DATA KIT 2019 SLOVAKIA RING, 10-12 MAY ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW THE ESSENTIALS Rounds: 7-9 Venue: Slovakia Ring Date: 10-12 May Location: 800 Orechová Potôň 930 02, Slovakia Length: 5.922 kilometres Time zone: GMT +2 hours Race 1 distance: 9 laps Race 2 distance: 9 laps Race 3 distance: 11 laps WTCR qualifying lap record: Gabriele Tarquini (Hyundai i30 N TCR) 2m09.312s (164.80kph), 14/07/18 WTCR race lap record: Gabriele Tarquini (Hyundai i30 N TCR) 2m11.061s (162.60kph), 14/07/18 THE CHALLENGE Opened in 2010 40 kilometres east of the capital Bratislava, Slovakia Ring hosted the FIA World Touring Car Championship five times from 2012. Its challenging nature, speed variations, elevations and array of corner configurations makes it popular among drivers and fans with 32,000 turning out for race day in 2018. And there’s a double treat in store in 2019 with the FIM Endurance World Championship for motorbikes meaning action on two wheels as well as four. Described by inaugural WTCR OSCARO champion Gabriele Tarquini as “one of the best tracks in Europe”, the 225kph Turn 2 offers a big test. PROVISIONAL KEY TIMINGS: WTCR RACE OF HUNGARY Friday 10 May: Free Practice 1: 09h15-10h00 Free Practice 2: 11h30-12h00 First Qualifying: 13h45-14h15 Second Qualifying Q1: 16h40-17h00 Second Qualifying Q2: 17h05-17h15 Second Qualifying Q3: 17h20 (first car starts) 1 Sunday 12 May: Race 1 (9 laps): 10h45 Race 1 podium: 11h25 Race 2 (9 laps): 15h15 Race 2 podium: 15h55 Race 3 (11 laps): 16h45 Race 3 podium: 17h30 RACE RECAP 2018 Weekend in short *Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini hands Race 3 winner’s trophy to Michelisz *Oriola and Tarquini also triumph as Tarquini takes title lead by three points *Vervisch beats Björk to Race 3 podium in photo-finish *WTCR season so far: 11 winning drivers, six customer racing brands victorious Weekend report: Norbert Michelisz topped off an action-packed weekend with his first win of 2018 following a thrilling Race 3 as Pepe Oriola and Gabriele Tarquini also claimed a win apiece. Oriola and Michelisz, who partners Tarquini in the Hyundai- powered BRC Racing Team, became winners number 10 and 11 of the season respectively, while Oriola’s success for CUPRA in Race 1 means six customer racing brands have won races. Tarquini headed into the summer at the top of the standings, albeit a slender three points ahead of Yvan Muller with Michelisz firmly in contention in third, closely followed by Yann Ehrlacher and Jean-Karl Vernay, who beat Tarquini to second in Race 1 behind Oriola. Tarquini was also the winner of the TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy and TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver. In a weekend of firsts, Norbert Nagy scored his and Zengő Motorsport’s maiden podium with second in Race 2, sandwiched by Tarquini and Muller. Fabrizio Giovanardi claimed Team Mulsanne’s first points with fifth in Race 1. New team-mate Kevin Ceccon was sixth in Race 3 on his debut. Denis Dupont took his first points with eighth in Race 2. Frédéric Vervisch beat Thed Björk to third in a Race 3 photo-finish. Winning quote: “I’ve been waiting for this for some races now,” said Michelisz. “The weekend didn’t start the way we wanted. The feeling with the car was quite good, but not having the proper starting position for the first race made me really disappointed. But we managed to turn it around with the second qualifying and the third race today. I’m really happy and there’s a big relief from my side. Having won the first race, there is some pressure now off my shoulders and I really hope this is the start of a turnaround for me in terms of the championship fight. There have been a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, but going into the summer break with a boost I have from the atmosphere from this race makes me happy.” 2 Results reminder DHL Pole Position Race 1: Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) Hyundai i30 N TCR Race 1 winner: Pepe Oriola (ESP) CUPRA TCR Race 1 fastest lap: Pepe Oriola (ESP) CUPRA TCR DHL Pole Position Race 2: Norbert Nagy (CUPRA TCR) Race 2 winner: Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) Hyundai i30 N TCR Race 2 fastest lap: Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) Hyundai i30 N TCR DHL Pole Position Race 3: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Hyundai i30 N TCR Race 3 winner: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Hyundai i30 N TCR Race 3 fastest lap: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Hyundai i30 N TCR TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy: Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) Hyundai i30 N TCR TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver: Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) Hyundai