Vesta WTCC takes part in international WTCC races on behalf of the Lada Sport Rosneft team. The car is maximally adapted for participation in road racing, has a special body shape and thoughtful aerodynamics. In addition to changes in aerodynamics, Vesta also acquired technical innovations. Lada Vesta TC1 surpasses all previous racing versions of Lada in all respects.
Previously, the Lada Sport team took part in competitions on the 110 model and on the Lada Priora WTCC; according to reviews from team members, the racing Vesta is the most advanced and efficient of all the vehicles in which they had to compete before. It is worth noting that previous AVTOVAZ models lagged behind foreign competitors in terms of characteristics; with the advent of the new car, this problem was solved in favor of our team.
The Russian car successfully competes in races and surpasses all previous Lada models in speed and maneuverability. This success was achieved by improving the technical characteristics of Vesta's most important components. Let's look at the technical features of this car in more detail.
Engine
The engine was manufactured by a French organization specializing in this called ORECA. The 1.6 liter engine has a power of 380 horsepower. This is an improved model of the engine that was installed on the WTCC Grant.
The new engine is more powerful, and it was also built to be lightweight so that the car picks up speed faster. This engine has a torque of 440 Nm at four thousand rpm. Equipped with the proprietary Magneti Marelli control system. A distinctive feature of the engine is that the engine shield and intake are reliably covered with thermal insulation. The lubrication system reservoir is located on the right side of the wing. The new engine will allow our car to fully compete with foreign models and win the WTCC championship.
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Toyota Yaris and BAIC D20 in battle.
Count how many cars are in the frame. This is not all that took part in the race. Toyota Yaris and BAIC D20 in battle. Count how many cars are in the frame. This is not all that took part in the race.
All eight stages of the World Cup are broadcast by the Eurosport channel. No mere mortal can buy a Formula 1 car, but WTCC cars advertise serial products - in particular, Vesta. And not only in Russia. Bo Andersson has repeatedly spoken about reviving the export program. A good car has appeared - it's time to act!
RACING CHINA
Russians know more about Shanghai roofs than about Shanghai races. And they are there. And what! The World Touring races took place as part of a large-scale sports weekend on the track hosting the Formula 1 stage. It's rich, beautiful, with a lot of spectators and long-legged grid girls. And it is far from a fact that the local series supported the WTCC, and not vice versa. What did motorsport fans enjoy?
Firstly, the GT Asia series, which is being held for the sixth year. Seven stages take place on tracks in Malaysia, Korea, Japan, China, Thailand and Macau. There are about twenty cars at the start - Ferrari F458, Bentley Continental, McLaren 650S, Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Porsche 997 and others. In addition to Asian racers, European pilots compete in the series.
Body kits
The body kit is from ORECA, manufactured by the same company that makes the engine. A thoughtful and carefully designed shape allows you to achieve an ideal aerodynamic balance, with the correct configuration of the elements of this body kit.
Such technical advantages allow the car to reach speeds of up to 275 kilometers per hour. But such a result can only be achieved by properly configuring the body kit; the speed and maneuverability of the car depend on this.
Gearbox (gearbox)
A company from the UK with a big name, called XTRACK, was responsible for the production of this element. The box is sequential, it has six gears. The owner can adjust the differential and configure the gearbox from the outside.
Lada WTCC has front driven wheels. Clutch from AP RACING, 3-disc. Disc cross-axle differential capable of withstanding increased loads.
Suspension characteristics
The suspension in the Lada Vesta TC1 is a product of joint creativity between AvtoVAZ and its special offshoot Lada Sport. The lower link device in this car allows you to change and adjust the steering ratio.
The suspension features gas-filled shock absorbers from OHLINS. They have three adjustments. There is also an adjustable stabilizer. New Vesta has power steering.
Lada Sport Rosneft 2022: team and its tactics
Lada Sport Rosneft is the only active factory team in the Russian circuit racing series, but its ambitions go far beyond the Russian circuit. The team is also represented in karting, rallying and even e-sports, where it organizes its own championship. Well, the most important thing is that they are the only ones who compete in cars of their own production.
