[WTCC] FIA WTCR 2018: WTCC / TCR Merger?

[Tarzaan]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

April 8 – Marrakech, Morocco
April 29 – Hungaroring, Hungary
May 13 – Nürburgring, Germany
May 21 – Zandvoort, The Netherlands
June 24 – Vila Real, Portugal
July 22 – TBC (Option 1)
August 5 – Termas de RÃ*o Hondo, Argentina
September 30 – Ningbo, China
October 7 – TBC (Option 2)
October 21 – Suzuka, Japan
November 18 – Macau, China

Villa Real?

I'm not surprised, WTCR controlled by the same stupid management.

I guess Option 1 is a brazilian or uruguayian location, option 2 is a south korean location.

[Tarzaan]

Originally Posted by smithhehehaha

Personally I would like to see COTA or Laguna Seca can join WTCR

US ronnd doeasn't have too much sense. No US team, no US drivers, these TCR models doesn't really rated on the US market.

Originally Posted by Matt K

I don't see a reason in putting such rounds as Marrakech or Ningbo to WTCR as there are no manufacturers involved so there is nothing to promote in such countries. And racing with empty grandstands is not something that WTCR needs I guess...

Marakesh is OK, it'snot far from Europe.

Zuhai will have more sense instead of Ningbo.

But all in all I think a private based TCR series with european teams and mainly european drivers should concentrate to europe, just like the ETCC did or the DTM do. Maybe a very limited weekends outside of Europe, to become a World Cup or World Championship (Marakesh and Macau ot maybe an argetinian round))

Originally Posted by Div

Suspect it's more to do with the contracts Eurosport will have with these venues already in existence. I'd put good money on these being phased out over the next couple of years

I think you are right.

Originally Posted by Fechna

Wow, with Marrakech, Nordschleife, Vila Real and possibly Short-Suzuka 4 overrated venues in, while Spa, Imola/Monza, Salzburgring are out... and even Oschersleben produced entertaining races.

Man, I HATE street circuits.

Well, this mess of a calendar was to be expected. I hope TCR Europe gets a cool grid, then there is enough Quality-TCR to watch next year on worthy tracks.

Mee too. Imho only australians can make proper street circuits.

Originally Posted by Bramzel

Not a bad calendar at all. I'd love to see a US round for TBC 1, perhaps they can join the IMSA Lime Rock event? I also wonder where they'll go for TBC 2, I guess it has to be somewhere in the Asian region as shipping the cars to another continent would be very expensive.

How much this intercontinental transportation could cost for the whole grid?

Tracks pays a huge license fee for held weekends, that is not enough for that?

[kurski]

The WTCC's move to adopt TCR regulations should have happened "at least two years earlier", says series veteran Tom Coronel.

[Tarzaan]

Originally Posted by kurski

The WTCC's move to adopt TCR regulations should have happened "at least two years earlier", says series veteran Tom Coronel.

In his point if view he has right.

[Bramzel]

I guess most privateers will share that point!

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Tarzaan

Villa Real?

I'm not surprised, WTCR controlled by the same stupid management.

The biggest crowd of the WTCC season, no?

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by BobJones

The biggest crowd of the WTCC season, no?

Biggest crowd is Nordschleife with 200.000

[S griffin]

I agree with Coronel, the FIA lingered on too long with TC1 rules, they should have gone with the flow

[NaBUru38]

I'd add a round in Italy.

[Racing Harz]

Comtoyou with three Audi?
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2017...mme-2018-wtcr/

[Matt K]

Sounds good especially given their claims about a good relationship with Audi. I reckon Comini is very likely to stay. Wonder whether Vervisch will stay.

[Sodemo]

I’d like to see a “TCR+“ rule subset. This would allow for slightly faster cars. Keep the overall bodywork the same, but have a bigger rear wing, diveplanes on the front splitter, flat bottom underbody, 70bhp more etc.

I think that’s what the WTCC should have gone with. Make their own rule set an upgrade kit for TCR.

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by Matt K

I reckon Comini is very likely to stay.

Nope. He said that the Audi is past and the Subaru is his future

[Cinghio44]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

Comtoyou with three Audi?
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2017...mme-2018-wtcr/

Very good news...in my opinion with the rise of costs by FIA, the target is to recreate what exist in Blancpain: team factories.

