[WTCC] FIA WTCR 2019 News & Rumours

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

They do, it's called Eurosport Player and you pay for it.

Do we really think WTCR is big enough for a paywall?

Put it on youtube, tell everyone and anyone its on there. Make a little bit of money from adverts being displayed on youtube... Not as much as you make from a TV deal, but heck you might actually build an audience...

SRO have it 100% correct in that respect. Dont charge the consumer, because the more of them you have, the more likely manufacturers will want to show up, and sponsors will want to be in the championship...

[thlbtcc]

I agree, the series isn't big enough to justify the pay-TV model. On the flip side, that money looked to be funding certain drivers/teams last season.

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Do we really think WTCR is big enough for a paywall?

Put it on youtube, tell everyone and anyone its on there. Make a little bit of money from adverts being displayed on youtube... Not as much as you make from a TV deal, but heck you might actually build an audience...

SRO have it 100% correct in that respect. Dont charge the consumer, because the more of them you have, the more likely manufacturers will want to show up, and sponsors will want to be in the championship...

This, it's the only way forward in my opinion.

[Umai Naa]

Ma Qinghua confirmed at Mulsanne.

[thlbtcc]

Where does this leave Coronel?

[Rubio]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Ma Qinghua confirmed at Mulsanne.

More than sure it is Ribeiro's job.

As for Coronel - Comtoyou maybe?

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Rubio

More than sure it is Ribeiro's job.

As for Coronel - Comtoyou maybe?

There is an article written in flemish which links Coronel to a Comtoyou seat and not an Audi seat, but a Cupra one. And there are rumours that the deal is already signed. Coronel said that the announcement will not come before the end of february, and he has an almost sure WTCR seat.

The same article also mentions Oriola, who will probably not race in WTCR this year- which is a shame . Due to the testing and development of the E Cupra, and he concentrates on the new E TCR for 2020, just like Comini. Althought Comini said that he will race in TCR Europe this year too.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Csaba

There is an article written in flemish which links Coronel to a Comtoyou seat and not an Audi seat, but a Cupra one. And there are rumours that the deal is already signed. Coronel said that the announcement will not come before the end of february, and he has an almost sure WTCR seat.

Weren't Dupont, Berthon & Panis confirmed to be staying with Comtoyou back on page 3?

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Weren't Dupont, Berthon & Panis confirmed to be staying with Comtoyou back on page 3?

Dupont is staying at Comtoyou, but will race in TCR Europe this year. As Berthon got a Rebellion seat in WEC for the remainder of the this season and the 2019-20 season, it seems that he will leave too (there are no clashes between the calendars, but rumours suggest it).

The confirmation of the 6 Audi drivers was just a hoax by Autorsport. Audi just confirmed the continuation of backing WRT and Comtoyou for 2019, before the regulation change of max 4 cars/brand. It seems Vervisch and Panis will be driving the two Audis (if Vervisch is not choosen to drive one of the DTM cars of WRT).

Going back a little to the Ma announcement at Alfa. As Ma was a serious contender for the 4th Honda seat, now it seems that Tassi is the number one candidate. Josh Files commented on a post in the TCR Talk Facebook group about his future back in december, he said that there is almost no chance of getting a WTCR seat for 2019.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Csaba

Dupont is staying at Comtoyou, but will race in TCR Europe this year. As Berthon got a Rebellion seat in WEC for the remainder of the this season and the 2019-20 season, it seems that he will leave too (there are no clashes between the calendars, but rumours suggest it).

The confirmation of the 6 Audi drivers was just a hoax by Autorsport. Audi just confirmed the continuation of backing WRT and Comtoyou for 2019, before the regulation change of max 4 cars/brand. It seems Vervisch and Panis will be driving the two Audis (if Vervisch is not choosen to drive one of the DTM cars of WRT)

Ah thanks for that! Shame if Dupont & Berthon don't continue, I think they did pretty good last year.

[Lanti]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Ah thanks for that! Shame if Dupont & Berthon don't continue, I think they did pretty good last year.

It was false information. Audi only announced they will remain in WTCR, de enlisted the teams and drivers of 2018. Some journalists interpreted it as an announcement that the lineup will remain the same.

