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WTCR – Tarquini and Michelisz to team up at BRC

BRC Racing Team will enter two Hyundai i30 N TCR cars in the inaugural season of the WTCR for Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz.

The entry into the brand new championship for the team follows a year of work as a partner in the testing of the i30 N TCR, supporting Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing in an engineering and logistical capacity. The expertise gained from that development phase, which culminated in three race weekends at the end of 2017, will now help put the team at the front of the WTCR pack this season.
Tarquini too was heavily involved throughout the testing and development of the i30 N TCR. During 2017 he acted as the official test driver for the i30 N TCR project, scoring the car's first pole position, win and fastest lap in competition last year with BRC Racing Team run efforts in the TCR International Series and TCR Europe Trophy.

"I'm very pleased to be driving with BRC Racing Team in the WTCR this season," said Tarquini. "After leading the testing for the i30 N TCR throughout last year I know the car very well. This season will be a fantastic opportunity to put the experience both I, and the team, have to compete at the very front of the new championship. Personally I'm looking forward to a full season of racing once again, competing it what I am sure will be a very tough and competitive championship."

Tarquini will be reunited with his former teammate Michelisz, the runner-up in the 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship and winner of a TCR International Series race in Thailand.

"I'm really excited for the season to begin," said Michelisz. "I have the same feeling as I did at the start of my career. I'm working with a new team, a new car and in a new championship. It's a new challenge, which is great motivation for me. I'm looking forward to working with Gabriele again, and learning from his experience testing before the first races. Last year it was clear the i30 N TCR and BRC Racing Team were the package to beat, so I'm certain we can challenge for wins and the title this season."

"We are anxiously waiting for the beginning of the WTCR," said BRC CEO Massimiliano Fissore. "After a year of intense work, in which we followed the testing and development phases, we can now express our pride in being the first team to represent Hyundai in the series."

Zdroj: tcr-series.com