Lynk & Co are the latest manufacturer to build a car to the TCR regulations and made their early season intent clear: They are here to fight for and win the 2019 FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR).
Well, they got off to a great start in Morocco. Teamed up with Cyan Racing and running four entries of the Lynk & Co 30 TCR in this year’s series, the team has hired some of the best talents in tintops and this decision showed its benefits in Marrakech.
Thed Björk, Yvan Muller and Yann Ehrlacher all competed in WTCR last season and got to grips with the circuit straight away, with both Björk and Muller leading the times in Free Practice.
Yann Ehrlacher gave Cyan Performance their first podium in WTCR in Race two. Credit: Florent Gooden / DPPI
Andy Priualx took a little more time to get to grips with being in a front wheel drive touring car again, however, he wasn’t far behind, emphasising the strong line up selected by the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group brand.
To show how impressive the team’s debut was, there was a Lynk & Co 30 TCR driver on the podium in every race. Björk took third place in race one and following that up with the cars first victory in race three after team-mate Muller retired from a secure lead.
Ehrlacher completed the trio of podiums by taking third place overall behind race winner Gabriele Tarquini and Audi driver Jean-Karl Vernay. Priaulx was able to score points in all three races, showing the potential of the car, on a circuit that is shouldn’t be suited to.
Retirement in race three robbed the Frenchman of a win, but Muller will be on the top step soon. Credit: Florent Gooden / DPPI
After a successful weekend of competition in the opening races of WTCR, Championship leader Bjork summed the team’s thoughts after taking the win in the final race on Sunday.
“Everyone in the team has worked so hard during the winter and to win in the debut race of the all-new Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car is a fantastic reward for all involved,” said the 2017 WTCC Champion.
“We were a bit surprised by our speed, especially as this is one of the toughest fields in the history of touring car racing. I can’t thank everyone in the team enough, this is a fantastic start to continue building on for the remainder of the season.”
