The new Handicap Weight system soon to be active!

The FIA will implement the new Weight Handicap system during the second round of the 2008 WTCC season in Puebla Amozoc. It will come into effect on April 6 for the Mexico weekend.

Nine drivers will carry ballast based on the results obtained during the first races of the year, last week in Brazil. The ‘penalties’ range from one extra kilo for Jordi Gené (SEAT Sport) and Olivier Tielemans (BMW Wiechers-Sport) to 44 kilos for Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller (both in SEAT Leon).

The two men share the lead of the championship with one victory each in Curitiba. 30 kilos will be assigned to them as they scored the most points during the weekend. 14 kilos will then be added, equivalent to the number of points earned in the overall driver standings.

Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK) and Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany) – currently third and fourth in the hierarchy – will take on 33 and 26 kilos.

This system was revised this season to allow for rebalancing the championship after each event of the year.

The weight handicaps in Mexico (2nd round of the 2008 season):

44 kg: Yvan Muller (SEAT Sport) and Gabriele Tarquini (SEAT Sport)

33 kg: Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK)

26 kg: Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany)

20 kg: Rickard Rydell (SEAT Sport)

14 kg: Félix Porteiro (BMW Italy-Spain)

3 kg: Augusto Farfus (BMW Team Germany)

2 kg: Tom Coronel (SEAT SUNRED)

1 kg: Jordi Gené (SEAT Sport) and Olivier Tielemans (BMW Wiechers-Sport)