The World Touring Car Championship will become the World Touring Car Cup in 2018 as the series adopts the succesful TCR concept which has spawned nearly 20 series around the world. The move will also see a change in name from the WTCC to WTCR.
Eurosport Events will continue promoting the championship as they form a 2-year agreement with World Sporting Consulting, Marcello Lotti‘s company behind the TCR concept. The WSC, assisted by the FIA, will continue to calculate the evolving Balance of Performance applied throughout the period.
Continuing with the independent-based ideology behind Lotti’s formula, official factory teams are still not permitted although manufacturers can offer technical support to teams. All cars entered will require a WTCR passport assigned by the WSC.
Following the creation of the TCR Europe Series the European Touring Car Championship will cease. Equally, the TCR International Series will be discontinued, esentially absorbed into the new championship as an entry list cap of 26 cars will give priority to existing TCR International Series and WTCC teams. A further 2 wild-card entries will be permitted per round.
“We are very proud of this agreement that fully respects the very spirit of TCR,” said Lotti. “The association with such an experienced promoter as Eurosport Events together with the FIA label on the WTCR represents the ultimate recognition for the TCR concept that we launched three years ago and hasn’t stopped growing since.”
Amongst several current WTCC teams likely to enter, ROAL Motorsport was briefly rumoured to be considering a TCR entry, potentially with a Hyundai with their WTCC driver Tom Coronel having tested the car at Vallelunga. It is believed the calendar will also consist largely of the current WTCC calendar with a Macau finale.
