Yvan Muller has clinched the 2010 World Touring Car Championship after BMW Team RBM were disqualified from the two Okayama races. Following an appeal from Chevrolet, the FIA International Court of Appeal annulled the Stewards' decision that allowed the BMWs of Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus to use sequential gearboxes in Japan.
The decision means that Priaulx has slipped to third in the drivers' standings behind Gabriele Tarquini, with Muller now 55 points ahead of Tarquini with just 50 up for grabs in Macau this weekend. Although he can't be caught, Muller will not be officially declared champion until after Macau. Colin Turkington has inherited his first WTCC victory after original Race 2 winner Farfus' exclusion.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the BMW Team RBM cars were illegal, as they were not homologated to race with a six-speed gearbox. The team had originally decided to run with the gearboxes in order to benefit from a net reduction in compensation weight, with the ballast for a sequential gearbox BMW 320si being based upon the previous results of independent runner Andrei Romanov, who had used the sequential box all season long.
BMW have now dropped back down to third in the manufacturers' standings, with SEAT Customer Technologies 74 points behind Chevrolet with 86 points left to play for.
