The FIA unveils 24 participants for the 2008 season

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) unveiled this morning in a statement the list of drivers registered for the 2008 World Touring Car Championship, the WTCC.

24 drivers from 13 countries and representing five different manufacturers have registered. BMW, Chevrolet, Honda, Lada, and Seat will be present this year, one more than last year with the withdrawal of Alfa Romeo. They will compete on track starting next week in Curitiba, Brazil, for the first round of the 2008 season.

The latest arrivals are the Russians from Bears Motorsport, equipped with two LADA cars; they will only join the championship starting from the third round of the season in Valencia (Spain).

Among the newcomers will be the dominant touring car champion from Turkey, Ibrahim Okyay, and the Russian Andrey Romanov. It is the first time that Turkey and Russia will have representatives competing for an entire season of an FIA World Championship.

The main changes in this 2008 lineup, compared to last year, are James Thompson’s move from Alfa Romeo to Honda, still within the N.technology structure, and the return of Rickard Rydell to SEAT Sport.

Complete list of registrants 2008

01 – 01 – BMW Team UK; Andy Priaulx (GBR); BMW 320si

02 – 02 – BMW Team Germany; Augusto Farfus (BRA); BMW 320si

03 – 03 – BMW Team Germany; Jörg Müller (GER); BMW 320si

04 – 04 – BMW Team Italy-Spain; Alessandro Zanardi (ITA); BMW 320si

05 – 05 – BMW Team Italy-Spain; Félix Porteiro (ESP); BMW 320si

06 – 06 – Chevrolet; Nicola Larini (ITA); Chevrolet Lacetti

07 – 07 – Chevrolet; Robert Huff (GBR); Chevrolet Lacetti

08 – 08 – Chevrolet; Alain Menu (SUI); Chevrolet Lacetti

09 – 09 – SEAT Sport; Jordi Gené (ESP); SEAT León 2.0 TDI

10 – 10 – SEAT Sport; Rickard Rydell (SWE); SEAT León 2.0 TDI

11 – 11 – SEAT Sport; Gabriele Tarquini (ITA); SEAT León 2.0 TDI

12 – 12 – SEAT Sport; Yvan Muller (FRA); SEAT León 2.0 TDI

13 – 13 – Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport; Ibrahim Okyay (TUR); BMW 320si

14 – 15 – N.technology; James Thompson (GBR); Honda Accord Euro R

**15** – 16 – Wiechers-Sport; Olivier Tielemans (NED); BMW 320si

16 – 18 – SEAT Sport; Tiago Monteiro (POR); SEAT León 2.0 TDI

17 – 20 – SUNRED Engineering Development; Tom Coronel (NED) ; SEAT León 2.0 TFSI

18 – 23 – Exagon Engineering; Pierre-Yves Corthals (BEL); SEAT León 2.0 TFSI

19 – 26 – Scuderia Proteam Motorsport; Stefano D’Aste (ITA); BMW 320si

20 – 28 – Russian Bears Motorsport; Viktor Shapovalov (RUS); LADA 110 2.0 *

21 – 29 – Russian Bears Motorsport; Jaap van Lagen (NED); LADA 110 2.0 *

22 – 31 – Scuderia Proteam Motorsport; Sergio Hernández (ESP); BMW 320si

23 – 42 – Liqui Moly Team Engstler; Franz Engstler (GER); BMW 320si

24 – 43 – Liqui Moly Team Engstler; Andrey Romanov (RUS); BMW 320si

waiting for the car’s approval