We will tell you in our material what changes await the team in the new season, how it works with young pilots, what equipment will be presented in various disciplines and what little secrets help its pilots win.
Team 2021 in an updated format
The Lada Sport Rosneft team traditionally holds a presentation before the start of the season, at which it announces the disciplines in which it will participate in the coming year, talks about the composition of the pilots in each series and the changes made to the racing equipment.
At the end of 2022, we visited Togliatti directly at the production site, where the team talked about their updates for 2022; the presentation of the new season was moved to spring 2021 in the pits and on the Moscow Raceway circuit.
The number of disciplines in which the team competes will not change in the new season: circuit motorsport, rallying, karting and cyber racing.
The Russian Karting Championship has already started this year in early April with a race on the track in Grozny, and Lada Sport Rosneft is making its main bet on pilots competing in adult classes, these are Dmitry Shepet, Anton Nezvankin, Grigory Primak. It should be noted that Grigory Primak became the winner of the first stage in the OK class.
In e-sports, Lada Sport Rosneft holds a separate championship, the final of which took place at the end of April, and the new season will begin soon, and its pilots also compete in other tournaments. In the new season, the LADA Sport ROSNEFT eRacing Team will be represented by Kirill Antonov, Pavel Mukonin, Kirill Sokovikov and Egor Ogorodnikov.
Another discipline is rallying, where the racing crew’s task for this year was to confirm the title of Russian Cup winners. In the rally season that has just started, Dmitry Voronov and Victor Pozern are racing for the factory team, who have already won two victories. There are also updates in the technical part. The rally LADA Granta R2 has received many important improvements, such as a new engine, exhaust system and gear shift mechanism, as well as suspension updates.
The Lada Sport Rosneft team focuses on the ring direction of motorsport. The RSKG will traditionally feature six pilots in three classes of the series - Super-Production, Touring-Lite and Touring.
Vladislav Nezvankin: “I am clearing the way for the young”
For many years, the general director of Lada Sport, Vladislav Nezvankin, drove one of the Lada Vesta 1.6 racing cars, who recently officially announced that he is ending his racing career and will now fully concentrate on managing the team, production and new projects.
“At the end of last season in Grozny, I decided that if I win the Cup, I will finish racing,” shared Vladislav Nezvankin. “I completed my task, and it is important to end my career on time: at its peak. Now I will have more time both to lead the team and to manage the Lada Sport division: this is a large program for the production of sports road cars, of which we have produced and sold more than 20 thousand over 8 years. There will be new projects. For example, we plan to introduce a prize fund in the S1600 class for those pilots who take part in it using Lada cars.”
Vladislav Nezvankin (left) and Andrey Petukhov
For the 2020-21 seasons, the only racing class the team does not compete in is S1600, the former National. After the 2019 season, they completely focused their attention on the three remaining classes, showing maximum results. However, among other participants in the series there is an opinion that the factory team should focus exclusively on touring, in order to allow the rest to be on the podium in the races.
Vladislav Nezvankin does not agree with this formulation of the issue and believes that the Russian Championship and Cup are serious competitions in which there is a place for everyone, and for Lada this is an excellent opportunity to advertise its equipment:
“Our task is to develop all classes, because we also produce the Granta for Touring-Lite and the Vesta Sport for Super-Production. For us, participation in the RSKG is an advertisement of our products and our capabilities. As for the competition, the series now has a very strong line-up both in the team and individual competitions, and confirming or winning another award is not an easy task. In addition, we are the general partners of the Match TV channel, which covers the RSKG. I believe that this helps others attract additional partners and sponsors.”
From the point of view of the factory team and its ambitions, common interests are much more important than personal ambitions, so Vladislav Nezvankin does not hide the fact that team tactics sometimes have a place, but no one tries to use them unless necessary. “We allow our drivers to fight among themselves, but the interests of the team always come first. Our riders fully share this approach.”
Nezvankin’s place in the Super-Production class was taken by Vladimir Sheshenin, the 2022 Russian champion in the Touring-Lite class. His partner was Andrey Petukhov, who competed in the same class in 2019-2020.
