The action doesn’t stop in the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup. Less than two weeks after Néstor Girolami and Yann Ehrlacher took a win apiece at Circuit Zolder in Belgium, the battle for title glory continues at the toughest track on the planet, the 25.378-kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife.
EVENT ESSENTIALS
What? 2020 WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup, Rounds 3 and 4 of 16
When? September 24-26, 2020
Where? Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany
Track length: 25.378 kilometres
Race 1 distance: 3 laps (76.134 kilometres)
Race 2 distance: 3 laps (76.134 kilometres)
WTCR qualifying lap record: Thed Björk (Hyundai i30 N TCR) 8m55.085s (170.7kph), 11/05/18
WTCR race lap record: Frédéric Vervisch (Audi RS 3 LMS) 8m59.076s (169.4kph), 12/05/18
EVENT OVERVIEW
The action doesn’t stop in the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup. Less than two weeks after Néstor Girolami and Yann Ehrlacher took a win apiece at Circuit Zolder in Belgium, the battle for title glory continues at the toughest track on the planet, the 25.378-kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Germany has hosted the WTCR since the series began in 2018 and was a regular on the FIA World Touring Car Championship schedule beforehand. From 2015, the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, located in the Eifel mountains, has challenged the World Touring Car stars to the extreme with its 64 heart-stopping corners, long straights, dips, climbs and fast sweeps providing motorsport’s equivalent of a high-speed rollercoaster.
A racing circuit for the brave − changeable weather can also be factor − it’s the ultimate thrill seeker’s paradise with the 20 all-season WTCR drivers taking to the ‘Green Hell’ for two practice sessions, a single qualifying and two races over three laps from September 24-26 in Goodyear-equipped TCR cars from Alfa Romeo, Audi, CUPRA, Honda, Hyundai, Lynk & Co and Renault.
As well as the chase for the overall placings, WTCR Rookie Driver and WTCR Trophy points will be up for grabs at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with live coverage in six continents as part of the WTCR’s biggest broadcast distribution ever.
Home interest comes in the shape of 20-year-old rising talent Luca Engstler, his family-run Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport and the satellite ALL.INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport squad.
WHO’S ON TRACK?
1 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse, Hyundai i30 N TCR
7 R T Jack Young (GBR) Vuković Motorsport, Renault Mégane RS TCR
8 R Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team, Hyundai i30 N TCR
9 Attila Tassi (HUN) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR
11 Thed Björk (SWE) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co 03 TCR, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
12 Santiago Urrutia (USA) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
16 R T Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS
17 T Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS
18 Tiago Monteiro (PRT) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
29 Néstor Girolami (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
30 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai i30 N TCR
31 T Tom Coronel (NED) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS
55 R T Bence Boldizs (HUN) Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición
68 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 TCR, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
69 T Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Team Mulsanne, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris
86 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR
88 Nicky Catsburg (NED) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team, Hyundai i30 N TCR
96 Mikel Azcona (ESP) Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición
99 T Gábor Kismarty-Lechner (HUN) Zengő Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición
100 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
R = Rookie Award contender; T = WTCR Trophy contender
HOW THEY STAND
After two rounds, Yann Ehrlacher is the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader. Here’s a reminder of how he and the chasing pack stand:
1 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) 43 points
2 Néstor Girolami (ARG) 36
3 Yvan Muller (FRA) 31
4 Santiago Urrutia (URY) 28
5 Gilles Magnus (BEL) 25
6 Thed Björk (SWE) 24
7 Tom Coronel (NLD) 24
8 Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) 20
9 Attila Tassi (HUN) 17
10 Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) 15
Click HERE for full standings including Teams’, Rookie Driver and WTCR Trophy classifications
WEEKEND DIARY
Thursday September 24
Free Practice 1: 14h30-15h00
Free Practice 2: 15h15-15h45
Qualifying: 19h00-19h40
Friday September 25
Race 1: 16h40 (3 laps)
Saturday September 26
Race 2: 10h00 (3 laps)
All timings are shown in CET, are provisional and subject to change
KEY NUMBERS
43: WTCR points scored by Yann Ehrlacher to make him the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader
75: Length in metres of the Goodyear Blimp that will fly over the Nordschleife on September 26
4: FIA World Touring Car race wins scored by Yvan Muller in Germany
1927: The year the Nürburgring opened for business following two years under construction
24: WTCR Race of Germany is part of the ADAC TOTAL 24h-Rennen weekend, the venue’s famous twice-round-the-clock event
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2020?
THE DRIVERS
*Bence Boldizs, Gábor Kismarty-Lechner, Gilles Magnus, Santiago Urrutia and Jack Young are new
*Nathanaël Berthon is back after a season away, 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
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, Aragón and Adria are new to WTCR, which has never visited Belgium, Spain or Italy before
WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS?
WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup for Drivers
WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup for Teams
WTCR Rookie Driver
WTCR Trophy
DHL Pole Position
Goodyear #FollowTheLeaaader
TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy
TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver
WTCR RACE OF GERMANY QUALIFYING: HOW IT WORKS?
While one three-phase qualifying session is the norm at most events, the long track length (25.378 kilometres) at WTCR Race of Germany requires a single uninterrupted session of 40 minutes.
WTCR RACE OF GERMANY GRIDS: HOW ARE THEY FORMED?
The Race 1 grid is decided by the final qualifying classification with positions 1-10 lining up in reverse order. The Race 2 grid is decided by the final qualifying order with the fastest driver in qualifying taking the DHL Pole Position.
WTCR RACE OF GERMANY: HOW THEY SCORE?
*The fastest five drivers in Qualifying score points as follows: 10-8-6-4-2
*The top 15 classified finishers score 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
WTCR RACE OF GERMANY: RECENT WINNERS
2019:
Race 1: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Hyundai i30 N TCR
Race 2: Johan Kristoffersson (SWE) Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
Race 3: Benjamin Leuchter (DEU) Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
2018:
Race 1: Yvan Muller (FRA) Hyundai i30 N TCR
Race 2: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) Honda Civic Type R TCR
Race 3: Thed Björk (SWE) Hyundai i30 N TCR
WTCR DRIVERS ON WHY THEY LOVE THE NORDSCHLEIFE
Thed Björk (Cyan Performance Lynk & Co): “When you get to Schwalbenschwanz it’s not so far to go and you say to yourself ‘keep pushing, keep pushing’. And then comes my favourite part when you go into the compression at Tiergarten and you brake as late as you can, 260kph, and when you do that then you are done with your lap and hopefully it’s a good lap.”
Nicky Catsburg (Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team): “For me 100 per cent it’s the best track, I have always really enjoyed racing there. This year, fortunately or unfortunately, I’ll be doing both events again so this is definitely the highlight of the season for me and I’m really pleased we can race there. But doing the 24-hour race as well makes for a very intense weekend.”
Tom Coronel (Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport): “There’s nothing even close to the Nürburgring Nordschleife, it’s every track multiplied by 10, the most legendary there is. There’s a myth associated with the track and all the manufacturers want to have lap records there. I’ve held the road car record with the Dodge Viper, I’ve done a lot of 24 hours there but you never know the track because it’s never the same from one part to another but you have to trust it. As a race car driver, it’s one of those things you need every year to satisfy yourself. It’s mega cool.”
Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Racing Lynk & Co): “The part between the Karussel and the Döttinger Höhe because is like a single corner as you don’t once have the steering straight. You are in the flow going left, right, quick corners, a bit slower corners, even at the end at Marshal’s Post 174 you are jumping the four wheels, that’s the most insane part of the track because you are in the flow just letting the car roll. But it’s also the best part of the track and the part of the track you most enjoy.”
Luca Engstler (Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team): “It’s good to have a home race but on the other hand you also have a bit of pressure. But as I’m 20 years old going there for the first time in a TCR car and the first time in WTCR, nobody is expecting a lot and I want to learn this season. Of course, I have my own goals and I try to work for them and we see what is coming out at the end of the day.”
Esteban Guerrieri (ALL-INKL.COM Münnic
Gábor Kismarty-Lechner (Zengő Motorsport): “This will be something very difficult for me because it’s a very long track and very difficult. That’s why it’s called the Green Hell, I guess. It won’t be very easy but I will do my best.”
Attila Tassi (ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport): “Last year was the first time for me at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. I really liked it and before it was a dream to race on it in real life. I’m really positive, we had a test there in the summer. We will push as hard as we can to get the best out of the car.”
Jean-Karl Vernay (Team Mulsanne): “I didn’t know the track before I came there with WTCR and even though I am a resident of Luxembourg, which is only one hour, I didn’t have so much interest. But when you drive there for the first time you immediately fall in love with the place because it’s so impressive. It’s completely different to a normal track and you are missing some pace at first because you don’t have the experience you need. Last year I was unlucky with the Code 60 warnings in qualifying, they really ruined my races. But I finished fourth from 15th on the grid in Race 3 so at least I ended the weekend on a high. Now I look forward to going back because you have so much pleasure and it’s super-cool.”
Jack Young (Vuković Motorsport): “I did some laps in a road car and it was unbelievable. I want to go back, actually I want to move out there! I said to my Dad, ‘I’m moving to Germany!’ I love it so much, the atmosphere is amazing and the track is like nothing else and I can’t wait to race on it.”
