Stefano D’Aste and Wiechers-Sport have announced that the Italian racer will return to the team at the wheel of their BMW 320TC, having made sporadic outings for the team in the 2011 campaign.
For D’Aste, the return to the Wiechers-Sport operation means that the successful partnership between the team and driver will continue. 2007 saw the team and D’Aste secure the Yokohama Independents title while in 2009; the team secured a number of victories in the Independents category.
In his three outings with the team in 2011, D’Aste lined up on Pole Position for the second race at Porto, and led for the opening few laps while the teams’ home race at Oschersleben saw D’Aste secure the team their first Independents victory of the season.
D’Aste is pleased to have secured a full time return to the WTCC, having raced a Lotus GT4 in the 2011 campaign. He said: “I’m really happy with my return to the FIA WTCC and the Wiechers Sport team. I have not said before, but I’ve really missed the FIA WTCC in the last season.
“The Experience with Lotus in the FIA GT4 was very nice but the WTCC is just another beautiful world. I realize that we are facing a lot of work and we need a few races will show our full performance. I know the BMW 320 TC already. But the other drivers know the vehicle is much better than me. We will arrive without any test in Monza.
“This is a disadvantage and it is hard, but I’m glad to be back. The aim will be that we are improving from race to race. We have a good car and good technical support. I trust my German mechanics, and very like their work ethic. I must thank you very Dominik and Wolfgang, without whose efforts and assistance, this deal would not have come about! ”
Wiechers-Sport Team Owner, Wolfgang Kruse, thinks that the decision to sign D’Aste will result in the team having a say in the Championship fight: “With Stefano and his father, Franco I associate a lot of good memories. I appreciate your very professional and serious attitude. I’m sure we will have a say in the championship.”
Team Manager Dominik Greiner is pleased to have secured the services of D’Aste for the 2012 WTCC season, and he added: “I am delighted that Stefano will go again this season for our racing team in the FIA WTCC 2012 season at the start.
“Over the last few weeks we have been working together very hard to achieve our racing project. And I’m happy that we could undertake Stefano again. Stefano has a lot of racing experience, and together with BMW and our strong partners we will certainly be very successful with it in the FIA WTCC road. The whole team is delighted that Stefano is back in the team!”
The opening round of the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship takes place at Monza, Italy over the 10/11 March, with the season finishing at Macau in November, having visited five different continents and eleven different countries.