i30 N TCR 3 EVENT PREVIEW: FAST AND FURIOUS: HIGH SPEEDS AND BIG BATTLES IN STORE AT WTCR RACE OF SLOVAKIA *#WTCR2019SUPERGRID to take on 225kph Turn 2 *Super-close season resumes at challenging track *Double-header features action from FIM Endurance World Championship Title leader Néstor Girolami heads to the scene of his FIA World Touring Car debut when WTCR Race of Slovakia takes place from 9-12 May for a double-header with a difference. As well as watching the latest rounds of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, fans descending on the Slovakia Ring will be treated to high- speed action on two wheels, courtesy of the FIM Endurance World Championship. Like WTCR / OSCARO, the EWC is promoted by Eurosport Events. The action-packed weekend is effectively split in two with EWC riders in action on Thursday and Saturday (when the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring takes place), and WTCR racers on track on Friday for practice and qualifying and Sunday for all three races. Hosting FIA World Touring Car racing since 2012, the Slovakia Ring is a firm favourite among the drivers thanks to its blend of high-speed and technical corners with Turn 2 taken at 225kph, making it one of the fastest corners of the season. Girolami goes back to where it began Back in 2015, Néstor Girolami had done his winning in his native Súper TC2000 series and was largely unknown outside Argentina when he made his debut in the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the Slovakia Ring, scoring a point in his very first race. Now he’s on top of the world on the back of his double WTCR / OSCARO win last time out at the Hungaroring. “It was a fantastic weekend; couldn’t have been much better,” said the Honda- powered Girolami. “A win and the championship lead; just amazing. Slovakia was where it started and I can’t wait to come back. It won’t be easy but hopefully I can still be in the lead at the end of the weekend.” Super-tight competition in store WTCR / OSCARO has delivered plenty of super-tight action in 2019. Here’s a reminder of what happened during qualifying alone in Hungary: *Norbert Michelisz takes Race 3 DHL Pole Position by 0.008s *Just 0.040s separates the leading trio in dramatic Q3 shootout 4 *Six customer racing brands and 12 drivers within 0.6s of each other in Q2 *Top 21 covered by 0.8s in Second Qualifying Q1 Welcome to the #WTCR2019SUPERGRID The #WTCR2019SUPERGRID celebrates the fact that seven WTCR / OSCARO drivers have won 14 FIA world titles plus 29 other major championships. Gabriele Tarquini, who began his world title defence with the Race 2 win in Marrakech, heads the list. Now carrying the number 1 on his BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse i30 N TCR, Tarquini took his second victory of 2019 when he beat team-mate and home hero Norbert Michelisz in Race 3 at the Hungaroring last month. After missing out on the inaugural crown by three points in a seven-way title decider in Macau last November, four-time world champion Yvan Muller is back in a Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 TCR developed by Geely Group Motorsport from China. He broke his WTCR / OSCARO podium duck at the Hungaroring but is still chasing his first 2019 win. Thed Björk partners Muller at Cyan and started his bid for a second FIA world crown by giving Lynk & Co an historic victory in Morocco. The Hungary weekend proved frustrating in comparison, however, which will make the Swede more determined than ever to bag a strong haul of points. Rob Huff (SLR VW Motorsport Golf GTI TCR), the 2012 FIA World Touring Car champion, is one of 12 of the 15 winners from 2018 returning in 2019. After a challenging start to the season, the Briton will be keen on a change of fortune. BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team’s Augusto Farfus, ex-FIA World Rallycross ace Johan Kristoffersson (SLR Volkswagen) and Andy Priaulx (Cyan Performance Lynk & Co) are all world title winners and all new to WTCR in 2019. Winner of Race 1 in Marrakech, Esteban Guerrieri (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR), topped the standings after Race 1 in Hungary only for his challenge to unravel when broken steering caused his Race 3 crash. He’ll be determined to make amends in Slovakia. Jean-Karl Vernay (Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport) had high hopes of scoring his first 2019 win in Hungary when he lined up on the reverse-grid Race 2 pole. But a clutch issue meant a sluggish start resulting in the Frenchman settling for second place ahead of impressive newcomer Daniel Haglöf (PWR Racing). Vernay’s team- mate Gordon Shedden and Comtoyou Racing pair Niels Langeveld and Frédéric Vervisch complete the Audi-powered attack.