How WTCR winner Azcona gets to work with two of the best

March 24th, 2020 | 2020 |

WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup race winner Mikel Azcona is learning from two of the best ahead of the 2020 season.

Azcona, who scored a breakthrough victory at WTCR Race of Portugal in Vila Real last summer driving a CUPRA TCR, has tested the new-for-2020 Cupra Leon Competición, which Spanish touring car legend Jordi Gené played a key role in developing.

“I have worked many times already and he’s spectacular, I like him because I learn a lot from him,” said Azcona of his compatriot. “He is a great professional and he’s a great help to me, not only with the work, he also helps me understand all the set-up work and all the steps that must be taken to develop a prototype almost from the base, almost from the moment when the engineers have finished conceiving the model.”

After winning the Spanish touring car title in 1996, Gené – already an accomplished racer in Formula 3 and Formula 3000 and a class winner in the Le Mans 24 Hours – moved to the FIA European Touring Car Championship for 2002.

Gené was a SEAT Sport driver when the FIA World Touring Car Championship was revived for 2005. He took a win during the first season and claimed a further two victories before moving onto new challenges, which included a season in TCR International in 2015, when he placed third in the final table with three wins.

Azcona’s alliance with CUPRA has also led to him working with Mattias Ekström, the official CUPRA e-Racer driver and brand ambassador and two-time DTM champion.

“I haven’t met much with Ekström as we perform different roles, but I am looking forward to having the opportunity or working with him, he seems like a great driver and I can certainly learn a lot from him.”

Azcona has yet to announce his racing programme for 2020.

Photo: CUPRA Racing. Azcona is pictured with Gené (left) and Ekström (right)