How to make the WTCC more interesting?

[tech3]

I've noticed on a couple of threads that people are losing interest with the WTCC, as am I. Now, the small amount of 'full' factory teams is an issue, but what about other issues such as the race of Morocco which hardly had any racing laps? Feel free to post your ideas on how how to save the championship, whether it be related to racing or perhaps the media coverage. Post away..

[Caroline]

I am wondering why the FIA doesn't put some WTCC races on at F1 meetings. They use some of the same circuits and although I used to think that lumping it in with F1 would diminish its importance I don't think that it matters anymore. The WTCC is getting more boring by the season and needs 'something' to turn it back into a good, compelling racing series.

Also, I really don't think that Seat Leons make the best looking touring cars - call me old fashioned - but saloon cars look much better. Even the Chevrolets have grown on me!

[trebor901]

flamethrowers on all cars except TDI's so we can finally get rid of the damn things

[UltimateDanGTR]

1. more variety-hopefully that will happen with toyota and honda and (rumoured) alfa romeo and ford all looking at WTCC for next year. it would be nice to see less SEATS as well, as they just form trains in quali and races at times and it just gets ridiculous
2. better ruling-some rules have been rather stupid as well all know, something needs to be done
3. better race tracks-this only applies really to some races outside europe. curitiba doesnt seem to produce exciting racing, marrakech is rubbish, but the european races produce more excitement. (well not excitement, interestingness is a better word)

those are the three problems i think need adressing most.

[Caroline]

1. more variety-hopefully that will happen with toyota and honda and (rumoured) alfa romeo and ford all looking at WTCC for next year. it would be nice to see less SEATS as well, as they just form trains in quali and races at times and it just gets ridiculous
2. better ruling-some rules have been rather stupid as well all know, something needs to be done
3. better race tracks-this only applies really to some races outside europe. curitiba doesnt seem to produce exciting racing, marrakech is rubbish, but the european races produce more excitement. (well not excitement, interestingness is a better word)

those are the three problems i think need adressing most.

I agree with the sentiments about some of the circuits - Marrakesh just isn't great. It should be replaced.

[Allyc85]

I slagged off the WTCC the other day but really enjoyed todays races, unbelievable drama in both of them!

I think they need to ban the diesel Seats as they are just too boring and dont excite the fans. Its hardly like diesels are a brand new world saving motor technology either!

Obviously there needs to be more variety on the grid and I really hope at least a couple of the mentioned manufacturers do end up entering.

Then they need to look at the circuits as I feel alot of them are too long for the current breed of touring cars. 9 lap races like todays are a bit of a joke for a world championship and it isnt fair on the fans!

[AndyRAC]

I slagged off the WTCC the other day but really enjoyed todays races, unbelievable drama in both of them!

I think they need to ban the diesel Seats as they are just too boring and dont excite the fans. Its hardly like diesels are a brand new world saving motor technology either!

Obviously there needs to be more variety on the grid and I really hope at least a couple of the mentioned manufacturers do end up entering.

Then they need to look at the circuits as I feel alot of them are too long for the current breed of touring cars. 9 lap races like todays are a bit of a joke for a world championship and it isnt fair on the fans!

Funnily enough, I thought the same while watching.
However, remember, that this is meant to be 1 of 4 FiA World Championships - but there are only 3 Manufacturers in it, and one of them isn't a proper factory team.
It needs to be attractive to Manufacturers, and obviously relatively inexpensive. Also, I feel the cars needs to be a lot more spectacular - at the moment they're pretty boring. While i'm not totally against Diesels - a whole lot of them is un-exciting.
Get some better tracks in that encourage overtaking, and get rid of the 'gimmick' of the reverse grid - a World Championship shouldn't have things in like that.

[rallyrazz]

Funnily enough, I thought the same while watching.
However, remember, that this is meant to be 1 of 4 FiA World Championships - but there are only 3 Manufacturers in it, and one of them isn't a proper factory team.
It needs to be attractive to Manufacturers, and obviously relatively inexpensive. Also, I feel the cars needs to be a lot more spectacular - at the moment they're pretty boring. While i'm not totally against Diesels - a whole lot of them is un-exciting.
Get some better tracks in that encourage overtaking, and get rid of the 'gimmick' of the reverse grid - a World Championship shouldn't have things in like that.

Yeah, I have a similar view. Personally one of the problems with the WTCC is that a lot of the race tracks the series goes to, are not suited to touring car racing. often it makes the cars look incredibly boring(especially the Leon TDI's)

[I am evil Homer]

I think they need to ban the diesel Seats as they are just too boring and dont excite the fans. Its hardly like diesels are a brand new world saving motor technology either!

Obviously there needs to be more variety on the grid and I really hope at least a couple of the mentioned manufacturers do end up entering.

See that's simply not correct..biofuel is not a long term solution and electric is still a long way off so the most efficient engines are small capacity turbo diesels so in that way WTCC is actually the most relevant to car makers. If they can develop those through a mandated FIA series all the better.

But that leaves the problem or attempting to equalise a diesel and petrol which isn't easy to do.

The circuits are the bigger problem - they don't suit touring cars.

[UltimateDanGTR]

we are all saying the tracks dont suit touring cars, so lets analyse all of them:

Curitiba-something just doesnt work there, too twisty and slow it seems
puebla-another twisty track which isnt exactly epic
marrakech-the track doesnt suit any type of racing cars it seems
monza-may make the cars look slower because of the long straights, but good racing is produced so I'd keep it
zolder-we will have to wait and see
portimao-ont know yet, but i expect good racing there
brands hatch-superb fan views, tough to overtake but great corners, and touring cars are good around there IMO.
brno-i think it works, touring car suited circuit
oschersleben-suits touring cars again, although that first corner is a real carnage causer
valencia-better than other spanish tracks for touring cars I'd say.
okayama-certainly twisty, but a good length track for touring cars
macau-too thin, hard to overtake, lots of incidents always occur but it's macau, and its established now on the calender so id keep it

so, tracks that could suit WTCC and we could go there:
mexico city-why not? not too long, good corners, id reckon it would work
laguna seca-interesting concept that i think is rather unpredictable. another USA track that could work is portland i feel.
buenos aires-could work, probabaly better than curitiba. potrero de los funes? awesome circuit, but TC-suited? that unpredictable.