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The Alfa Romeo Racing Team
have announced that they will be entering a fifth
factory-run car for the 2005 FIA World Touring Car
Championship finale, which will be contsted at Macau
on 20th November. This additional Alfa 156 will be driven by
local hero, Andre Couto. The 29-year old, is the only local
driver so far to have won the high prestigious Macau Formula
3 Grand Prix, a feat that he achieved back in 2000.
Couto will join up with the Alfa Romeo Racing Team's regular
quartet of factory drivers: former British Touring Car
Champion James Thompson, promising Brazilian youngster
Augusto Farfus Jr, and the experienced Italian touring car
racers, Gabriele Tarquini and the championship contender,
Fabrizio Giovanardi. The penultimate FIA WTCC races, held at
Valencia, saw Giovanardi keeping his chances of winning the
inaugural FIA World Touring Car Championship title firmly
alive after a gritty drive netted him second place in race
two on a track which didn't ideally suite the 'Super
Touring' specification Alfa Romeo 156.
No stranger to Macau’s street circuit, Couto has competed on
the famous track at the wheel of single seater race cars
and, in more recent years, has also taken part in the Guia
touring car race. Neither is he a stranger to the Alfa Romeo
marque, having raced in the Macau race in 2003 in a Super
Production-specification Alfa 147, and also in the SJM Guia
Race, where he claimed an excellent pole position for leg
one. Now the N.Technology-run Italian team will be hoping
that Couto can use his 'local knowledge' to the full
advantage and help Fabrizio Giovanardi with his title bid.
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The Alfa Romeo Racing Team will be hoping that Couto can put his 'local
knowledge' to good use to help Fabrizio Giovanardi
with his WTCC title bid, as he seeks to overcome a
five point deficit to BMW-driving series leader,
Dirk Muller |
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In
the Macau street race in 2003, Andre Couto raced a
Super Production-specification Alfa Romeo 147, as
well as in the SJM Guia Race, where he claimed pole
position for leg one |
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The former FIA ETCC Champion will be seeking to overcome a
five point deficit to the BMW-driving series points leader,
Dirk Muller, and at the same time overhaul a second BMW
pilot, Andy Prilaux, who sits in between them, when the
teams arrive in Macau in a month's time.
“It is a tremendous honour for me to be flying the flag for
Macau amongst the best touring car drivers in the world. I
am certainly relishing the prospect of competing in the
final round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship next
month in front of my fellow Macau
residents who are always so supportive of my racing career,”
said Couto.
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