After 13 action-packed races, the rapid-fire 2020 WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup season will be decided at MotorLand Aragón, the second of two successive events at this exciting venue, on Sunday (November 15).
EVENT ESSENTIALS
What? 2020 WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup, Rounds 14, 15 and 16 of 16
When? November 13-15, 2020
Where? MotorLand Aragón, Alcañiz (Teruel)
Track length: 5.397 kilometres
Race 1 distance: 10 laps (53.970 kilometres)
Race 2 distance: 10 laps (53.970 kilometres)
Race 3 distance: 12 laps (64.764 kilometres)
EVENT OVERVIEW: 11 IN THE TITLE FIGHT AT WTCR SEASON FINALE
After 13 action-packed races, the rapid-fire 2020 WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup season will be decided at MotorLand Aragón, the second of two successive events at this exciting venue, on Sunday (November 15).
A late addition to the calendar, WTCR Race of Aragón will be an unmissable climax to the WTCR campaign, which features five Europe-only venues over six weekends due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With 85 points left to fight for, no fewer than 11 drivers start the deciding three races with a shot at the title, making for a hugely intriguing and tightly poised finale.
Yann Ehrlacher is the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader for Cyan Racing Lynk & Co on the back of winning three races so far in 2020. With a 26-point advantage over ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s Esteban Guerrieri, the 24-year-old from France would become the youngest winner of an FIA World Touring Car title if he remains on top at the completion of the Aragón triple-header.
For Honda-powered Argentine Guerrieri, taking the WTCR’s big prize would make up for 2019 when he lost out to Norbert Michelisz in the final race of the season in Malaysia.
Jean-Karl Vernay is third in the table, equal on points with Ehrlacher’s team-mate and uncle, Yvan Muller but ahead due to his greater ratio of race wins. Driving an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris, Vernay registered his and Team Mulsanne’s first WTCR victory of 2020 with a fine drive at WTCR Race of Spain earlier this month, a result that helped him to strengthen his grip on the WTCR Trophy for drivers competing without manufacturer support.
Having clinched the WTCR Rookie Driver award* at WTCR Race of Spain in his RACB National Team-supported Audi RS 3 LMS, 21-year-old Belgian Gilles Magnus remains in contention for the overall title in fifth position for Comtoyou Racing.
CUPRA-driving home hero Mikel Azcona is sixth in the table and still in the frame having scored his first win of the current campaign at WTCR Race of Spain, the first victory for his Zengő Motorsport at world level in five years.
Santiago Urrutia, a 24-year-old prospect from Uruguay, was the form man at WTCR Race of Spain, his trio of podiums earning him the coveted TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver accolade for Cyan Racnig Lynk & Co. Frenchman Nathanaël Berthon (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport), Guerieri’s team-mate and compatriot Néstor Girolami, Swede Thed Björk, who won Race 3 at WTCR Race of Spain ahead of team-mate Urrutia and Tom Coronel (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport) all remain in mathematical contention to follow Norbert Michelisz as the King of WTCR.
WTCR Race of Aragón will take place behind closed doors but fans can count on extensive live broadcasting as well fresh and fun content across the WTCR’s social channels. The live broadcasting package covers six continents as part of the WTCR’s biggest broadcast distribution ever.
HOW THEY STAND?
With the season decider remaining Yann Ehrlacher continues to wear the yellow jacket as the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader and will carry the yellow windscreen strip at the start of the WTCR Race of Aragón weekend in his Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 TCR. Here’s a reminder of the 11 title contenders and how they stand.
1 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, 189 points
2 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, 163
3 Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Team Mulsanne, 146
4 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, 146
5 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Racing, 136
6 Mikel Azcona (ESP) Zengő Motorsport, 127
7 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, 127
8 Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, 123
9 Néstor Girolami (ARG), ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, 117
10 Thed Björk (SWE) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, 116
11 Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, 109
Click HERE for full standings including Teams’, Rookie Driver and WTCR Trophy classifications
HOW THEY SCORE IN WTCR?
