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Ferrara steps up to WTCR in Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo

Luigi Ferrara will get the opportunity to bring his race-winning pedigree to the WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO when he steps up from TCR Italy for the closing events of the 2018 season alongside Kevin Ceccon.

Ferrara, who missed out on the TCR Italy crown by a mere 2.5 points, has been called on to drive the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR by Romeo Ferraris previously campaigned in WTCR OSCARO by Fabrizio Giovanardi, who has taken the decision to end his professional partnership with Team Mulsanne. Following this week's WTCR JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan (26-28 October), Ferrara will continue with the squad for the season-closing WTCR Race of Macau, which forms the Suncity Group Guia Race from 15-18 November.

Michela Cerutti, Operations Manager at Romeo Ferraris, the company behind the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR project, said: "We take note of Fabrizio's decision with great respect, given the role he has had in our project and what he represents in touring car racing. We thought of him last winter to test and a develop a new product, but we haven't succeeded in taking on board his demands and provide him with a competitive car. The work done by Fabrizio has been crucial for the growth of the car, and thanks to his contribution, we have been able to score WTCR points for the first time in Slovakia, something for which we will be always grateful."

Of Ferrara's selection, Cerruti said: "We warmly welcome Gigi in the team. Following Fabrizio's decision, we had very little time to find a replacement for the last two rounds, and the obvious choice was to enter alongside Kevin someone who already knew our car. Ferrara was a natural option, and we are confident he will be able to contribute a lot to the set-up of the car given his great experience with our cars, although he will face two challenging tracks, Suzuka and Macau."

Italian Ferrara, 36, has experience in touring car, GT and single-seater racing, having started out in karting. He won his country's 125cc title in 1996 and progressed to Italian Formula 3 via stints in Formula Renault Campus and Formula Renault 2.0. "I thank a lot Romeo Ferraris and Team Mulsanne for choosing me to finish the season," said the Bari driver. "The call received by Michela, for sure, took me by surprise, but at the same time, boosted me a lot. I am anxious to be meeting the team and discovering the atmosphere of the WTCR. It is like a dream come true for me and an opportunity to give continuity to the work I have done with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR by Romeo Feraris in the TCR Italy in the last two seasons."

Giovanardi, a multiple touring car champion, said: "It has not been easy to take this decision, and there is for sure a lot of disappointment for not having obtained the results we would have wanted. I came back to racing to win and I accepted this challenge with Romeo Ferraris because I believed in the project and in the team. Unfortunately, things reached a breaking point in China, also because of technical issues impossible to resolve so far from the factory. What will remain is the pride for having conquered the first FIA WTCR points for the Giulietta and to have performed several races in flamboyant style during the season."

He continued: "Despite the unhappy closing to this journey, I want to thank the team and all its members, on track and at home. They always gave everything they had with great passion, and I wish them all the best for the remainder of the season and beyond. I still have a hunger for racing and winning and I want to say to all my fans that I will do everything to find a project that allows me to put a good show on the track for them and to fight for top position."

Team Mulsanne announced in September that ex-single-seater racer Kevin Ceccon would complete the 2018 WTCR OSCARO season with the outfit having impressed when he scored points on his debut at WTCR Race of Slovakia in July in place of Gianni Morbidelli. Italian Ceccon has since scored more points with sixth and eighth positions at WTCR Race of China-Wuhan earlier this month.

"We are sorry to lose Fabrizio, a driver with an exceptional history in touring car racing, and we would like to extend a warm WTCR OSCARO welcome to Luigi Ferrara," said François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCR promoter. "It's always good to see drivers who have impressed in national championships getting the opportunity to demonstrate their ability on the world stage. It's not easy to learn two new tracks when the championship battle is in full flow, but at least ‘Gigi' has good knowledge of the car and a good team of people around him."

Zdroj: fiawtcr.com