The Alfa Romeo Racing Team's Fabrizio Giovanardi kept his FIA World Touring Car Championship title challenge intact after two very difficult races, held in Valencia on Sunday. After the previous round of the inaugural series, in Istanbul last month, where the Alfa Romeo factory drivers totally crushed their BMW and SEAT opponents (finishing 1-2-3-4 in qualifying, and then 1-2 in both races) the Italian team found that Spain didn't suit the 'SuperTouring' specification Alfa 156 racer, which suffered from understeer on the Spanish track.

After qualifying way down the grid in thirteenth place, the highly experienced Fabrizio Giovanardi - himself a former double FIA European Touring Car Champion - had to use every ounce of his long-standing touring car ability to salvage something from the weekend. And he did so in real style, eventually taking a haul of 11 points away from Spain. He fought his way up the field to finish in sixth place in race one, and then - taking advantage of the reversed grid for the top finishers in race two - fought a brilliant rearguard action to take the chequered flag in second place, two results which served to keep him firmly in the title hunt.

“It was not easy to keep the BMWs behind but I knew I had to if I wanted to remain in the title fight, said Giovanardi afterwards. "Today was hard but it was my last chance to get some more championship points so I said ‘it’s now or never’. I’m happy because I am pleased with my performance and I enjoyed today very much. I raced in Macau in 1988 but of course that doesn’t count for much. I hope to learn the circuit fast so I can be in contention until the very end.” Giovanardi now has 81 points, five behind leading German BMW pilot Dirk Muller (who is now on 86 points), and four behind the reigning FIA European Touring Car Champion, Andy Prilaux, who has amassed 85 points. Muller claimed a 5th and 4th place finish in Valencia, while Prilaux was placed 4th and 3rd, in race one and two respectively. Giovanardi has to overhaul this pair to win the title at the final FIA WTCC round, to be held around Macau's famous street race.
 

“I got the championship lead back after the first race and that made me really happy, said Dirk Muller afterwards, "I will arrive in Macau in the lead and that gives me confidence. Last year I was twelve points ahead and I lost it but this year I have a 1 point lead and I will get it.” Meanwhile Andy Prilaux commented, “It’s really hard to win championships so I had to fight hard in Race two. Today was really tough and I enjoyed it immensely. Fabrizio was defending really well and we had two clean races. I am pleased to have finished both races. I don’t feel any pressure because I have already won one championship so we will wait and see what happens in Macau.”

There is now a long pause before the final two rounds of the inaugural FIA World Touring Car Championship takes place in the Far East, in Macau, on 20th November. Alfa Romeo have plenty of experience of this street circuit as they have run the Alfa 147 Cup racer there in recent years, and both Fabrizio Giovanardi, and team mate Gabriele Tarquini, know the track. However BMW - on paper - are expected to shine on this circuit, so N.Technology now have plenty of work to undertake before the cars are ready to be freighted out.

The recent rise in competitiveness demonstrated by the factory SEAT team (they won the opening race in Valencia on Sunday, on their home turf) could play into the Alfa Romeo drivers' hands as they will mix into the equation, although they could end up taking points away from both the German and Italian teams.