Vladimir Sheshenin: “Spotters help us win”
The profession of spotters in motorsports came from American racing - mainly from NASCAR - and quickly became in demand in many series. Even drifters no longer sit in a racing chair without a spotter in their ears, which tells them both their own mistakes and the weaknesses of the enemy, and also helps with the trajectory.
Vladimir Sheshenin
In traditional circuit racing, little is said about spotters, but Vladimir Sheshenin said that in their team this work greatly helps the driver on the track, and explained what is required of spotters.
“I also sometimes perform these functions, for example, I helped Philip Tuponosov in the S1600 class during his races. The main thing is that you try not to interfere when it is not required, but reporting mistakes that are repeated from time to time is the right thing to do. You can suggest in a fight when you need to move to the right or to the left in order to protect your position. Or, for example, push to attack. For me personally, a spotter is a person who should talk about the situation around him. I have to understand about yellow flags, problems with pace for me and my opponents, about violations of the rules of my opponents if they are punished soon - or my mistakes.”
If on NASCAR oval tracks the track can be completely visible from almost any corner of the stands, then in classic circuit racing the circuit has a complex trajectory, when part of the track can be hidden behind a turn or other stands. The most complex configuration in this sense is at Sochi Autodrom, because the track is laid between other buildings of the Olympic Park. And in this situation, all that remains is to use the broadcast of the race, which, moreover, occurs with a slight delay.
Vladimir Sheshenin believes that the best spotter he ever had was Maxim Ostudin, one of the leaders of the racing team, who has his own experience in racing:
“Max, as a driver, perfectly understands what is happening on the track, and as a team leader, he knows many of the subtle points related to the rules. The combination of these factors speaks in its favor. But the main thing is that he understands that what is happening on the track has nothing to do with me.”
Ivan Chubarov: “I will do the maximum I can”
The name of Ivan Chubarov should be well known to those of our readers who follow Russian motorsport. Ivan’s entire career was built in karting, and he began collaborating with the Lada Sport Rosneft team back in 2016, when he competed in the KZ-2 class. For the first time, he won the Russian champion title in this discipline in 2022, and already in 2019, the young and very talented guy received an offer from the Grozny Akhmat Racing Team to compete for them in the Touring class, while continuing to participate in karting. Ivan got behind the wheel of a Seat Leon Cupra and had a good season, although at first he was not able to achieve good results, and his beautiful handling of the car was noted by many experts.
In 2022, Ivan fully returned to karting and took another title in KZ-2, and as a result received an offer from Lada Sport Rosneft to drive the LADA Granta R1 hatchback in the Touring-light class.
Ivan Chubarov
Vladislav Nezvankin considers Ivan Chubarov a great acquisition for the team and says that they watched him in karting for a long time to make sure of their choice.
“There are always changes for the better in our team, we are always watching young potential champions who compete in karting. Ivan is one of them. We will try to make him feel comfortable playing for our team and hope that an interesting fight awaits us. Thanks to Vasily Ivanovich Skryl for raising such pilots. After all, Ivan’s partner Leonid Panfilov is also one of them.”
Ivan Chubarov does not believe that the Touring-light class is a kind of demotion after performances in Touring, but regards it as a kind of springboard for his future career:
“I don’t want to guess how everything will turn out,” says Ivan, “But I will do the maximum of what I am capable of, try to get the attention of as many people as possible and appreciate my capabilities. For any karting driver, all cars have one thing in common: four wheels. And then it doesn’t matter what drive, what tires or even what discipline. A karting driver can ride any vehicle and sooner or later figure it out.”
Leonid Panfilov: “We will not turn the team into Mercedes F1”
Ivan’s Touring Light teammate Leonid Panfilov also came to touring car racing for Lada Sport Rosneft in 2022 after taking the karting title in the KZ-2 class. And if last year he competed in Mikhail Mityaev’s car, then in 2022 both Leonid and Ivan have completely new cars of their own, which they, together with Super-Production class pilots, tested in early May on the Kazan-Ringa track. The main task facing the pilots was to drive as many kilometers as possible in order not only to test out the new body, but also to adapt to the car themselves.
Leonid Panfilov and Vladimir Cherevan: two Oryol champions
For Leonid, the path to touring car racing was long and difficult, but he takes every step he takes with gratitude, since motorsport for him is the main interest of his life.
