DG Sport Compétition has made two key signings as the excitement grows ahead of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO season opener in Morocco from 7-8 April.

Aurélien Comte will bring his title-winning pedigree and an abundance of knowledge of the PEUGEOT 308TCR – accumulated in his role as the car’s development driver – to the Belgian squad, which has also acquired the expertise and experience of Eric Nève as Team Manager. DG Sport Compétition will enter a second 308TCR with the driver due to be announced soon.

Nève joins DG Sport Compétition after completing his long-term consultancy role at Eurosport Events, promoter of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, which becomes WTCR from 2018. The Frenchman was previously a lynchpin in Chevrolet’s hugely-successful WTCC campaign.

“Having been involved in the major strategic decisions and regulations, quite simply I’ve missed the track,” said Nève. “Now I have this opportunity thanks to DG Sport Compétition I will be out to offer them a maximum amount of assistance. Back in 2005 [Chevrolet was] the baby brother in WTCC; our cars struggled against their rivals and our organisation was not beyond reproach. However, this did not prevent us later from clinching three consecutive world titles. I cannot claim that DG Sport Compétition will follow the same course but I do know the team’s qualities created by Christian Jupsin and Alain Georges, and I know what I can bring to them thanks to my experience.”

Comte, 29, said: “Having been involved in the development of the PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup and then the 308TCR, I confirm the 308TCR boasts enormous progress in all fields and I’m confident the 308 TCR is well-born and will give its rivals the run-around. I never missed a televised broadcast of the WTCC. And now I will be confronting guys on the track that gave me a buzz, that I thought were inaccessible, and that’s brilliant. I’m fully aware that the level will be extremely high and that I will be discovering most of the circuits, but this does not scare me; I know the PEUGEOT 308TCR and I can count on a team that’s efficient, professional and full of enthusiasm.”

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCR promoter, said: “I’m really pleased DG Sport Compétition can count on Aurélien’s knowledge of the 308TCR and talent and Eric’s valuable expertise. Eric played a key role in Chevrolet/RML’s success in WTCC, so I’m certain he will be a good asset to DG Sport. We wish him and Aurélien well.”

QEV Technologies, under the license of Campos Racing, will bet again for the maximum expression of the touring car competition.

It will be present in the first season of the new WTCR (World Touring Car Championship), the result of the union between the WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) and the TCR International Series, which have signed an agreement for two years of collaboration. Thanks to the support of Oscaro as sponsor of the team and the support of Cupra, the participation of Campos Racing in this championship has been possible.

Campos Racing continues being present in a championship that knows since its beginnings in 2009, where it became the first winning team in the independent category.

It has been 11 seasons of accumulated experience and more than 20 victories thanks to great drivers that have proven their worth in the championship, such as Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro, Jordi Gené, Hugo Valente and Esteban Guerrieri, who last season gave us two victories and a podium.

The 2018 World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) takes over the World Touring Car Championship and adopts the technical regulations of the former TCR International Series championship. The first edition of this championship, promoted by Eurosport Events and approved by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), will begin in April at Marrakesh Circuit (Morocco) and will end in November at the Guía Circuit (Macau).

Would Touring Car Championship 
For this new challenge the team will trust in CUPRA TCR car, the new jewel of the newly created brand CUPRA by SEAT. Taking up the baton of the all-conquering SEAT León CupRacer, the activities of CUPRA Racing (formerly SEAT Sport) are integrated into the new brand with the aim of creating a new vision towards Motorsport and racing. More on Cupraofficial.com

For this new adventure, it will have the presence of two experienced touring car drivers. Past returns, recovering pilots who have been part of our career, John Filippi and Pepe Oriola, to face this new adventure that welcomes them with great enthusiasm.

The Frenchman John Filippi (1995) competed three consecutive years with Campos Racing for WTCC, in 2014 with SEAT Leon and in 2015 and 2016 with Chevrolet RML CruzeTC1. And the Catalan Pepe Oriola (1994), became in 2011 the youngest driver participating in the WTCC.

2018 WTCR Calendar 
Round 1. Morocco April 8th – Marrakesh
Round2. Hungary April 29th – Hungaroring
Round3. Germany May 12th- Nürburgring Nordschleife
Round4. Netherlands May 20th- Zandvoort
Round5. Portugal June 24th- Vila Real
Round6. Argentina August 05th- Termas de Río Hondo
Round7. China September 30th -Ningbo
Round8. Japan October 28th -Suzuka
Round9. Macau November 18th – Macau
The 10th event is TBC (Waiting World Council approval) and will be scheduled for 7thOctober

The driver touring car legend Yvan Muller reckons has the ability to top his own achievements in the sport will join ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport for the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO in 2018.

