WTCC Independent Trophy

[ATF]

Turkington had a fantastic weekend at Brands - I checked the points and he's only 12 points off the lead driver (Hernandez), who has raced all season:
http://www.fiawtcc.com/html/uploadedFiles/Class/standings.trophies.pdf

Seeing as Colin has only done four races, I had a look at the regulations to see how this was possible and you can score additional points for where you finish overall - not sure exactly how this works but it's explained here...
http://www.fiawtcc.com/html/uploadedFiles/docs/2010_FIA_WTCC_Yokohama_Trophies.pdf?n=1

The most any indie has scored in a weekend is 23 compared to Colin's 56 at Brands. There's also a note on there that says the rules were amended on 27th July - yesterday!!

Has this just been changed because CT did so well? There was an issue in the past where Coronel always mixed it with the works guys so it's not unthinkable that one driver could be consistently up there. Did they not think this through before the season started? Just another example of FIA incompetence?!

[AndySpeed]

I think the rule stating "1 additional point for each point scored in the WTCC overall classification" was overlooked. It makes sense to remove it, given recent circumstances.

It's not that incompetent, as they've seen the problem and fixed it. It just probably hadn't been thought out to every single parameter - and to be fair, it hadn't been a problem in the past.

I think it's not too indifferent to the BTCC Independent's class in some super touring years- Matt Neal was capably the quickest driver, winning more races in class and mixing with the big boys more often. But he missed out on a couple of independents trophies due to retirements and due to the lack of other competitors in class it meant his rivals scored big to his nil points.

This isn't like tennis...

[Dave B]

There's also a note on there that says the rules were amended on 27th July - yesterday!!

Has this just been changed because CT did so well?
Yes. It seems that once again the goalposts have been moved, as so often happens with touring cars. I guess it's a consequence of trying to cater for so many different classes of machinery and team, but it's frustrating nevertheless.

So anyway, now Colin is no longer an independent and must fight it out with the "big boys".


The reigning BTCC champion joined the WTCC two rounds ago in Portugal, and scored two podiums last time out at Brands Hatch. After he qualified third for this weekend's first race at Brno, series bosses stripped him of independent status.

"To establish the regulations for the 2010 Independents' Trophy, it was decided to make the turbodiesel cars not eligible - because of their performances - and the race-by-race entries eligible," said WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti. "Since then things happened that made those decisions inappropriate.

Full story: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85763

None of this should detract from the superb job he's done thus far, and hopefully his performances will lead to a full-time drive. It's ludicrous that the reigning BTCC champion should have found himself without a drive at the start of the season.

[Jon411]

Surely considering what Lotti said about the race by race entries - any Indpendent that isn't racing the full season should be excluded from the Independent points - like Tim Coronel and Tom Boardman at Brands Hatch, Corthals at Zolder, Fabio Fabiani at the races he is doing and Henry Ho when he joins the field for a few races before the end of the season etc.

No doubt all of those will be overlooked by the FIA. They had already changed the points which meant that he wasn't going to win the Indepentdents championship overall unless he completed all the races this season, which WSR can't do anyway, so it's a shame the FIA have decided to take this further still.

[VkmSpouge]

It is rather ridiculous that they are changing the independents' points system midway through the season. I agree that the independents should not score additional points for every point they pick up in the overall points system but they should have changed that rule during the off-season.

They really should have excluded Turkington from the Independents' Championship before he started racing this season not after two meetings. It might make sense if WSR had started to receive more support from BMW than the other BMW privateers but it is clear they are cancelling his independent status because he is so much better than the others.

[BDunnell]

How utterly ridiculous. It is to the BTCC's credit that it never imposed any such rule when the works cars started to be beaten by privateers. It's also a savage indictment of the lack of quality inherent in the WTCC independents' category, but this seems to be how the FIA wants it to be.

[VkmSpouge]

With a sixth and second place finishes and finishing ahead of all independents at Brno, Colin Turkington should be leading the Independents' Championship today.

[AndySpeed]

With a sixth and second place finishes and finishing ahead of all independents at Brno, Colin Turkington should be leading the Independents' Championship today.

"Should" he? I don't think he should have ever been given so many points in the first place. The FIA WTCC got it wrong - they've now corrected it in a cack-handed type of way to the detriment of Turkington by completely throwing him out!

[Dave B]

He's effectively being penalised for being too good. That's just madness.

[BDunnell]

He's effectively being penalised for being too good. That's just madness.

Just as Tom Coronel was before, and that was deeply unfair, too. As I said, the FIA seems to view the independents' section as being merely for second-rate teams and drivers, unlike the BTCC which has always embraced it.

[Eurotech]

This is stupid, how can a car become a factory supported machine just cos its faster that the other independants? This is basically the FIA saying they don't want talent in the Independants class....

[AndySpeed]

This is stupid, how can a car become a factory supported machine just cos its faster that the other independants? This is basically the FIA saying they don't want talent in the Independants class....

I don't believe they're classifying him as 'factory' just not 'independent' either.

i.e. He is scoring points for himself in the driver's championship only, and eBay Motors in the teams championship only.

EDIT - Looknig at the points given out for BMW in race two today, with 43 points they've clearly added together Priaulx and Turkington's points. How is this really working? Are BMW paying Turkington's entry fees now?

[Eurotech]

I don't believe they're classifying him as 'factory' just not 'independent' either.

i.e. He is scoring points for himself in the driver's championship only, and eBay Motors in the teams championship only.
He still now has to compete with the factory cars just to make himself known in terms of points though....

[AndyRAC]

I don't believe they're classifying him as 'factory' just not 'independent' either.

i.e. He is scoring points for himself in the driver's championship only, and eBay Motors in the teams championship only.

EDIT - Looknig at the points given out for BMW in race two today, with 43 points they've clearly added together Priaulx and Turkington's points. How is this really working? Are BMW paying Turkington's entry fees now?

And if he really is no longer an independent, are BMW now supporting him and WSR?

Saying that, a big well done to both Colin and WSR, the WTCC is were they should be!

[VkmSpouge]

"Should" he? I don't think he should have ever been given so many points in the first place. The FIA WTCC got it wrong

Yes he should, the points system was crap but anyone of those other independents could have taken advantage in the way Colin Turkington did but they were not good enough.

Interesting to note, Colin Turkington was award 1 point for race 1 at Brno in the independents' championship, was this because he was the highest independent in qualifying which took place before he got removed from the independents' championship?


EDIT - Looknig at the points given out for BMW in race two today, with 43 points they've clearly added together Priaulx and Turkington's points. How is this really working? Are BMW paying Turkington's entry fees now?

They go on the top two of each manufacturer that finish whether they be works, privateer or Colin Turkington.