Race preview: High speeds and big WTCR battles in store in Slovakia

Title leader Néstor Girolami heads to the scene of his FIA World Touring Car debut when WTCR Race of Slovakia takes place from 9-12 May for a double-header with a difference.

As well as watching the latest rounds of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, fans descending on the Slovakia Ring will be treated to high-speed action on two wheels, courtesy of the FIM Endurance World Championship. Like WTCR / OSCARO, the EWC is promoted by Eurosport Events.

The action-packed weekend is effectively split in two with EWC riders in action on Thursday and Saturday (when the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring takes place), and WTCR racers on track on Friday for practice and qualifying and Sunday for all three races.

Hosting FIA World Touring Car racing since 2012, the Slovakia Ring is a firm favourite among the drivers thanks to its blend of high-speed and technical corners with Turn 2 taken at 225kph, making it one of the fastest corners of the season.

Girolami goes back to where it began

Back in 2015, Néstor Girolami had done his winning in his native Súper TC2000 series and was largely unknown outside Argentina when he made his debut in the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the Slovakia Ring, scoring a point in his very first race. Now he’s on top of the world on the back of his double WTCR / OSCARO win last time out at the Hungaroring.

“It was a fantastic weekend; couldn’t have been much better,” said the Honda-powered Girolami. “A win and the championship lead; just amazing. Slovakia was where it started and I can’t wait to come back. It won’t be easy but hopefully I can still be in the lead at the end of the weekend.”

Super-tight competition in store

WTCR / OSCARO has delivered plenty of super-tight action in 2019. Here’s a reminder of what happened during qualifying alone in Hungary:

*Norbert Michelisz takes Race 3 DHL Pole Position by 0.008s

*Just 0.040s separates the leading trio in dramatic Q3 shootout

*Six customer racing brands and 12 drivers within 0.6s of each other in Q2

*Top 21 covered by 0.8s in Second Qualifying Q1

Welcome to the #WTCR2019SUPERGRID

The #WTCR2019SUPERGRID celebrates the fact that seven WTCR / OSCARO drivers have won 14 FIA world titles plus 29 other major championships. Gabriele Tarquini, who began his world title defence with the Race 2 win in Marrakech, heads the list. Now carrying the number 1 on his BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse i30 N TCR, Tarquini took his second victory of 2019 when he beat team-mate and home hero Norbert Michelisz in Race 3 at the Hungaroring last month.

After missing out on the inaugural crown by three points in a seven-way title decider in Macau last November, four-time world champion Yvan Muller is back in a Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 TCR developed by Geely Group Motorsport from China. He broke his WTCR / OSCARO podium duck at the Hungaroring but is still chasing his first 2019 win.

Thed Björk partners Muller at Cyan and started his bid for a second FIA world crown by giving Lynk & Co an historic victory in Morocco. The Hungary weekend proved frustrating in comparison, however, which will make the Swede more determined than ever to bag a strong haul of points.

Rob Huff (SLR VW Motorsport Golf GTI TCR), the 2012 FIA World Touring Car champion, is one of 12 of the 15 winners from 2018 returning in 2019. After a challenging start to the season, the Briton will be keen on a change of fortune. BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team’s Augusto Farfus, ex-FIA World Rallycross ace Johan Kristoffersson (SLR Volkswagen) and Andy Priaulx (Cyan Performance Lynk & Co) are all world title winners and all new to WTCR in 2019.

Winner of Race 1 in Marrakech, Esteban Guerrieri (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR), topped the standings after Race 1 in Hungary only for his challenge to unravel when broken steering caused his Race 3 crash. He’ll be determined to make amends in Slovakia.

Jean-Karl Vernay (Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport) had high hopes of scoring his first 2019 win in Hungary when he lined up on the reverse-grid Race 2 pole. But a clutch issue meant a sluggish start resulting in the Frenchman settling for second place ahead of impressive newcomer Daniel Haglöf (PWR Racing). Vernay’s team-mate Gordon Shedden and Comtoyou Racing pair Niels Langeveld and Frédéric Vervisch complete the Audi-powered attack. Vervisch famously beat Björk to the Slovakia Ring Race 3 podium in a photo finish last season.

A number of exciting young guns are aiming to challenge the established order in 2019. They include Mikel Azcona, who has graduated to WTCR as the TCR Europe champion to race a PWR-run CUPRA, and his close rival in recent seasons, Attila Tassi. Based in Budapest, WTCR Race of Slovakia is very much a second home event for the Honda-powered KCMG-run 19-year-old.

Kevin Ceccon (Team Mulsanne) and Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Performance Lynk & Co) are already winners in WTCR, but at 25 and 22 respectively, they remain among a list of exciting young guns that also includes Aurélien Panis, who has switched to CUPRA power for 2019 with Comtoyou Team DHL CUPRA Racing. Ceccon made his WTCR debut in Slovakia last July in what was intended as a one-off. But an impressive points-scoring performance resulted in the Italian earning a full-time contract to drive Team Mulsanne’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR by Romeo Ferraris.

Nicky Catsburg (BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team) is new to WTCR in 2019 having won in the World Touring Car Championship in the past. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s Néstor Girolami, another newcomer, is also a WTCC race winner, while Benjamin Leuchter has a strong reputation from TCR Germany and played a key role developing the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR. Ma Qinghua brings WTCC-winning pedigree to the WTCR in a Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo Giulietta having become the first Chinese to score WTCR points last season. Dutch showman Tom Coronel partners Panis at Comtoyou and remains a fan favourite.

Tiago Monteiro starts his first full season since serious head and neck injuries ended his hopes of winning the WTCC title in 2017. The Portuguese, a Formula One podium finisher in the past, joins Hong Kong-based KCMG to race a Honda Civic Type R TCR. Monteiro’s former team-mate, Norbert Michelisz, is another title contender for BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse. Like Tassi, he’ll be hoping to take advantage of the ‘home’ support, having won Race 3 in Slovakia last July.

Learning is key for WTCR wildcard Engstler

Learning will be key for Luca Engstler when the German teenager makes his debut in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO in Slovakia. The 19-year-old has secured a wildcard entry in a Hyundai i30 N TCR under the Team Engstler banner. Currently racing in TCR Europe, Engstler is a winner of the TCR Asia, Malaysia and Middle East series titles and is highly rated, while his father, Franz, enjoyed success in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. “I’m more than happy and proud to race at the Slovakia Ring in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO,” said Engstler, who turned 19 in March. “Of course I am so happy to get this opportunity and I am really thankful for the support. To join an official FIA series at 19 years old is just amazing. There is a bit of pressure and I am already kind of nervous, but I try to take the positive and learn a lot.”