The World Touring Car Championship will not visit the United Kingdom for the first time since its relaunch in 2005, after a revised 2012 schedule was confirmed at the meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council today in India.
The provisional calendar previously released in September had the Race of UK at Donington Park for the second year, scheduled for April. This has now been removed, with the return of the Race of Morocco in Marrakech moving forward to take that date from its original position of May.
There will also be no race in Germany for the first time, with the usual Oschersleben round switched to the Salzburgring in Austria, a regular venue for the European Touring Car Cup in recent years. That will take place in the 20 May slot originally held by Marrakech.
Replacing the UK in hosting a WTCC round is Argentina. The country had originally been pencilled in for a race early in the 2011 season before being replaced by Zolder. The 2012 edition will take place as the first of the flyaways in early July, after the final European race is held at Estoril in Portugal in June.
Another change of venue for 2012 sees the penultimate Chinese round move from the Tianma circuit to the nearby Shanghai International Circuit.
There were other changes announced at the WMSC. They were:
- Normally-aspriated S2000 cars (those complying with Appendix J of the 2010 regulations) will be accepted only a race-by-race basis in 2012.
- The distance of a race has been changed, with each race now running over a minimum of 50 kilometres and maximum of 60 kilometres.
- The system for calculating the compensation weights has been simplified for 2012.
- Three of the race weekends will run jointly with the FIA European Touring Car Cup.
2012 WTCC calendar:
Date | Country | Circuit |
11 March | Italy | Monza |
1 April | Spain | Valencia Ricardo Tormo* / ** |
15 April | Morocco | Marrakech* |
6 May | Hungary | Hungaroring |
20 May | Austria | Salzburgring |
3 June | Portugal | Estoril (subject to the contract with the promoter) |
8 July | Argentina | TBA |
22 July | Brazil | Curitiba |
23 September | USA | Infineon* |
21 October | Japan | Suzuka |
4 November | China | Shanghai International* |
18 November | Macau | Macau Guia Circuit |
* Subject to the ASN's confirmation
** Subject to the homologation of the circuit