Rumours are that Comtoyou still wants to have 4 cars in WTCR, so they can have two Audis and two Cupras. Coronel is in contention for one of them.

[Lanti]

Originally Posted by Csaba

There is an article written in flemish which links Coronel to a Comtoyou seat and not an Audi seat, but a Cupra one. And there are rumours that the deal is already signed. Coronel said that the announcement will not come before the end of february, and he has an almost sure WTCR seat.

The same article also mentions Oriola, who will probably not race in WTCR this year- which is a shame . Due to the testing and development of the E Cupra, and he concentrates on the new E TCR for 2020, just like Comini. Althought Comini said that he will race in TCR Europe this year too.

Could you please link that article here, my child?

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Lanti

Could you please link that article here, my child?

Here you have it my father
https://www.autosport.be/news/wtcr20...N7aQSbhyjpjmDY

If I'm not completely wrong one of our mutual friends sent you the link these days, but I don't know if he sent it to the Blog, to your personal page or posted it in the Facebook group.
We have found it in the TCR Talk group and the writer of the article seems credible

[S griffin]

I hope Coronel finds a seat somewhere, he's a solid pro who gets results

[FastNolas91]

There you have it, Ma Qing Hua confirmed at Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo. https://www.touringcartimes.com/2019...mulsanne-line/

[auroan]

Ma confirmed in an Alfa.

[Csaba]

https://www.dhnet.be/sports/moteurs/...kgLeNu4_sOP8BU

Vernay and Shedden confirmed at WRT, Vervisch and TCR Germany frontrunner Niels Langeveld in the two Comtoyu Audis.

So, Coronel and Panis in the two Comtoyou Cupras maybe?

[S griffin]

Shedden, good to have him back. Hopefully he can build on his experience of last season

[Cinghio44]

Good to se back also Vervisch, he is improved massively in touring cars. He will be a front runner, hoping that the Audi will be competitive.

Langeveld is a good addition because he knows well the car. He won races in the Adac TCR and was in contention for the title, plus he is a former Seat Eurocup winner

[Bramzel]

Awesome surprise to see Langeveld in WTCR, he could be in for a couple of surprises this year.

[Matt K]

Honestly I hoped for Vervisch in DTM this year. Langeveld should be a worthy addition to the squad. And hopefully Shedden will do way better than last year, I sort of feel this might be a make or break season for him.

[Cinghio44]

Originally Posted by Matt K

I sort of feel this might be a make or break season for him.

Yes it is, his contract expires at the end of this year. But I think that Shedden is a really good driver, he was the best in BTCC. Unfortunately the Audi RS3 is not an easy car to put at the limit, only JKV and occasionally Vervish have done it

With weight onboard it struggles a lot!

[Matt K]

Yes, Flash indeed is a very good driver and therefore I hope will be able to make everything out of Audi this year.

[Accident]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Do we really think WTCR is big enough for a paywall?



Put it on youtube, tell everyone and anyone its on there. Make a little bit of money from adverts being displayed on youtube... Not as much as you make from a TV deal, but heck you might actually build an audience...

SRO have it 100% correct in that respect. Dont charge the consumer, because the more of them you have, the more likely manufacturers will want to show up, and sponsors will want to be in the championship...

I wouldn't say SRO have it 100% right, as they still have geoblocking in many parts of the world.


The geoblocking completely turns me away. Some places upload the races unofficially, but even then I don't bother most of the time. Why watch lower quality unofficial streams for Blancpain stuff on occasionally dodgy websites when I can watch ADAC GT Masters, VLN and even GT Open easily in high quality on YouTube?


I do feel that the YouTube route (without geoblocking) should be the one the WTCR takes. Maybe it's just the small circle of racing fans I know here in the States, but none of them pay any attention to WTCR mainly due to the fact they can't watch it easily, so I feel like free streaming that is easy to find is the best way to sort of "re-build" the status of the series and gain an audience again.


The quality of the grid certainly deserves to have a lot of eyes on it.

[FIRE]

Langeveld in WTCR! That's great news!

About coverage. Yes they should stream it on Youtube world wide without geo blocking.