RML officially announces customer Chevrolet programme

Current WTCC drivers’ and Yokohama teams’ champions RML have confirmed they will design and build a number of new Chevrolet Cruzes to the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s latest ‘TC1’ Super 2000 regulations for the 2014 season.

The Wellingborough-based squad are unable to specify the number of cars that will be built as yet, but the team can confirm it will not be running its own race team next season as it did this year, when it campaigned a pair of ex-works Cruzes for Yvan Muller and Tom Chilton with the financial backing of LUKOIL and Aon.

“I am delighted that this project can now be officially announced and that RML will be supplying a number of customer cars to the 2014 WTCC grid,” said RML CEO Ray Mallock. “Strategically this opportunity is of great significance to RML as we reaffirm our commitment to the WTCC in the long-term and the introduction of the exciting new regulations.

“The car is a completely new clean sheet design – it has to be to take advantage of the new regulations. The car represents a very significant step forward in performance over the existing Cruze, with significant aero gain, weight reduction and 20% more power increase. Of course with Citroën entering the championship next year along with Honda and Lada, we are in no doubt of the challenges that lay ahead to ensure that RML’s customers remain at the forefront of the series. The new car looks stunning and its performance will be way ahead of the current generation of cars.”

At present, French driver Hugo Valente and Britain’s Tom Chilton have confirmed that they have purchased RML’s new cars for 2014, with Campos Racing confirmed as the team which will run Valente’s car next season. RML are understood to be looking to built up to six cars in total to be on the grid for the start of the season in April.