2017 #2 World and life International: Rustavi & Bahrain Report: Asia & Benelux Preview: Five series at the start WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2017 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM 2016 World and life Editor in chief Fabio Ravaioli ([email protected]) Editors Alfredo Filippone ([email protected]) Mark James ([email protected]) > EDITORIAL Photography The season heats up, while the latest TCR car to be launched – the Hyundai Photo 4 ([email protected]) New Generation i30 – has just begun its testing programme (see the next page), most of the TCR series worldwide have kicked off or are about to start Contributors In the next four weeks TCR cars will be racing in twelve different countries, Boost! Racing Images, Clovis Chooi, including Sweden, Finland and Estonia for the first time. Elías Domingo, Edd Ellison, The International Series will resume soon with back-to-back rounds in Spa Sean Henshelwood, Neil Hudson, and Monza, but before that the ADAC TCR Germany begins this weekend in Pedro Gil de Vanconcelos, Oschersleben setting an impressive new record for the category with 44 full Patrik Koziolek, Jacques Letihon, season entries. Kanyaratana Manathanya, Equally successful appears to be the TCR Scandinavia series that has Lee Mun Yee, Natasha Mark, attracted over twenty competitors for its maiden season. Ronny Rosenkranz, Gen Suzuki, Salvatore Tarantino, Koen Wijckmans The number of TCR cars is also growing in long distance races, thanks to the fact that they can compete for overall victories in the 24H TCE Series and the Super Taikyu. Without forgetting that a TCR class has been created Published by within the very popular VLN series. Published by WSC World Sporting Consulting Ltd The level of competition is also improving and the first races of the season 22 Eastcheap, 2nd Floor, meant that new brands have savoured the taste of victory. The brand new London EC3M 1EU, Audi RS3 LMS first proved to be fast and reliable in endurance events and United Kingdom then scored four sprint race victories in the last weekend, between Zhuhai and Spa, the Peugeot 308 won the 12H Red Bull Ring despite its small (1.6L) engine and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta claimed a double win in the Designed by International Series. Inpagina s.r.l., via Giambologna 2, And the success of the Romeo Ferraris-built Giulietta has been a quite 40138 Bologna, Italy remarkable exploit, considering that never before has a car developed by a [email protected] private engineering company – without direct support from a manufacturer – won a TCR race. It’s no wonder that general interest in TCR continues to grow. New Reproduction in whole manufacturers are considering to develop their own cars and top-level drivers or part is prohibited without who are currently competing in other series - some even more titled - are the publisher’s permission eagerly looking at it. 2 STANDINGS SPOTLIGHT The Hyundai i30 TCR takes the track Hyundai Motorsport’s first project for the maiden test. The 5.3km layout moment in a project, and to have come circuit racing took a big step forward allowed the team and Tarquini to through three days without a major earlier this week, when former World refine the handling balance through problem makes it even better. We were Touring Car champion Gabriele both slow and high-speed corners, as able to complete all the work that we Tarquini drove the New Generation i30 well as under heavy braking for the had set out for the test, which is TCR on the track for the first time, hairpin at the end of the long back obviously a nice start to a busy beginning the testing programme. straight. development schedule for the New The Customer Racing department The team was also able to test a Generation i30 TCR project. We were travelled to Motorland Aragón in number of different engine map able to work on the balance of the car, Spain as the development phase of settings to begin to gauge the and start developing an initial set-up the project got underway. Prior to the performance of the two-litre that we can use in future, not only for trip the team had completed several turbocharged engine, which is the handling, but the important engine shakedown runs, but the three days connected to a six-speed sequential and differential settings. We can now at the track gave the engineers a first gearbox, operated with paddle- use these as a base for future tests as opportunity to gather data about the shifters. we turn our focus to gaining the car’s behaviour around a racing Following the test the car returned to maximum performance from specific circuit. Hyundai Motorsport’s headquarters in components.” Completing the running without Alzenau, Germany, where the team Testing will continue through major reliability issues the team was will prepare for next date in a busy the summer and autumn able to try alternative settings as they development schedule. at different venues around Europe. started to work towards a base set-up. Customer Racing department manager Hyundai Motorsport expect to deliver The mix of corners on the Aragón Andrea Adamo said: “The first test of the first cars to customers circuit made it the perfect venue for a new car is always a very exciting in early December. 