The fastest 5 drivers in Qualifying Q1 and Qualifying Q3 score points as follows:
1 = 5 points
2 = 4
3 = 3
4 = 2
5 = 1
The top 15 classified finishers score points in all three races as follows:
1 = 25 points
2 = 20
3 = 16
4 = 13
5 = 11
6 = 10
7 = 9
8 = 8
9 = 7
10 = 6
11 = 5
12 = 4
13 = 3
14 = 2
15 = 1
WEEKEND DIARY
Saturday November 14
Free Practice 1: 09h30-10h15
Free Practice 2: 12h00-12h30
Qualifying Q1: 15h00-15h20
Qualifying Q2: 15h25-15h35
Qualifying Q3: 15h45 (first car starts DHL Pole Position top five shootout)
Sunday November 1
Race 1: 09h15 (10 laps)
Race 2: 13h15 (10 laps)
Race 3: 15h15 (12 laps)
All timings in CET, are provisional and subject to change. Event takes place behind closed doors.
KEY NUMBERS
100,000: The WTCR’s #RaceToCare programme in support of the FIA’s #PurposeDriven movement aims to raise €100,000 by the end of the season in the fight against COVID-19
16: For WTCR Race of Aragón, each car is allocated 16 new Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres
85: A total of 85 points are up for grabs at the season showdown with 11 drivers still in contention
22: With the addition of the chicane on the long back straight, the track layout used for WTCR Race of Aragón features a total of 22 corners
3: Three young hopefuls, Bence Boldizs, Luca Engstler and Gilles Magnus, are eligible for the WTCR Rookie Driver points at WTCR Race of Spain
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2020?
THE DRIVERS
*Of the all-season drivers in action at MotorLand Aragón, Bence Boldizs, Gábor Kismarty-Lechner, Gilles Magnus and Santiago Urrutia are newcomers for 2020
*Nathanaël Berthon and Aurélien Comte are back after missing out last season, while Luca Engstler has gone full time after making two appearances in 2019
THE TEAMS
*ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport adds two cars under the ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport banner
*Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team embarks on its first all-season bid
*Zengő Motorsport returns as a full-season entrant having featured once as a wildcard in 2019
*Vuković Motorsport steps up from TCR Europe with a Renault Mégane-powered effort
THE LINE-UPS
*Yann Ehrlacher joins uncle Yvan Muller in representing Cyan Racing Lynk & Co
*Tiago Monteiro and Attila Tassi will form the ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport attack
*Jean-Karl Vernay switches to a Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris
*Nicky Catsburg moves to Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team but won’t compete in Spain
THE CARS
*CUPRA’s Leon Competición is all-new for 2020
*The Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition is the WTCR’s new Official Safety Car
THE TYRES
*Goodyear is the new official tyre supplier and will provide its Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport in one compound for dry and wet weather use
THE NUMBERS
*Norbert Michelisz takes over the coveted number 1 following his 2019 title triumph
*Gabriele Tarquini reverts to the number 30 he used to win the 2018 WTCR title
*Tom Coronel goes from 50 to 31 to mark the number of seasons he’s been racing
THE EVENTS
*Six-event, European-only scheduled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
*Zolder and Aragón are new to WTCR, which has never visited Belgium or Spain before
THE RULES
*There’s a new qualifying and grid formation format (see separate section for more details), while the compensation weight will be calculated using lap times from qualifying only
WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS?
WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup for Drivers
WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup for Teams
WTCR Trophy
DHL Pole Position
Goodyear #FollowTheLeader
TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy
TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver
Subject to the confirmation of the results by the FIA, Gilles Magnus is the winner of WTCR Rookie Driver award for 2020
WTCR QUALIFYING: HOW IT WORKS?
WTCR Race of Aragón features a three-phase single qualifying session split into Qualifying Q1, Qualifying Q2 and Qualifying Q3:
QUALIFYING Q1
How long? 20 minutes
Who scores what? Fastest 5 score points (5-4-3-2-1)
Who gets to Q2? Top 12
Anything else? Quickest driver claims the DHL Pole Position for Race 1
QUALIFYING Q2
How long? 10 minutes
Who scores what? No points scored
Who gets to Q3? Top 5
QUALIFYING Q3
How long? Each driver gets one out lap, one flying lap and one in lap
Who goes first in the shootout? The driver who is P1 in Q2 chooses when they run followed by the driver in P2, P3 etc.
