WTCR Race of China 2019

[Juntos]

Two excellent touring car races today. Ningbo turns out to be a great track for WTCR.

[Johno.UK]

Driving standards are diabolical. I don't think I saw a single pass without contact.

[Mogster]

2 entertaining if a bit crazy races. Ningbo seems to be a good circuit for these cars.

It’s amazing how these nice circuits just seem to appear in China. In the UK both the Circuit of Wales and Lake Torrent projects have gone tits up sadly.

[pimmy]

Definitely the most action-packed races I've seen at this track in its short history but the driving standards were horrendous. The TV direction was pretty shonky too.

[TR4racer]

Originally Posted by Maggo

Has someone the current points standings?

It is available on the official WTCR website...a simple google search will get you to it.

[Maggo]

Originally Posted by TR4racer

It is available on the official WTCR website...a simple google search will get you to it.

When I asked the question yesterday it was not online ;-)

[PawUloN]

Maybe there should be regulation in place that in order for a manufacturer to be represented on grid an equal or larger number of cars have to be running in other TCR championships. This way Lynk&Co would have to liberate the model from their sole grasp.

[Johno.UK]

Originally Posted by Maggo

In WTCR the biggest problem ist that the Lynk&Co is not sold and only driving in WTCR.

The Lynk & Co car is now available to anyone with a spare 130k.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Maggo

In WTCR the biggest problem ist that the Lynk&Co is not sold and only driving in WTCR.

The 2nd problem imho is that ther are too many screws which can be adjusted for BoP.

For me, a third problem that is skewing things is the Cupra platform that the rules were originally based upon has been around a while, and Hyundai first (then the FK8 Honda and the L&C) were then able to look at that and improve upon it significantly. Meanwhile, the Cupra, VW and Audi (all using the same parts, all developed and produced by Seat/Cupra Sport in Spain) are now past their sell-by date, but there has to be BoP to try to make them competitive, even though they are far behind technically. If the rumours are true of a new VAG TCR car in 2020, that could be more competitive and then hopefully the BoP adjustments are less severe and we have less of a debate about it.

A fourth problem, not with the TCR car ruleset but this season's WTCR, is that you have two big-money teams, Hyundai and L&C, with four competitive cars at each race. This enables lap time goals to 'play' with BoP during the race and also two or even three of the cars to act as sacrificial lambs to hold up the field, or make silly divebombs to take people out. Hyundai and Catsburg were being stupid during Ningbo Race 2, for example. The teams can bluff all they want, but there are two four-car teams there. All drivers in the same pre-race strategy meetings and in Hyundai's case, three cars backing up Norbi. It's exciting, but not really the goal of the competition.

[BobJones]

Surprised that Vernay was even there, thought Audi might have given him the boot after failing a drink-drive test at a track.

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by Johno.UK

The Lynk & Co car is now available to anyone with a spare 130k.

Didn't they say that nine-month ago?