WTCC: Ford build experience in season opener.

Team Ford Hotfiel Sport made the most out of its first appearance in a major international touring car race, as the teams collected valuable information for the Ford Focus RS WTCC during the opening round of the World Touring Car Championship season.

With Monza the first time the new look Focus had appeared in race conditions, Thomas Jaeger started the opening race of the weekend from 27th place on the grid and was immediately working his way up the order. However, while trying to improve his position, Chevrolet driver Alain Menu hit him on the second lap, causing Jaeger to run out of road and plough through the gravel.

"Once I'd gotten out of there again, I was too far behind to climb back up on the leaderboard," he said.

Jaeger would finish the race in 28th position.

Thomas Klenke also managed a good start from 28th place, but he had to lift off after two cars collided right in front of him in the first chicane. He dropped back to 31st but felt encouraged by the way his Ford Focus RS WTCC was behaving on the track. However, while Klenke was hoping to claw back some positions, his engine suddenly died.

"It?s either the engine itself or an issue with the drivetrain," team principal Hans Hotfiel said. "We?ll only be able to track that down once we?re back home."

While Klenke was unable to start the second heat, Jaeger made it to the grid of race two, but got involved in a first-corner battle between Menu and the privateer Honda of Andriano de Micheli. The Italian spun around and swerved straight into Jaeger, damaging the car?s front and ending Jaeger?s race in the process.

Alhough neither car made an impression in the overall results, Jost Capito, the head of Ford TeamRS, felt encouraged after the debut.

"The first event of the WTCC proved that this is a fantastic and very competitive championship and it's good for a privateer Ford team to be involved," he said. "We knew we would experience a difficult start because of our tight development schedule. But we saw that almost every step we took with the car marked an improvement. We have gained some valuable experience through the course of the weekend, and I'm sure the team will be in much better shape come the next round in Magny-Cours."