“I’ve been in the ring for so long, I’ve had such a long career in karting,” says Leonid, “that I like everything, absolutely everything. It’s interesting for me to disassemble any track, become stronger when you understand, delve into all the details, then working with the car - I immerse myself in this new thing. And if you are still weak somewhere, then you learn and become stronger.”
However, Leonid will be spending his second season in Touring Light, and Ivan is a typical “rookie,” and the natural question is whether this will be taken into account when distributing roles in the team. However, Leonid Panfilov assures that they have complete equality.
“We don’t have any roles, we are not going to pretend to be Mercedes in Formula 1, where the pilots are divided into first and second. We didn’t have this last year with Vladimir Sheshenin, although he was much more experienced than me. And when at some stages I began to press Volodya, I was given full opportunity to attack. We worked equally for each other when certain tasks needed to be completed. And they helped each other."
The racing season in the RSKG starts on May 15-16, and in one of the following materials we will talk about how the team’s pre-season tests went.
Braking system
The braking mechanisms have proven themselves very well on the roads and have excellent characteristics, and this is not surprising, because AP RACING was involved in their development and creation. The brake system of Vesta WTCC has two circuits.
It is possible to adjust the brake booster. The front caliper has four pistons and is manufactured by AP RACING. The rear caliper has two pistons. The front (brake) discs are ventilated, their diameter is 380 millimeters. The rear discs have a diameter of 280 millimeters and are also ventilated. The braking system on the Vesta WTCC Concept is made at the highest level and has excellent reviews from professional racers.
What does the racing version of Lada Vesta look like?
If we add up all the criticism and reviews, we can conclude that the design of this car is the best that the domestic auto industry has ever designed. The Lada X-Ray was taken as a basis. Below are the features that clearly distinguish this model from others.
- The weight of the car is 1100 kg. The car's length, width, and wheelbase are respectively 3698/1950/2685 mm.
- Compared to the base sedan, the appearance of the Lada Vesta WTCC is more aggressive. The front part is replete with an unusual radiator grille, which harmoniously combines with noticeable headlights.
- Recognizable notches are successfully woven into the profile of the vehicle. 18-inch wheels made of durable aluminum alloy are installed here. At first glance, the car gives a clear impression that this is a racing car.
- The new sports car is equipped with a very rigid body, each element of which is specially reinforced. It is lighter than previous analogues and is radically adapted for driving on the ring road.
- A massive spoiler is mounted at the rear of the Lada Vesta WTCC, producing sufficient downforce during driving and acceleration. In addition, it fits very organically into the overall structure of the exterior.
Racing Lada Vesta WTCC
On a note!
Lada Vesta WTCC is designed only as a sedan and is intended for participation in sports competitions.
Body
When creating the Lada WTCC Concept, special attention was paid to the structure of the body. Its development was carried out directly by AVTOVAZ with the assistance of Lada Sport. A special reinforced safety cage allows the driver to feel protected in the most difficult and dangerous situations on the track.
The canopies are made of carbon fiber. The car weighs a little more than a ton. Has four doors. Everything in the cabin is decorated in a racing style. For example, the air conditioner is directed towards the driver's helmet. The driver's seat is made of carbon fiber and is designed to guarantee maximum comfort and safety. The seat is always individually adjusted to the driver.
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I can’t say that the head of the Lada Sport Rosneft team was gloomier than a cloud, but he wasn’t beaming with joy either: “You know, just recently we were happy about the points we earned. And now, when our people are not on the podium, I can’t call the stage successful.”
Viktor Shapovalov is a maximalist. At the Shanghai stage, all pilots added points to the team's piggy bank. Fourth and fifth places in the heats! In the spring there was a rush - they were making a car, teaching it to drive, then selecting the optimal composition of pilots. Over the past five months, the team has made a powerful breakthrough!
We are no longer the ugly ducklings of the World Touring Championship. Here, at the stage in Shanghai, the Russian team receives no less attention than Citroen and Honda. Vestas, which are based on pre-production bodies, are the most beautiful in color and design. Engineers and mechanics work professionally: quickly, but without fuss.