3 WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2017 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM 4 STANDINGS INTERNATIONAL SERIES A thrilling start GEORGIA AND BAHRAIN PROVIDED EVENTFUL RACE WEEKENDS 5 WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2017 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM The TCR International Series has made a thrilling start for its third season, with two events plenty of action at the Rustavi International Motorpark in Georgia and the Bahrain International Circuit. The fact that the Georgian weekend was the first-ever international motorsport event in the Country meant there was huge interest from local fans and media. Their hero Davit Kajaia repaid that attention by qualifying on pole position for Race 1 and duly delivered a lights-to-flag victory that had the capacity crowd cheering him on with every lap. The win also gave the Romeo Ferraris-built Alfa Romeo Giulietta its maiden TCR victory, while the fact that the Italian cars are run by the GE-Force team from Georgia gave the fans yet another reason to celebrate. Hungary’s Ferenc Ficza finished second in the Zele Racing SEAT León while Stefano Comini successfully defended third place on the final lap of the race to give the Audi RS3 LMS and Comtoyou Racing their first podium finish. In Race 2, TCR newcomer Giacomo again had reason to celebrate; in fact positions. Leaving Georgia, Kajaia Altoé started from pole position in Valente was demoted by a penalty held a six-point advantage over Tassi one of WestCoast Racing’s Volkswagen and 17-year old Attila Tassi was in the Drivers’ series with Oriola a Golf GTi cars, thanks to the reversed promoted to second ahead of Jean- further point adrift. top-ten grid. The 16-year old was Karl Vernay. From the changeable weather in quickly overtaken by Pepe Oriola and Both of the races at Rustavi delivered Georgia, the series headed to the his new Lukoil Craft-Bamboo plenty of action. The first, on a wet forty-degree heat of the Middle East teammate Hugo Valente, however, track, saw a four-car battle for the for Rounds 3 and 4. Bahrain was the with Altoé eventually finishing in podium places that was only settled first of two race weekends in 2017 tenth place. Oriola held off Valente to on the final dash for the finish line, where the TCR International Series win, keeping intact his record of while the second race witnessed a supports Formula One and the heat winning at least one of the opening thrilling series of clashes that was always going to be an issue for pair of races each year, while Hungary decided the majority of the top ten both drivers and cars. 6 STANDINGS INTERNATIONAL SERIES 7 WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2017 After a frustrating weekend in RUSTAVI - RACE 1, SUNDAY 2 APRIL 2017 Georgia, the DG Sport Compétition DRIVER CAR TEAM Opel Astra cars dominated 1 Davit Kajaia Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR GE-Force 15 laps in 25:56.717 Qualifying, with Mat’o Homola just edging out Pierre-Yves Corthals to 2 Ferenc Ficza SEAT León TCR Zele Racing 0.374 make it a 1-2 for the team. An 3 Stefano Comini Audi RS 3 LMS TCR Comtoyou Racing 1.176 engine change after Free Practice 4 Roberto Colciago Honda Civic Type-R TCR M1RA 1.478 meant Homola started Race 1 from 5 Attila Tassi Honda Civic Type-R TCR M1RA 1.784 the back of the grid, however, and a Balance of Performance 6 Jean-Karl Vernay Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR Leopard Racing WRT 6.667 adjustment then meant Corthals 7 Pepe Oriola SEAT León TCR Lukoil Craft-Bamboo 7.480 struggled to match his Qualifying 8 Giacomo Altoè Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR WestCoast Racing 7.841 pace in the two races. 9 Dušan Borković Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR GE-Force 10.842 In Race 1, a stunning start saw the 10 Gianni Morbidelli Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR WestCoast Racing 11.388 M1RA Honda Civic of Roberto Colciago storm from the second row Fastest lap: Davit Kajaia, 1:49.626, average 132.29 kph, lap 2 of the grid into the lead going into the first corner and the Italian RUSTAVI - RACE 2, SUNDAY 2 APRIL 2017 driver then never looked back. The victory – his second in the DRIVER CAR TEAM International Series – also meant 1 Pepe Oriola SEAT León TCR Lukoil Craft-Bamboo 17 laps in 29:40.114 Honda became the third winning 2 Attila Tassi Honda Civic Type-R TCR M1RA 4.823 brand of the 2017 season after the 3 Jean-Karl Vernay Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR Leopard Racing WRT 5.466 victories for Alfa Romeo and SEAT in the first two races.