LADA SPORT ROSNEFT is brimming with determination ahead of the highly-anticipated opening round of the 2015 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) at Argentina’s Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo (6-8 March).
The Russian manufacturer’s brand new bright yellow-liveried LADA Vesta TC1 racers are already in South America for their maiden competitive outings at the Argentine circuit, where LADA SPORT reached a significant milestone in its history in 2014.
Last year’s Race of Argentina was the scene of LADA SPORT’s first podium finish since first entering the WTCC as a factory outfit in 2009, Britain’s Rob Huff sealing the breakthrough top three result before following it up with two emphatic race wins in Beijing and Macau.
Coming off the back of such momentous results and productive pre-season tests with the new-for-2015 Vesta TC1, LADA SPORT ROSNEFT and its drivers bullishly predict that they will be able to demonstrate the potential of the new-for-2015 Vesta TC1 from the outset of 2015 in Argentina.
Compared with its predecessor, the Vesta boasts higher top-speed capabilities, quicker acceleration and greater maneuverability thanks to vastly improved aerodynamics and engine performance, therefore there is an air of confidence within the LADA SPORT camp that it will have a competitive package in both qualifying and race trim on the wide and fast 4.8km-long track.
Russian driver Mikhail Kozlovskiy, meanwhile, will start his racing season at the second round in Morocco, due to the fact his car is still in build. However, Kozlovskiy will take part in WTCC promotional events in Argentina ahead of the 2015 season-opener.
Rob Huff: “I am very excited to get the season underway, especially in Argentina where we had out first major success. It’s a hugely popular circuit and will pull in huge crowds, which adds to the atmosphere and is a great way to kick-off the season. With a new car and not having raced in a while, there is a huge amount of anticipation. We have not done nearly the amount of testing we would have like to, but what Victor Shapovalov and the LADA Sport ROSNEFT team have done in creating a brand new car from scratch is remarkable, considering we aren’t able to take information over from last year. It’s going to a year of trial and error, and ultimately we will make a few errors, but ‘he who makes the fewest mistakes, wins”.
“To put a label on the car at this stage would be unfair, as everything on it is brand new. A realistic goal is to finish both races and collect as much data as possible so that we can go away and develop the Vesta during the break between Argentina and Morocco. If either James (Thompson) or I do come away with a strong result, it will be a very joyous occasion. I’m excited to get out there, dig deep and show the world what LADA Sport has built.”
James Thompson said: “The beauty of the TC1 technical regulations is that you need a good road car to have a strong racecar and so, in reality, this is the first time LADA SPORT has had a platform that is comparable with the other manufacturers in the WTCC with the introduction of the new LADA Vesta. We will get the first race weekend in Argentina out of the way – I hope to have a reasonably competitive showing at Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo – and we then have a good few weeks before Morocco in which to evolve the car. It will be a constant evolution throughout the 2015 season.”