Who scores what? Fastest 5 score points (5-4-3-2-1)
Anything else? Quickest driver claims the DHL Pole Position for Race 3
WTCR GRIDS: HOW ARE THEY FORMED?
Race 1: Final order of Qualifying Q1
Race 2: Positions 1-10 from the combined qualifying times line up in reverse order, positions 11-12 occupied by the cars from Q2 that are not in reverse order. All other cars line up behind from P13 downwards (according to their Q1 time)
Race 3: Top 5 positions occupied by order of Q3, positions 6-12 occupied by cars eliminated during Q2 (according to their Q2 time). Remaining positions occupied by cars eliminated in Q1.
HOW THEY SCORE?
The fastest 5 drivers in Qualifying Q1 and Qualifying Q3 score points as follows:
5-4-3-2-1
The top 15 classified finishers score points in each race as follows*:
25-20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-
*The same scoring system apples to the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup for Teams and the WTCR Rookie Driver classification. WTCR Trophy drivers score as follows: 10-8-5-3-1, 1 point for the fastest qualifying lap, 1 point for the fastest lap in each race
THE TOP THREE WTCR TITLE CONTENDERS
An incredible 11 drivers start WTCR Race of Aragón with a chance of winning the coveted 2020 WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup title. Here’s what the top three contenders have had to say.
FIRST POSITION (GOODYEAR #FOLLOWTHELEADER): YANN EHRLACHER (FRA) 189 POINTS
CYAN RACING LYNK & CO, LYNK & CO 03 TCR
A 26-point lead going into the deciding weekend of the season, is that enough?
“It’s better than a 26-point deficit for sure but it’s still not enough because there are still 85 points to get. Of course, I would have liked a few more points in the second to last round but with the engine change and the turbo issue we got it was a bit difficult. But we still got some points although it will not be easy next week. It’s a margin, it’s a one-race margin let’s say, but we will have a tough weekend to keep that.”
What or who do you fear most heading into the season finale?
“Vernay and Guerrieri are the main rivals for me at this moment but the main focus will be to be in the top 10 in qualifying, that’s the target. If we reach that then it’s already a good step towards the title because we will be there to manage and we will be there to score good points. We showed good pace in the races last weekend. The most dangerous part will be the qualifying.”
How confident are you that you will have the car to beat at WTCR Race of Aragón?
“We showed the car was quick in Aragón but we just obviously didn’t get everything together. The next time the Honda will be much stronger because they will be 30 kilos less but we should be competitive against them and being able to fight. I am quite confident we can reach Q2 and the top 10 so we will see.”
Can you believe what you have been able to achieve so far this year?
“Whatever will be the result at the end I will be happy about my season. We’ve won three races and shown a strong pace all season. But when you get something, you want more. When you get the lead from the first qualifying until now you definitely want it. I’m happy to be leading but with all this work we’ve done I want the big title. There is a bit of pressure but I try to ignore that.”
How much of a role will your team-mates play during the season finale?
“They will help me like they do from the middle of the season when they start to work for me and the Cyan team let’s say. They are important and I’m really thankful to these three guys, they are top-rated guys and they help me a lot. Of course, they are definitely part of the fact I am leading the standings and I’m really happy to have them and much more confident when I go to the weekend because whatever position I am in I know they are there to take away points from the others and help me to get to the top of the field.”
SECOND POSITION: ESTEBAN GUERRIERI (ARG) 163 POINTS
ALL-INKL.COM MÜNNICH MOTORSPORT, HONDA CIVIC TYPE R TCR
When you look at the table, a 26-point gap, what are your chances of winning the title?
“I think they are quite open to be honest. Even though I am a little bit further back than what I was last year from Norbi [Michelisz], I think we are going to be much more competitive this weekend compared to what we were the last time because of the difference in the compensation weight. Everything is still wide open, still to play for. Also, the weather will be interesting to see how it’s going to be. And I can count on very good team-mates and a team behind me and I trust we are going to do a very good job without a doubt.”
