The new Lada Priora has received a weight break for the Brands Hatch World Touring Car Championship rounds.
Driver James Thompson had urged the organizers to reduce the compensation weight that the car carried, as the rules required it to run with the maximum 40kg initially as a new entrant to the series, leaving it a long way off the pace and struggling for straightline speed in the last meeting in Porto. The FIA Bureau has now decided to take 20kg off the Priora for Brands.
The BMWs and SEATs will carry the maximum 40kgs in Britain due to their performances in recent rounds, with the Chevrolet Cruzes on 10kgs.
Lada introduced the Priora for Porto, with new recruit Thompson driving the new model while teammates Kirill Ladygin and Jaap van Lagen remained in the older 110.
Double British Touring Car champion and former WTCC race winner Thompson started from the back of the field in Portugal, and took the new car to a best finish of 15th in the second race.