As the equipment of the FIA World Touring Car Championship team's is flown out to Macau for the final two races later this month, Autosport magazine reports that Alfa Romeo are now set to pull out of the series at the end of the year.

Only late last month Fiat's competitions' boss Matilda Tomagnini was quoted as saying that a 2006 FIA WTCC programme was a near certainty, and new Alfa Romeo CEO Antonio Baravalle - in one of his very first decisions in the job - was reported to have scrapped outgoing CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell's plans to race the Alfa 147 in next year's FIA WTCC and had swiftly given N.Technology the green light to begin developing the new Alfa 159 sedan for use in the prestigious world touring car series. He was privately believed to be very keen to see the Alfa 159 taking on its arch marketplace rival - the BMW 3-series - on the world's race tracks.

But just when the picture seemed rosy for the future of the Alfa Romeo Racing Team, respected magazine Autosport reported last week that these plans had now been scrapped. While there has been no official announcement, Autosport quoted two of the factory Alfa Romeo drivers', the Italian veteran Fabrizio Giovanardi, and the English new boy James Thompson. The weekly publication reported that Giovanardi had been "shocked" by the news and was concerned that the decision had left him with little time to find an alternative drive. Meanwhile Thompson, the outgoing British Touring Car Champion, was also reported to be disappointed by the news as he had been pinning his hopes on undertaking a second full year with the N.Technology-run team. Autosport offered no reason for the decision to withdraw except to speculate that it could be down to money, or the length of time it would take to develop the Alfa 159 into a competitive racing car.

THE WTCC HEADS OFF TO MACAU FOR THE FINAL RACES

Meanwhile the WTCC’s last voyage of the season is underway. Spare parts and Michelin tyres are now on their way to Macau, split among twelve containers on board five different cargo ships that have sailed from Rotterdam (Netherlands), Felixstowe (England), Genoa (Italy), Valencia and Barcelona (Spain).
 

They are due to dock in Hong Kong between November 8th and 10th, with delivery at the paddock of the Macau Guia track taking place on November 12th. The 27 racing cars will be airfreighted on board two Boeing 747 cargo planes (one 747/400 and one 747/200) from Luxembourg; the first one leaving on November 7th and the second on November 9th. The cars will be delivered to the paddock on the day following each departure. Another ten tons of spare parts will be also airfreighted this week. Five cars taking part in the Asian Touring Car Championship will join the 27 arriving from Europe, to form an impressive 32-car field for this final WTCC race which will see Alfa Romeo's Fabrizio Giovanardi bidding to claim the inaugural title.

THE PROVISIONAL 2006 FIA WTCC CALENDAR IS ANNOUNCED

Last week in Rome, the FIA World Motor Sport Council approved the provisional calendar for the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship. The season will start in Monza, Italy, on April 2, and will end in Macau on November 19. The championship will consist of twenty rounds, divided in ten race meetings, visiting ten different countries spread over three different continents. Compared to the 2005 calendar, Brno will replace Imola, while a Brazilian event – most probably at Curitiba – is likely to replace Spa. The British round will be moved from Silverstone to Brands Hatch. An 11th meeting is likely be added on November 5th (the location to be announced), while the official test and media days will be held at Monza on March 21 and 22.

2006 FIA WTCC – Provisional Calendar: 2nd April, Monza (Italy); 30th April, Magny-Cours (France)*; 21st May, Brands Hatch (UK)*; 4th June, Brno (Czech Republic); 2nd July, Puebla (Mexico); 30th July Curitiba (Brazil)**; 3rd September, Oschersleben (Germany)*; 24th September, Istanbul (Turkey)*; 1st October, Valencia (Spain)*; 5th November, TBN; 19th November, Macau (China). * = subject to ASN confirmation; ** = subject to circuit approval