Hyundai announced Tarquini, Michelisz, Catsburg, Farfus for 2019 WTCR season
Hyundai Motorsport announced today that it will support four drivers in the 2019 WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup season, with defending champion Gabriele Tarquini leading the line-up.
Norbert Michelisz, who was Tarquini’s teammate also in 2018, will continue to drive a Hyundai i30 N TCR while two new drivers, returnees to the World Touring Car category, will be Nick Catsburg and Augusto Farfus.
The champion of the inaugural WTCR season will celebrate 57th birthday in March 2019 but he even doesn’t think about a retirement.
“After winning the FIA WTCR in the first year of racing with the i30 N TCR I am obviously very happy to be returning to the series to defend my title with a Hyundai in 2019. This year the series was very competitive. Next year I expect the racing to be even closer, with more manufacturers and more drivers – including my new team-mates – to battle with. Together we can now work over the winter to prepare for next season to make sure the i30 N TCR is right at the top of the standings once again,” said Tarquini.
Gabriele Tarquini – 2018 WTCR champion
Both Nick Catsburg and Augusto Farfus will race in the WTCR alongside their BMW GT sports car programme. Both drivers are participating in BMW’s FIA WEC campaign and both have rich experience in touring cars previously.
Catsburg was a WTCC regular from 2015 to 2017 with Lada and Volvo. On the other side, Farfus is a touring car veteran who spent seven seasons from 2004 to 2010 in the ETCC and WTCC, driving for Alfa Romeo and BMW, before switching to DTM in 2012. He then spent seven seasons in the DTM, scoring four wins with BMW.
The two teams which will race the i30 N TCRs are yet to be confirmed. Tarquini and Michelisz raced for the Italian BRC Racing Team in 2018, while the second Hyundai team, YMR, have moved away from Hyundai and become part of the new Lynk &Co Cyan Racing operation, meaning another team is set to replace them.
Photos: Francois Flamand/DPPI/WTCR,
