WTCR – SUPER SIX ALL SET FOR SOCHI WTCR TITLE SHOWDOWN – EVENT PREVIEW
Six drivers remain in the hunt to become the King of WTCR for 2021 as the all-action, wide-open fourth WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup season heads for its climax at Sochi Autodrom in Russia this weekend (November 27-28).
Yann Ehrlacher, the reigning King of WTCR following his 2020 title triumph for Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, tops the provisional standings by 36 points as the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader. But with a maximum of 60 up for grabs at the inaugural WTCR VTB Race of Russia, the outcome is far from settled with two races remaining.
Comtoyou Team Audi Sport’s Frédéric Vervisch and Honda-powered Esteban Guerrieri (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport) trail Frenchman Ehrlacher by 36 and 37 points respectively, while Lynk & Co-equipped Cyan pair Santiago Urrutia and Yvan Muller, Ehrlacher’s four-time FIA World Touring Car Cup title-winning uncle, are also in contention.
Jean-Karl Vernay is not out of the fight either but with a 55-point deficit to Ehrlacher, the Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team driver faces a tall order to take the title. Nevertheless, the gap between second and sixth is only 19 points, while Gabriele Tarquini, currently 12th in the provisional order, can finish second.
For Tarquini (BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse), the first King of WTCR in 2018, WTCR VTB Race of Russia marks the end of an era with the Italian legend announcing on the eve of his home round of the series earlier this month that the current campaign will be his last as a full-time driver. However, the 59-year-old’s charge from P11 on the grid to fifth place in Race 2 at Adria International Raceway was proof that he won’t be slowing down just yet.
Having clinched the WTCR Trophy for independent racers at WTCR Race of Italy, Gilles Magnus switches his focus to trying to wrap up the FIA WTCR Junior Driver Title in Sochi, although Luca Engstler can still deny the Belgian federation-backed talents. Magnus can also help Comtoyou Team Audi Sport stop Cyan Racing Lynk & Co from taking the entrants’ award for the third time.
Néstor Girolami will head to Russia on the back of winning a two-driver TCR South America endurance race in Buenos Aires last weekend, where Guerrieri and Tom Coronel (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport) were also in action. Mikel Azcona (Zengő Motorsport), meanwhile, will also be on winning form following his triple victory in the TCR Spain finale at the wheel of a CUPRA Leon Competitión.
Azcona is ninth in the provisional WTCR standings after 14 races, nine points behind seventh-placed Norbert Michelisz and five behind Thed Björk. Along with Bence Boldizs, Rob Huff and Tiago Monteiro they will all aim to score big during the season finale.
Built to host the 2014 Russian Grand Prix, the 5.858-kilometre Sochi Autodrom is new for the bulk of the WTCR grid, although Jordi Gené, Attila Tassi and Vernay have all raced at the track with Gené winning the first of two TCR International counters in 2015. Urrutia and Nathanaël Berthon have raced single-seaters in Sochi in the past.
WTCR VTB RACE OF RUSSIA ESSENTIALS
Rounds: 15 and 16 of 16
Date: November 26-28
Venue: Sochi Autodrom
Location: 26 Triumfalnaya Street, Sochi 354340, Adler District, Sochi
Track length: 5.858 kilometres
Race 1 distance: 9 laps (52.632 kilometres)
Race 2 distance: 11 laps (64.328 kilometres)
WTCR qualifying lap record: To be established
WTCR race lap record: To be established
TIMETABLE
Saturday November 27:
Free Practice 1: 09h30-10h15
Free Practice 2: 12h30-13h00
Qualifying Q1: 15h00-15h20
Qualifying Q2: 15h25-15h35
Qualifying Q3: 15h40-15h55 approx.
Sunday November 28:
Race 1: 12h15 (9 laps, (52.632 kilometres)
Race 2: 14h15 (11 laps, 64.328 kilometres)
All timings are local, provisional and subject to change
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Based around the Sochi Olympic Park that was home to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Sochi Autodrom is a 5.848-kilometre permanent track which staged the first Russian Formula One Grand Prix in 2014. The work of architect Hermann Tilke, Sochi Autodrom has hosted the TCR International Series in the past and will bring WTCR racing to Russia for the first time as the setting of the 2021 season decider in late November. Current WTCR racers Jordi Gené, Attila Tassi and Jean-Karl Vernay have all raced in Sochi with Gené winning the first of two TCR International counters there in 2015.
ENTRY LIST
No Driver (NAT) Team Car*
3 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR
5 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR
8 Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR J
9 Attila Tassi (HUN) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
11 Thed Björk (SWE) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
12 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
16 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS J T
17 Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
18 Tiago Monteiro (PRT) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
20 Kirill Ladygin (RUS) LADA Sport ROSNEFT LADA Vesta Sport TCR W
22 Frédéric Vervisch (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
28 Jordi Gené (ESP) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición
29 Néstor Girolami (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
30 Mikhail Mityaev (RUS) LADA Sport ROSNEFT LADA Vesta Sport TCR W
32 Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS T
55 Bence Boldizs (HUN) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición J T
68 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
69 Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR
79 Rob Huff (GBR) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición
86 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
96 Mikel Azcona (ESP) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición
100 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & C0 03 TCR
*All cars equipped with Goodyear tyres and use fuel from P1 Racing Fuels
J = FIA WTCR Junior Driver Title; T = WTCR Trophy; W = Wildcard racer
WTCR − FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CUP 2021 PROVISIONAL STANDINGS
DRIVERS (after round 14/16)
1 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, 201 points
2 Frédéric Vervisch (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS, 165
3 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR, 164
4 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, 157
5 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR, 151
TEAMS (after round 14/16)
1 Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, 352 points
2 Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, 288
3 Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, 287
4 ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, 278
5 BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse, 246
JUNIOR DRIVERS (after round 14/16)
1 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS, 341 points
2 Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 323
3 Bence Boldizs (HUN), Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy, CUPRA Leon Competición, 231
4 Jessica Bäckman (SWE), Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 131
WTCR TROPHY (after round 14/16)
1 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS, 131 points
2 Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS, 95
3 Bence Boldizs (HUN), Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy, CUPRA Leon Competición, 72
4 Jessica Bäckman (SWE), Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 32
5 Andreas Bäckman (SWE), Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 27