May 3 2012 – vol 208 no 5 CONTENTS

Up-to-the-minute news and reports from F1, WRC and more. Subscribe for must-read opinion, stats and images

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REPORTS 32 WRC Argentina Sebastien Loeb cruises to his 70th career win for Citroen 36 BTCC Thruxton Gordon Shedden double gets Scot’s title bid back on track 42 DTM Hockenheim It’s a Brit one-two for Mercedes aces Paffett and Green 44 IndyCar Sao Paulo

Three out of three for Penske’s perfect Power 51 GP2 Bahrain

Valsecchi and Dillmann share the Sakhir spoils 52 WTCC Slovakia Ring

Shock! Chevrolets beaten by Tarquini’s SEAT Leon 54 F2 Algarve

Luciano Bacheta continues perfect start to 2012 56 World of Sport

NASCAR; F3 Euro Series; Int GT Open; Grand-Am; BRC

NEWS 8 Pirelli’s tyre gamble paying off

Unpredictable rubber key to superb start to season 10 Cockpit-safety research continues

Issues still need addressing says ex-F1 racer Alex Wurz 12 Caterham adamant it can progress

British squad to relocate and recruit in a bid to improve 15 This week in F1 A round-up of the post-Bahrain news 18 DTM insiders hail reborn tin-top series

Thumbs up for new-look series from top names 20 Massive Pau entry forces qualifying split

Separate sessions for French street-race classic 23 BTCC equalisation rules preclude new Hondas

Dynamics: no more NGTC customer cars 24 Historic WRC events facing 2013 calendar axe

Acropolis and New Zealand set to be dropped next year

FEATURES 26 Gilles Villeneuve remembered

Mark Hughes deconstructs the myths surrounding the great French-Canadian on the 30th anniversary of his death 60 Formula Renault 3.5 preview

The new car is way quicker than the old one – and the series is way cheaper than GP2. No wonder the line-up looks good

REGULARS 5 From the editor 6 Snapshot 17 Mark Hughes column 62 Subscribe for a free gift 88 Final drive

Letters and latest gear 90 On track/on screen

The best action in the next week 93 From the archive

Gilles Villeneuve: FAtlantic sensation of the mid-1970s 94 Race of my life

Vincenzo Sospiri, F3000 Pau GP 1993

SPORTS EXTRA 75 F3 aces commit to Pau Historique meeting

Alex Lynn and Harry Tincknell need to learn classic circuit 76 Gamble to gamble on single-seater switch

FRenault BARC switch for ex-Ginetta racer George Gamble 79 Meyrick to race Aston Group C car at Donington

Historic outing for factory driver in AMR1 prototype 80 National reports

Thruxton TOCA; Brands Hatch 750MC; Donington Park MSVR; Silverstone AMOC; Prescott BHC; Kirkistown 500MRCI; Snetterton BRSCC; Croft BARC

COVER IMAGE: WRI2.NET INSET: COATES, WOOD/ LAT

May 3 2012 autosport.com 3