Britain's Andy Priaulx driving for BMW Team UK
HOME ROUNDS FOR YOKOHAMA NEXT YEAR
Media information: 19 September 2007
Official FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) tyre supplier, Yokohama
ADVAN will race on home soil next year providing the provisional 2008 calendar
unveiled this week in London is finalised.
The Japanese company will provide its ADVAN race tyre to the WTCC at two
new rounds according to next year's calendar, one of which is Japan's Okayama
International Circuit.
Situated approximately 200km north-east of Hiroshima, the 3.703km track
hosted the F1 Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995 and will be Japan's first
circuit to hold a WTCC round.
"The addition of a Japanese date to the FIA WTCC is great news,?"
said Yokohama Europe Motorsport Manager Matthijs Mathlener. "As a
Japanese manufacturer, to be given the chance to show our product's quality
and performance in front of our own countrymen is a true honour.
The provisional calendar was revealed at the official WTCC press conference
ahead of this weekend's Brands Hatch rounds, which will see reigning champion
Andy Priaulx along with fellow British drivers James Thompson and Robert
Huff vying for home support.
"Japan has a huge touring car following and is a very important market
for manufacturers," said Priaulx who drives for BMW Team UK. "I
think it's a great addition to the calendar and look forward to going there
for the first time next year."
Racing at Brands Hatch this weekend will provide a more immediate challenge
for the double world champion. The British track features a number of blind
corners along with small run-off areas ready to penalise any driver making
a mistake.
Grip from the Yokohama ADVANs will be a paramount requirement as Yokohama's
Technical Consultant, Ian Beveridge explains: "Brands Hatch's layout
means that drivers can't go off-track and get away with it as easily as
other more recent circuits. The ADVANs are extremely consistent in the
level of grip they deliver though so teams and drivers alike will know
how far they can push their cars in each corner without risking a spin
or going off.?"
Yokohama ADVAN will also be supplying WTCC partner series International
Formula Master with control tyres this weekend in the UK.