Does the fact you have experience of being in a title fight help you?
“I’m not sure if it will make a difference or not. I just approach it the way I think is the best for me and I am obviously very happy again to be in a championship fight. I don’t know how the others approach it but the way I do it is the best way possible it can be done, have a go and be ready for the battle.”
After Zolder did you think you would go into the final weekend in a position to win the title?
“While I was at the second chicane at Zolder sitting in the chair with the broken engine because of the radiator that was leaking, I really thought the quest was going to be really uphill. I really knew at this moment the mountain was going to be really hard to climb if I wanted again to fight for the championship in the last race. But that moment I thought about it and I asked myself how hard it would be, but I just answered it and said, ‘let’s just go and try and see what we can do’. But I really thought at Zolder it was a very hard moment to reverse the situation I was at, but still I never gave up, never threw the towel mentally. I knew there was a chance, obviously a much, much steeper climb to go for but it’s part of the game sometimes.”
Will the addition of the chicane on the back straight benefit the Hondas?
“I think yeah, the shorter back straight is probably a positive for us. I cannot say 100 per cent but I think it will be something that could help us a little bit. Maybe it also helps the other drivers, I don’t know, but for our car it will be better because we were lacking a bit the top speed.”
What result would be acceptable to you if the title wasn’t possible?
“Acceptable is a word that should be used in every situation, accepting whatever comes. If it comes the championship of course I will accept it like the best way possible. If it doesn’t come I will accept it the same way. Because it will be what it has to be, there is no other way things can happen than the way they happen. It sounds a little bit philosophical but in the end it’s like this. I am not thinking to accept one thing and not the other one. Whatever comes I will embrace it and try to learn from that. I am not worried about this outcome, whatever it is. I am just focused on enjoying and trying to give it all again. I am really happy to be in this position. It’s all good.”
THIRD POSITION: JEAN-KARL VERNAY (FRA) 146 POINTS
TEAM MULSANNE ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA VELOCE TCR BY ROMEO FERRARIS
When you take a look at the standings, do you think you can still win the title?
“It’s not like we don’t have any chance to win but I don’t have any expectation to win. We could have a better chance without the penalties we took. People are quite surprised with the job we have done because of our resources and for sure I will do my best and show 100 per cent of our potential. It’s been a good challenge for me and I’ve taken it very seriously, putting in so much effort and we can be proud of what we have achieved.”
Out of the top three title contenders you were the most competitive at WTCR Race of Spain. That must give you a lot of belief for the season decider?
“The new track layout will change a bit what happens because it will be better for everyone and the Honda will be much quicker, also with the drop of 30 kilos. The Hyundai will again be competitive so it will be much more tight. Yann was quite unlucky but otherwise he could have been champion already when you look at the pace of Santiago [Urrutia], which was quite amazing. It’s going to be super-tight and we will have to be very smart and very intelligent during the races. A lot of things are going to happen with a lot of up and down.”
You’ve referenced the points lost through penalties and how they’ve affected your title chances but how good will the final race weekend of the season be?
“The fight for the podium will be amazing and I’m more focused on that than the title to be honest because the others are too much in front so it’s not going to be possible. Yann did a really good job, leading the championship from the beginning. It will just be amazing if we can finish on the podium with such a small team, that will already be a good story and really that’s the target. Everyone is going to be much more tight and everybody will have less weight and I’m quite excited for the fight. Hopefully the best driver will win the title, it’s a fair fight and we put on a good show for the TV.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Motor racing in Alcañiz, the town closest to MotorLand Aragón, dates back to 1965 when the first City of Alcañiz Grand Prix was held on the Circuito Guadalope and promoted by Dr Joaquín Repollés. Despite huge enthusiasm and support, growing safety requirements and difficulties staging top-level events meant time was called on racing through the streets in 2003, which led to the MotorLand Aragón project being conceived.
WHERE TO WATCH?
Click here for more information. View the press release: Biggest ever broadcast distribution announced by Eurosport Events for WTCR «COVID mode»
*Subject to the confirmation of the results by the FIA. A press release announcing the entry list for WTCR Race of Aragón will be issued soon.
