Italian outfit, Team Mulsanne, have confirmed that they will continue to run a pair of Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCRs in the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) during 2019, following a challenging 2018 campaign.
Built by Romeo Ferraris, the Giulietta took a while to get up to speed compared to other cars which had received significantly more financial backing during their development. Nonetheless, while Gianni Morbidelli and Fabrizio Giovanardi decided to abandon the project, Kevin Ceccon joined the team mid-season and managed to provide the them with their first race victory at Suzuka.
Team Mulsanne have now confirmed that they’re looking to build upon that success, and be more consistent challengers for points with their pair of Giuliettas in 2019.
“The 2018 season was busy and intense, but also rich in satisfaction.” said Michela Cerruti, Romeo Ferraris Operations Manager, “We should have taken a moment to rest, but we have opted for continuing the work to present ourselves perfectly ready for the FIA WTCR 2019 challenge.”
Indeed, the team has most recently been spotted testing at Vallelunga, with no less than four drivers behind the wheel of their cars. During the test, Ceccon was joined by Tom Coronel, Ma Qing Hua and Jono Lester, however the team’s final line-up for 2019 is yet to be confirmed.
“Last winter, the priority was to prepare the customer cars that went to race and to win in America and China.” Cerruti continued, “This winter, on top of responding to the orders that have arrived from Japan and Australia, we have continued focusing on the FIA WTCR.
“We will shortly announce the drivers that Team Mulsanne will enter in the 2019 FIA WTCR and are anxious to see who our rivals will be. Interest for our Alfa Romeo Giulietta is rising also within TCR Europe, and we hope to define soon our programme for the continental series.”
Eurosport’s WTCR promoter, Francois Ribeiro, spoke about the team’s return to the series for 2019, saying: “Team Mulsanne and Romeo Ferraris embarked on a big challenge when they entered the inaugural WTCR / OSCARO season with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR. But every challenge they faced they overcame and their first win in Japan was a measure of the progress they had made but also an indicator of more success to come in season two, of that I have no doubt.”
“We should also credit Michela Cerruti for the belief she showed in giving Kevin Ceccon his big break last season, and we very much hope he can be part of the team’s line-up again in 2019. He’s a great talent.”
