» WTCC: Independent drivers switch teams

The Liqui Moly Engstler BMW team has confirmed that Italian backmarker Fabio Fabiani will join their ranks for the season’s final two rounds at Shanghai and Macau.

His appointment has triggered a reshuffling of other Independent Trophy drivers, with Hong Kong drifting driver Charles Ka-Ki Ng also joining the Engstler-run DeTeam KK outfit.

Fabiani, 37, has got what the Engstler team needs: money, and plenty of it. The Italian has so far failed to qualify his Proteam BMW 320si within 107% of the fastest qualifying time at any round this season, and has instead had to rely on the dispensation of the FIA Stewards to be allowed to start the races.

At the last round in Japan, Fabiani was banned from starting the Suzuka races for repeatedly breaching driving standards, and this led to him being sacked by the Proteam outfit and replaced by Hong Kong driver Philip Ma.

But Fabiani will now take over Engstler’s normally-aspirated BMW 320si that was used by Chales Ng at Suzuka.

Ng will now switch to the turbocharged BMW 320TC (run by Engstler’s operation) that has previously been driven by Marchy Lee, David Sigacev and Masaki Kano.

Stay tuned for our preview of this weekend’s WTCC Race of Shanghai!

[Image via FIA WTCC Media]