Obviously manufacturers didn't really look into a Series (TCR International) but now it's all different with the status of Word Cup and the end of Wtcc. So i think we'll see a lot of factory teams in future.

Commentating on the Comtoyou team, they raced Vervish that was officially announced as an Audi factory driver some days ago That could help the ralation with the german marque

[Racing Harz]

Craft Bamboo likely to continue.
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2017...inue-new-wtcr/

[luckn002]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I’d like to see a “TCR+“ rule subset. This would allow for slightly faster cars. Keep the overall bodywork the same, but have a bigger rear wing, diveplanes on the front splitter, flat bottom underbody, 70bhp more etc.

I think that’s what the WTCC should have gone with. Make their own rule set an upgrade kit for TCR.

Definintely agree!

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

Nope. He said that the Audi is past and the Subaru is his future

Well... this sounds like not-so-good decision in my humble opinion but let's wait and see

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I’d like to see a “TCR+“ rule subset. This would allow for slightly faster cars. Keep the overall bodywork the same, but have a bigger rear wing, diveplanes on the front splitter, flat bottom underbody, 70bhp more etc.

I think that’s what the WTCC should have gone with. Make their own rule set an upgrade kit for TCR.

Exactly what I think. For me WTCR being now (only theoretically!) main international touring car series in the world needs more spectacular cars. TCR provided good action but it'd be better if the cars were faster and if they had mor bhp under the bonnet.

[NaBUru38]

I'm baffled that Audi is willing to race versus Honda, Kia and Hyundai.

VAG's TCR program should be focused on VW and especially Seat.

[Bramzel]

I guess they simply make a lot of money with the customer racing programme.

[Akrapovic]

The RS3 TCR has sold over 100 cars, so it's a profit centre. It's probably future proofing the Audi Customer Sport program a little bit too. The R8 has been rumoured to be coming to an end when the next version of the Lamborghini is released, which would be problematic to the R8 GT3/GT4 programs. TCR provides a backup.

[Bramzel]

They can always continue the GT3/4 programmes with the RS5, they'd be stupid not to with the money going round in those championships

[MissClarrpz]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

April 8 – Marrakech, Morocco
April 29 – Hungaroring, Hungary
May 13 – Nürburgring, Germany
May 21 – Zandvoort, The Netherlands
June 24 – Vila Real, Portugal
July 22 – TBC (Option 1)
August 5 – Termas de RÃ*o Hondo, Argentina
September 30 – Ningbo, China
October 7 – TBC (Option 2)
October 21 – Suzuka, Japan
November 18 – Macau, China

Only just realised but that's a Monday. On TCR International website it says 19th-21st, only Nürburgring round is 3 days long as well. They have just copied the date for the Europe/Benelux series. It's a national holiday (Whit Monday) celebrated in Europe so only UK won't have time off to see it.
I just found it peculiar. I know Qatar was on a Friday but a Monday is just odd

[Sodemo]

Well some BTCC rounds certainly used to be on a bank holiday Monday because I used to go to them. Don’t believe that’s still the case now but I could be wrong. Wasn’t the Oulton Park round typically on the May Day holiday weekend?

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by MissClarrpz

Only just realised but that's a Monday. On TCR International website it says 19th-21st, only Nürburgring round is 3 days long as well. They have just copied the date for the Europe/Benelux series. It's a national holiday (Whit Monday) celebrated in Europe so only UK won't have time off to see it.
I just found it peculiar. I know Qatar was on a Friday but a Monday is just odd

It's the Pentecost weekend, and the Monday after Pentecost is a bank holiday here. The WTCR weekend is part of the 'Jumbo Family days', Jumbo being a supermarket lead by car nut Frits van Eerd (who races a LMP2 Dallara himself in the WEC/LeMans with Jan Lammers) which has been a Max Verstappen sponsor since day one. Max Verstappen will do demo runs in his Red Bull that weekend as well, meaning BIG crowds.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Well some BTCC rounds certainly used to be on a bank holiday Monday because I used to go to them. Don’t believe that’s still the case now but I could be wrong. Wasn’t the Oulton Park round typically on the May Day holiday weekend?

they havent had a btcc round on a non-Sunday for nearly 15 years