World Car Championship 2016

In the 2016 season, there were some changes in the rules: the changes affected the format of the race weekend and the ballast value for leaders.

If earlier the starting grid of the first race was formed according to the results of qualification, and in the second, the top ten started in the opposite order, then in the 2016 season they changed places. In this case, the first race was called the "opening race", and the second "main stage race." According to the WTCC promoter, François Ribeiro , this will help to make unpredictability, as it will make them more accurately conduct the first race, so as not to damage their car before the main starts.

The ballast also underwent a change, its maximum weight increased from 60 to 80 kg. At the same time, the machines of the leaders were able to achieve a total weight of 1,180 kg.

In the 2016 season, there was a presentation of a new competition format for motorsport: MAC3 (Manufacturers Against the Clock) “Manufacturers versus Time”, which takes place immediately after qualification. His idea came from cycling. Three factory cars start at the same time and drive two laps, the time is cut off according to the last, and the gap between the first and third race cars at the finish should be less than 15 seconds. For the competition, additional points are awarded in the offset of the manufacturers.

Lineup changes

1. Citroën Racing has reduced its composition to 2 pilots, leaving behind the wheel of Jose Maria Lopez and Ivan Muller .
2. Honda Racing Team JAS excluded Gabriele Tarquini from the pilots, saying that the pilot was already old for racing and invited Robert Huff to the vacant seat (who until the last moment had not been offered a LADA Sport Rosneft contract due to ambiguity with the budget). Norbert Michelis of Zengo Motorsport was invited to 3rd place. Also on stage in Japan announced the 4th car, which was piloted by Rio Michigami .
3. LADA Sport Rosneft announced the season of vacated Gabriele Tarquini , and in place of the 3rd pilot - Campo Racing's Hugo Valente , who managed to establish himself as one of the most promising car racing pilots.
4. A new team for WTCC - Polestar Cyan Racing , approved as pilots, their factory racers from the national championship - Ted Bjork and Fredrik Ekbloma . During the season, Fredrik Ekbloma , also fighting for the gold of the national championship, was replaced by Robert Dahlgren and Nestor Girolami .
5. Sébastien Loeb Racing has expanded from 1 to 3 cars, which will be piloted by Tom Chilton from ROAL Motorsport and Gregoire Demoustier from Craft Bamboo .
6. Campos Racing for a long time assured that in addition to John Philippi , he will bring the second rider to the start, but he did so. The only thing that at the start of the Argentinean stage the second car was brought out by a local pilot - Esteban Gerieri (from the filing of the series promoter Francois Ribeiro ).
7. Münnich Motorsport declared for the season of his boss and part-time pilot Rene Munnich , but since he had to combine performances in the WTCC with a rally-cross, he was soon replaced by James Thompson on the starting grid, and at the stage in Germany, according to tradition, the local legend Sabina Schmitz .
8. Zengo Motorsport after leaving for “promotion” Norbert Michelis released to the start of the young riders Ferenc Fitz and Daniel Nagy .
9. NIKA Racing, along with John Bryant , remained a "ghost" without starting once.

Composition of WTCC 2016

The calendar was approved on December 2, 2015. Initially, the season was supposed to start in Russia at the Sochi Autodrome, but on February 9, 2016, the calendar was adjusted as a result of which the Russian stage will be held in Moscow in June. During the season, the stage in Thailand at the Buriram race track was canceled (officially due to disagreements with the race’s organizers, ASN).

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