Today in Paris, the FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the birth of the WTCR, FIA World Touring Car Cup. The new series will run to the TCR Technical Regulations, under a two-year licensing agreement between the FIA, WTCR promoter Eurosport Events Ltd (EEL) and WSC Ltd, the owner of the TCR concept and trademark.
As part of the agreement, the TCR International Series and WTCC will be discontinued in 2018 and 2019, while the FIA European Touring Car Cup will no longer run.
A maximum of 26 entries will be accepted, with priority given to existing TCR International and WTCC teams. Two further wildcard entries will be permitted at each event at the discretion of EEL and the FIA. Entries can be lodged with the FIA from 15 December until 30 January 2018.
The WTCR will award FIA World Cup titles, for Drivers and Teams, but no Manufacturers’ title.
The new name, WTCR, has been introduced to reflect the switch from TC1 to the TCR Technical Regulations. Meanwhile, the status of World Cup signals the start of an exciting new era that confirms the continuing success of the TCR concept by associating it with the top level of international Touring Car competition.
The TCR Technical Regulations will be licensed by WSC to EEL/FIA as the FIA WTCR Regulations and be frozen until the end of 2019. Only TCR cars, homologated by WSC and assigned with the FIA WTCR passport issued by the FIA will be eligible. The FIA and TCR technical departments will determine the Balance of Performance, while success ballast will be allocated per driver.
WSC retains the rights of promoting and managing all the TCR regional and national series, or to license them to local promoters.
Promoter Eurosport Events will provide a level of promotional resource similar to that enjoyed by the WTCC to ensure that WTCR benefits from live coverage on Eurosport and more than 50 networks around the world, the expertise of Eurosport Events’ promotional and marketing personnel and a comprehensive social media campaign.
The WTCR calendar will consist of 30 races over 10 events in four continents and will be announced shortly.
Marcello Lotti, CEO of WSC, said: “We are very proud of this agreement that fully respects the very spirit of TCR. The association with such an experienced promoter as Eurosport Events together with the FIA label on the WTCR represent the ultimate recognition for the TCR concept that we launched three years ago and hasn’t stopped growing since.”
François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, concluded: “The combination of the TCR technical regulations, the expertise and neutrality of the FIA and its stringent sporting rules and procedures, plus the promotional strength of Eurosport Events gained since 2005 will deliver a highly competitive grid, exciting racing and a fan-friendly format that can only drive success.”
