Russian Bears Motorsport

Russian Bears Motorsport was a Russian motor sport team from Moscow. Under the name of LADA Sport it was 2009, the Lada factory team in the World Touring Car Championship.

History

Viktor Shapovalov founded in March 2007, the Russian Bears Motorsport team with the aim to improve the image of Russian sports world. Initially launched for the team drivers Shapovalov, Lev Fridman, Evgeny Zelenov and Oleg Petrikov in older, but reliable BMW 320i in the Dutch Supercar Challenge. Soon there followed the first victories. Shapovalov, Fridman and Zelenov completed also in Zandvoort and Valencia guest appearances in the World Touring Car Championship and were the first Russian racers who participated in the World Touring Car Championship.

In 2008, Russian Bears Motorsport opted for a long-term commitment in the World Touring Car Championship. When fully developed Lada 110 cars have already been chosen, which Lada in 2006 wanted to go into the World Touring Car Championship, but ultimately withdrew before the season start. In the third race weekend at Valencia two Lada were brought to the start for the first time. On the side of the Shapovalov Dutchman Jaap van Lagen drove the second vehicle of the team. Kirill Ladygin took part in a third vehicle in the last three races. However, the team with the inferior vehicles had no chance against stronger competition.

As Russian Bears Motorsport 2009 factory support from Lada received, and besides BMW, Seat and Chevrolet was the fourth factory team, the vehicles have been steadily improved. Thus, the connection succeeded to the competition and the Lada - pilots could at least ride for places in midfield. From the fifth race weekend at Valencia, a new engine was used, which developed 20 hp more power. In Porto, the first copy of the new Lada Priora was used in addition to two Lada 110. This was controlled by the experienced British racing driver James Thompson. He took over for the rest of the season, the cockpit of team boss Shapovalov, who is now fully focused on the role as team leader. With the Lada Priora Jaap van Lagen in Oschersleben had first retract realistic opportunities World Cup points for Lada. Lying in fifth place, however, drove him in the last corner Nicola Larini into the car and van Lagen thus came off the track. During the subsequent race weekend in Imola James Thompson drove in two races in sixth place, and ultimately achieved so that the first World Championship points for Lada. But these were also the only ones there in Okayama technical defects prevented points for van Lagen and Thompson. At the end of the season Thompson finished with six points to 17th place in the drivers' standings.

At the beginning of the year 2010, initially, there was uncertainty about the continuation of the work commitment of Lada. Start of the season in Curitiba no vehicles were shipped. Although Lada committed itself in 2009 to a three-year program in the World Touring Car Championship and had already negotiated contracts with drivers, Lada wrote himself unexpectedly in the World Touring Car Championship 2010. Instead Lada decided at short notice to sponsor the Renault F1 team. Without support from Lada it was Russian Bears Motorsport no longer possible to continue to participate in the World Touring Car Championship, and the team had to withdraw from the series.