Yann Ehrlacher, Muller’s 21-year-old nephew, has signed to race one of the German team’s Honda Civic TCR racers in WTCR, the new name for the FIA World Touring Car Championship. As a result, he will go up against his famous uncle following Muller’s decision to return to full-time driving in a Hyundai i30 N TCR run by his own YMR team.

Muller is a four-time World Touring Car champion, while fellow Frenchman Ehrlacher claimed a breakthrough WTCC win in Argentina last July. “His progression is massive,” said Muller last December. “I realised after the first race in Marrakech last year that the WTCC would not be easy for him. But that is normal and after he did a good season. He’s only 21 and has a lot to learn but I believe in four or five years he will be better than I was. It’s not just because of the advice I gave him but he also has his capacity and with these two things he’ll be better than me.”

The son of former single-seater racer Cathy Muller, Ehrlacher is relishing the chance to continue his career in world touring car racing: “Following my first season in WTCC, the target was obviously to be at the start of the new WTCR. I am really happy to have been chosen by ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport. It’s great news for me because it’s a very good team with a lot of experience in racing and in touring car in particular. With such a great package, the expectations will naturally be high, and my goal is to be among the title contenders this season, although I know that the competition will be tough. There is obviously more pressure than last year, but I'm ready.”

Of the prospect of racing against his famous uncle, Ehrlacher added: “To race against Yvan will of course be a special moment for me. He's my inspiration, he is the best driver in the world in a touring car, and I look forward to share the same starting grid as him."

Dominik Greiner, Team Manager of Friedersdorf-based ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, said: “Logically we had several drivers on our list and the decision was not an easy one. But I feel that with Yann we at ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport have chosen the best package and we welcome him to our team. A very talented, fast and motivated driver who has gone through a great racing school via his mother and uncle, Yann already had some good moments last season and I hope he can continue like this in 2018. Yann and Esteban [Guerrieri] are already working professionally, hand-in-hand as team-mates so we are looking for a good season with them both.”

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, promoter of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, said: “With every team announcement the momentum behind WTCR continues to grow and confirmation of ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s line-up is yet more good news. Team owner René Münnich has been a long-term advocate of world touring car racing and the support he extends to his team and its drivers is to be highly commended. “

Esteban and Yann are two drivers capable of winning races and challenging for the title based on their obvious ability and performances in the WTCC last season. With both drivers extremely competitive and closely matched I expect ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport to mount a strong challenge for the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO for Teams.”

The inaugural WTCR season begins in Marrakech, Morroco from 7-8 April with the first of 30 planned races that will take place over 10 weekends in four continents. ​

Tom Coronel wants to go from hunter to hunted when the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup fires into life in Morocco from 7-8 April.

Having been quick to admit that he’s made up the numbers in recent seasons, the ever-charismatic and popular Dutchman believes he now has all the ingredients he needs to fight for glory in 2018.

Coronel, who from 2014 raced a ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 in the FIA World Touring Car Championship – which the WTCR replaces from 2018 – will drive a Honda Civic TCR at Boutsen Ginion Racing. He will team up with friend and fellow title contender Tiago Monteiro, who was confirmed at the Belgian outfit last month.

The 45-year-old has retained the support of loyal partners DHL, Eurol Lubricants, Tricorp Workwear, ERU Prestige Kaas voor Kerels, TW Steel, Intrax Suspension, 4.Brands, ASC Group, NoFear Energydrink, P1 racewear, Super-B, CM, Copernica and RSII.

And he has confirmed his familiar all-yellow colour scheme will be carried over from the Chevrolet he campaigned in the WTCC to the Honda he will use during the planned 30-race WTCR season.

“World touring cars are my life, it’s my style of racing, it’s explosive and I’m no longer letting other drivers have the fame, it’s possible for me also to have more opportunities to win,” said Coronel.

“I know the car and the very good team I have chosen from TCR Benelux, I know the tyres, I know the drivers, I know the tracks and I know the tricks." Colcluded the Dutchman

"This will be the most competitive year for touring car racing for 10 years and I really like the close racing. I would rather come second with a big fight than win a race leading by 10 seconds.”

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCR promoter, said: “It’s great that Tom will continue to race in the FIA’s premier touring car series. He’s very popular, a great ambassador and never stops promoting himself, his partners and, of course, what he’s racing in."

"He’s not always had the car to be able to fight consistently at the front but whenever he’s had the opportunity in the past he’s made the most of it. Driving a Honda Civic at Boutsen Ginion Racing alongside Tiago Monteiro is certainly a big opportunity and he becomes another frontrunner on the WTCR grid.”