DNS 14 9 18 12 10 12 5 22 7 2 15 15 10 24† 8 1 22† Ret 35
15   James Thompson 11 11 11 8 7 9 DNS DNS 10 14 15 Ret 3 1 Ret 11 17 4 8 14 25
16   Sergio Hernández 14† 15 17 15 23 12 17 17 15 13 Ret 15 13 8 10 7 9 10 14 13 12 3 12 Ret 9
17   Franz Engstler 10 17 18 16 17 17 19 15 16 23† 18 18 17 13 Ret 15 16 14 13 16 14 11 15 6 3
18   Stefano D'Aste 9 16 13 14 14 15 18 14 25† 21 19 16 12 7 9 13 18 16 24 14 9 23† 2
19   Manabu Orido 15 17 Ret 18 16 7 2
20   Olivier Tielemans 8 14 19 17 15 Ret 19 Ret Ret DNS 22 18 1
21   Matthew Marsh 21 14 17 8 1
  Andrey Romanov 12 19 20 18 16 Ret 20 20 20 16 16 20 17 Ret 20 20 18 Ret 22 15 20 9 0
  Ibrahim Okyay 16 20 21 19 24 19 Ret Ret Ret 19 17 23 18 Ret 19 Ret Ret 21 19 21 Ret DNS 18 10 0
  Duncan Huisman 16 10 0
  Pierre-Yves Corthals 13 18 12 13 Ret 13 Ret 21 17 15 12 19 14 16 25† 12 14 13 12 Ret 0
  José Manuel Pérez-Aicart 13 14 0
  Marin Čolak 13 17 0
  André Couto 13 Ret 0
  Kristian Poulsen 14 22 15 17 18 14 23† 15 0
  Jaap van Lagen Ret Ret 21 18 21 Ret 15 21 DNS 18 14 22 19 18 Ret 19 18 17 21 Ret 0
  Takayuki Aoki 17 Ret 15 Ret Ret 15† 0
  Aleksandr Lvov 19 16 23 20 0
  Laurent Cazenave 16 Ret 0
  Norbert Michelisz Ret 16 0
  Oscar Nogués Ret 16 0
  Tom Boardman Ret 17 0
  Georgi Tanev 21 21 21 19 20 18 19 Ret 0
  Viktor Shapovalov 20 Ret DNQ DNQ Ret 18 Ret 24 19 20 20 23 Ret DNS Ret 22 DNS DNS DNS DNS 0
  Yukinori Taniguchi 21 Ret 20 19 0
  Lourenço Beirão da Veiga 20 19 0
  Kirill Ladygin Ret 22 22 23 19 Ret Ret Ret 0
  Melvin Choo 23 20 Ret Ret 0
  Duarte Félix Da Costa Ret 20 0
  Andrey Smetsky 21 21 24 22 0
  Aytaç Biter 22 21 23 24 0
  Masaki Kano 24 21 Ret DNS 0
  Michal Matejovský 22 Ret 0
guest drivers ineligible for points
  Robert Dahlgren 24† DNS *
Pos Driver BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

† — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Drivers' Championship points were awarded on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first eight finishers in each race.

Manufacturers' Championship

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Pos Manufacturer BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 
1   SEAT 1 1 1 1 2 5 2 3 6 1 1 1 2 5 4 2 1 5 1 1 1 1 3 2 326
2 5 2 2 3 6 3 4 8 5 3 2 5 9 5 4 2 6 2 2 5 6 6 4
2   BMW 3 2 10 8 5 3 1 1 1 2 6 3 1 2 1 1 7 2 3 7 2 2 2 3 274
4 3 11 10 7 4 8 6 2 3 8 4 3 3 8 5 8 7 8 8 3 3 4 5
3   Chevrolet Ret 10 3 7 1 1 4 2 3 6 2 5 8 1 2 3 4 3 5 3 4 5 1 1 238
Ret 12 8 9 6 2 7 5 9 11 4 6 21 10 3 11 6 4 6 5 16 12 5 13
4   Honda 11 11 11 8 7 9 DNS DNS 10 14 15 Ret 3 1 21 11 17 4 8 14 60
19 16 23 20 Ret Ret 20 19 13 Ret
Pos Manufacturer BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 

Manufacturers' Championship points were awarded on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first eight finishers in each race. However, only the results of the best two cars for each manufacturer were taken into account.

