Alfa Romeo will take to the track in pursuit of a touring car chanmpionship in 2006. However, before you think the Italian marque is about to slot a big V8 into the front of a 159, relax... It's not THAT touring car championship.
Alfa Romeo will, in fact, contest the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship with a three-car team. Lead driver will be 22-year-old Brazilian Augusto Farfus with teammates Italians Gianni Morbidelli and Salvatore Tavano.
Though BMW claimed the 2005 title -- the inaugural return season of the two-litre championship -- Alfa was a regular frontrunner. Farfus finished the title chase in fourth placing and also scored a race victory in Macau.
The title chase gets underway at Monza near Milan in Italy on April 1-2. The 20-race title takes in races across Europe and in Mexico, Brazil and Macau.
2006 WTCC Calendar
- April 1-2 Monza, Italy
- April 29-30 Magny-Cours, France
- May 20-21 Brands Hatch, UK
- June 3-4 Oschersleben, Germany
- July 1-2 Curitiba, Brazil
- July 29-30 Puebla, Mexico
- September 2-3 Brno, Czech Republic
- September 23-24 Istanbul, Turkey
- October 7-8 Valencia, Spain
- November 18-19 Macau, China