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Number one rookie: WTCR media vote Ceccon

Kevin Ceccon has been voted as the rookie of 2018 by international journalists who covered the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO.

Media representatives were asked to select the driver with no previous FIA World Touring Car Championship experience who impressed them the most in 2018.

Italian Ceccon, who made his WTCR OSCARO debut in Slovakia and scored a breakthrough maiden win at WTCR JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan, topped the voting ahead of Aurélien Comte, Jean-Karl Vernay and Benjamin Lessennes.

AUTOhebdo’s Medhi Casaurang-Vergez said: “For a young gun with absolutely no previous touring car experience, he was in an instant up to the rhythm. He brought to his passionate, Italian and moreover small squad an emotional win in Japan, which was totally deserved.”

András Lantos of WTCBlog.hu from Hungary wrote: “With no WTCC history, Jean-Karl Vernay could have been the best rookie, but he has huge knowledge racing TCR cars. Kevin Ceccon on the other hand got a podium, pole, victory and many points with Alfa Romeo without touring car experience.”

Autosprint’s Antonio Caruccio said of compatriot Ceccon: “No testing, no front-wheel experience, no racing since October 2017, into the points on his maiden appearance, three Q2 in a row, pole position, win, TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver…”

However, Markus Lüttgens of Motorsport-Total.com, voted for Comte. The German explained his decision: “Very though decision, but Comte was quite unknown to me before the season, but he is definitely a top driver.”

Hans van Onsem of Autosport.be chose fellow Belgian Benjamin Lessennes. “Despite his young age and an evident lack of experience compared to his colleagues, he did an excellent job adapting very quick to tracks new to him, performing strong in practice.”

WTCR media vote refresher
Driver of the year: Gabriele Tarquini
Team of the year: YMR
Race of the year: WTCR JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan Race 3
Moment of the year: Tiago Monteiro’s return
Rookie of the year: Kevin Ceccon

With thanks to: Tamara Aller, Michael Bräutigam, José Caetano, Antonio Caruccio, Medhi Casaurang-Vergez, Francesco Corghi, Neil Hudson, Jean-Christophe Labrunye, François Lamarche, András Lantos, Jacques Leunis, Markus Lüttgens, Szilvia Magyar, Fábio Mendes, Pedro Mendes, David Noels, Mattias Persson, Jean-Luc Taillade and Hans van Onsem

Zdroj: fiawtcr.com