Yokohama Independents' Trophy

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Pos Driver BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 
1   Sergio Hernández 14† 15 17 15 23 12 17 17 15 13 Ret 15 13 8 10 7 9 10 14 13 12 3 12 Ret 186
2   Franz Engstler 10 17 18 16 17 17 19 15 16 23† 18 18 17 13 Ret 15 16 14 13 16 14 11 15 6 149
3   Stefano D'Aste 9 16 13 14 14 15 18 14 25† 21 19 16 12 7 9 13 18 16 24 14 9 23 137
4   Pierre-Yves Corthals 13 18 12 13 Ret 13 Ret 21 17 15 12 19 14 16 25 12 14 13 12 Ret 112
5   Andrei Romanov 12 19 20 18 16 Ret 20 20 20 16 16 20 17 Ret 20 20 18 Ret 22 15 20 9 83
6   Ibrahim Okyay 16 20 21 19 24 19 Ret Ret Ret 19 17 23 18 Ret 19 Ret Ret 21 19 21 Ret DNS 18 10 51
7   Olivier Tielemans 8 14 19 17 15 Ret 19 Ret Ret DNS 22 18 43
8   Jaap van Lagen 15 21 DNS 18 14 22 19 18 Ret 19 18 17 21 Ret 38
9   Matthew Marsh 21 14 17 8 36
10   Kristian Poulsen 14 22 15 17 18 14 23† 15 32
11   Georgi Tanev 21 21 21 19 20 18 19 Ret 20
12   Takayuki Aoki 17 Ret 15 Ret Ret 15† 18
13   Aleksandr Lvov 19 16 23 20 15
14   Laurent Cazenave 16 Ret 10
15   Marin Čolak 13 17 9
16   Andrey Smetsky 21 21 24 22 8
17   Oscar Nogués Ret 16 6
18   Tom Boardman Ret 17 6
19   Norbert Michelisz Ret 16 4
20   Kirill Ladygin Ret 22 22 23 19 Ret Ret Ret 4
21   Viktor Shapovalov Ret 24 19 20 20 23 Ret DNS Ret 22 DNS DNS DNS DNS 4
22   Michal Matějovský 22 Ret 3
23   Lourenço Beirão da Veiga 20 19 3
24   Duarte Félix da Costa Ret 20 2
25   Melvin Choo 23 20 Ret Ret 2
26   Masaki Kano 24 21 Ret DNS 1
  Aytaç Biter 22 21 23 24 0
Pos Driver BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 

The Yokohama Independents' Trophy uses a similar system to the Drivers’ Championship, however double points are awarded at Macau.

Yokohama Teams' Trophy

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Pos Team BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 
1   Scuderia Proteam Motorsport 9 15 13 14 14 12 17 14 15 13 19 15 12 7 9 7 9 10 14 13 9 3 12 Ret 334
14† 16 17 15 23 15 18 17 25† 21 Ret 16 13 8 10 13 18 16 24 14 12 23† 19 Ret
2   Liqui Moly Team Engstler 10 17 18 16 16 17 19 15 16 16 16 18 17 13 17 15 16 14 13 16 14 11 15 6 228
12 19 20 18 17 Ret 20 20 20 23† 18 20 Ret Ret 20 20 18 Ret 22 15 20 9
3   Exagon Engineering 13 18 12 13 Ret 13 Ret 21 17 15 12 19 14 16 25† 12 14 13 12 Ret 112
4   Wiechers-Sport 8 14 19 17 15 Ret 16 Ret 19 Ret Ret DNS 22 18 17 15 15 14 17 8 105
23† Ret 21 Ret Ret 15†
5   Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport 16 20 21 19 24 19 Ret Ret Ret 19 17 23 18 21 19 24 Ret 21 19 21 Ret DNS 18 10 51
22 Ret 23 Ret
6   Russian Bears Motorsport 15 21 19 18 14 22 19 18 22 19 18 17 21 Ret 46
Ret 24 DNS 20 20 23 Ret 22 Ret 22 19 Ret Ret Ret
7   SUNRED Engineering Ret 16 22 Ret Ret 17 20 19 13 17 Ret 20 Ret 16 33
8   Poulsen Motorsport 14 22 15 17 18 14 26
9   Golden Motors 19 16 23 20 23
21 21 24 22
10   Petrol GT Racing Team 21 21 21 19 20 18 12
11   Thunder Asia Racing 23 20 Ret Ret 2
Pos Team BRA
 
MEX
 
ESP
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
POR
 
UK
 
GER
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
JPN
 
MAC
 
 Pts 

All the teams taking part in any of the rounds of the 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship were eligible to score points for the Yokohama Teams' Trophy. Points were awarded to the two best classified cars of each team, providing they were driven by Independent drivers. All other cars of that same team were considered invisible as far as scoring points was concerned.

References

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  1. ^ 2008 WTCC Regulations Archived 2008-09-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from www.wtcc.com on 7 September 2008
  2. ^ "2008 Entry List". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  3. ^ "MACANESE TEAM JOIN FOR HOME RACE". World Touring Car Championship official website. 2008-11-03. Archived from the original on November 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  4. ^ "FIA BUREAU REJECT RPM ENTRIES". World Touring Car Championship official website. 2008-11-06. Archived from the original on November 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  5. ^ "2008 FIA WTCC Calendar Approved". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
  6. ^ "WTCC Calendar Approved by WMSC". Archived from the original on 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  7. ^ "Imola to replace Anderstorp". fiawtcc.com. 2008-05-03. Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
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