» WTCC: Sonoma layout confirmed

The FIA World Touring Car Championship will race on the full 4.025-kilometre layout when it makes its inaugural visit to Sonoma Raceway in the United States in four weeks time.

The Californian circuit – which has been a mainstay on the NASCAR and IndyCar Series calendar for several years since it underwent a major facelift in 1998 – has officially received the FIA’s homologation stamp of approval after the site was inspected by Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting.

There were three possible circuit layouts available to choose from, with the alternatives being the 3.2-kilometre configuration used by NASCAR, or the longer 3.7-kilometre layout being used by the IndyCar Series.

Of the twelve events on this year’s calendar, Sonoma Raceway is the fourth-shorted circuit on the calendar, with only Valencia (4.0km), Curitiba (3.7km) and the Suzuka East Circuit (2.2km) being of shorter length.

The championship’s two thirteen-lap races will be held on September 23 before the series heads to the Far East to complete its final championship rounds at Suzuka, Shanghai and Macau.