Photo: WTCC Media

Full entry list for the first round of the 2013 WTCC

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The full entry list for the first round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship has been released, which will see 25 cars on the grid at Monza next weekend.

The only entry on the grid which hadn’t been announced officially to date is the Special Tuning Racing entry for Tom Boardman. Boardman will be the lone entry for the British team at the first round.

The entry list also confirms which drivers will be eligible for the independents’ trophy this season. Last year’s top pair in the trophy, Norbert Michelisz and Pepe Oriola, will not be eligible this season to fight for the title. The promoter can use the drivers’ results, the capability of the car and the team’s records to determine if any driver is eligible for the trophy. With Michelisz running a current spec Honda Civic with the financial support of Honda Hungary, the officials have ruled that Michelisz will only be able to fight for the overall drivers’ title this season.

Likewise Pepe Oriola, whose car is run with the support of SEAT Sport this season under the Tuenti Racing banner (and not SUNRED, who’ve run his car in the previous two years), will not be entered in the independents’ category.

As expected, neither of RML’s two drivers Yvan Muller or Tom Chilton will be eligible for the trophy either. Though the team is effectively entered independently this season without Chevrolet’s support, RML’s record as a works team of eight years with the US manufacturer precludes them from competing in the independents’ category. Also ruled out, as has been the case in recent years, is ROAL Motorsport’s Tom Coronel.

Both World Champions at Münnich Motorsport, Rob Huff, the reigning WTCC champion, and Marc Basseng, the reigning FIA GT1 World Champion, are also not entered for the independents’ trophy, leaving team-owner René Münnich as the only driver who is.

Despite earlier indications from Campos Racing that Hugo Valente won’t take part until Hungary, the 20-year-old French driver is listed on the Monza entry list in car No.20.

Jean-Philippe Dayraut has curiously been entered with No.13, a traditionally avoided number in the Championship. Dayraut is the only driver on the list who is being entered on a race-by-race basis.

FIA World Touring Car Championship – Monza 2013 Entry List

No – Driver – Nat – Team – Car
1 – Rob Huff – GBR – Münnich Motorsport – SEAT León WTCC
3 – Gabriele Tarquini – ITA – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic Super 2000 TC
5 – Norbert Michelisz – HUN – Zengõ Motorsport – Honda Civic Super 2000 TC
6 – Franz Engstler* – GER – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320 TC
7 – Charles Ng* – HKG – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320 TC
9 – Alex MacDowall* – GBR – bamboo-engineering – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
10 – James Thompson – GBR – LADA Sport Lukoil – Lada Granta
11 – Aleksei Dudukalo – RUS – LADA Sport Lukoil – Lada Granta
12 – Yvan Muller – FRA – RML – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
13 – Jean-Philippe Dayraut* – FRA – ANOME – BMW 320 TC
14 – James Nash* – GBR – bamboo-engineering – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
15 – Tom Coronel – NED – ROAL Motorsport – BMW 320 TC
17 – Michel Nykjaer* – DEN – Nika Racing – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
18 – Tiago Monteiro – POR – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic Super 2000 TC
19 – Fernando Monje* – SPN – Campos Racing – SEAT León WTCC
20 – Hugo Valente* – SPN – Campos Racing – SEAT León WTCC
22 – Tom Boardman* – GBR – Special Tuning Racing – SEAT León WTCC
23 – Tom Chilton – GBR – RML – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
25 – Mehdi Bennani* – MOR – Proteam Racing – BMW 320 TC
26 – Stefano D’Aste* – ITA – PB Racing – BMW 320 TC
37 – Rene Münnich* – GER – Münnich Motorsport – SEAT León WTCC
38 – Marc Basseng – GER – Münnich Motorsport – SEAT León WTCC
55 – Darryl O’Young* – HKG – ROAL Motorsport – BMW 320 TC
73 – Fredy Barth* – SUI – Wiechers-Sport – BMW 320 TC
74 – Pepe Oriola – SPN – Tuenti Racing Team – SEAT León WTCC

* = Eligible for the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy